Drake Milligan is one of 11 acts competing for $1 million in the “AGT” finale.
Who is Drake Milligan on ‘AGT’?
Drake Milligan, a 24-year-old country singer from Fort Worth, Texas, performed his original song “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” for his “AGT” audition, which has more than 6 million views on YouTube.
After hearing the song, “AGT” judge Howie Mandel called Milligan “the new Elvis of country” — a major compliment for the singer, who has been an Elvis fan since the age of 7, the Deseret News reported.
“I think that song’s a hit,” Mandel said. “And I think that you’re a hit. You’re like the new Elvis of country. I think you’re going to break out from this particular song, this particular moment, on this particular night.”
In an interview with Fort Worth Weekly, Milligan shared his passion for Elvis, which began when he was 7 and saw an Elvis impersonator performing at a 1950s-style burger joint.
“That was kind of the turning point,” he said. “I saw that guy and went home thinking Elvis was just the coolest thing in the world. I started researching everything I could about him and listened to all his songs. Got a costume and dressed up as him for Halloween. Kind of grew into dancing on the coffee table singing ‘Blue Christmas’ or whatever. It was kind of a phase until it wasn’t. It just grew and grew. It started me on singing, and my first gigs in high school were playing around as an Elvis tribute artist.”
That ultimately led Milligan to portray Presley in CMT’s short-lived drama series “Sun Records” in 2017.
Now, Milligan is showcasing his own music on “AGT.” For the show’s semifinal round, Milligan performed another original song, “Kiss Goodbye All Night,” which landed him a spot in the finale.
For night one of the finale on Sept. 13, Milligan brought back his hit song “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” — much to the delight of the judges and audience, the Deseret News reported.
“I already want to buy a ticket to your concert,” Vergara said, according to USA Today, with Mandel adding that he believes the competition is down to Milligan and the Mayyas.
Milligan is releasing his debut album on Sept. 15 — a day after the two-part “AGT” finale, according to a news release sent to the Deseret News.
When is the ‘AGT’ finale?
During Wednesday’s episode, Milligan will perform with country singer-songwriter Jon Pardi, according to a news release sent to the Deseret News. At the end of the episode, which begins at 8 p.m. MT on NBC, “AGT” will reveal the show’s winner for the 2022 season.