“AGT: All-Stars” has brought back 60 former champions, finalists and fan favorites to compete for the ultimate “All-Star” title. The show’s finale — which aired Monday night — featured the 11 top acts, voted through by the “AGT” judges and superfans.
Here’s a look at singer Kodi Lee, who has a really good shot at winning the competition.
Kodi Lee performs on ‘AGT: All-Stars’ finale
For his appearance in the “All-Stars” finale, Lee sat at the piano and performed David Bowie’s “Heroes.” The singer, who is blind and has autism, drew high praise from the show’s judges for his rendition.
“I think you’re amazing,” Howie Mandel said before referencing the song’s lyric, “We can be heroes, just for one day.” “Kodi, you are a hero every day. You really are.”
“You shine so bright on that stage,” Klum added, calling the 26-year-old performer the “ultimate all-star.” “You just are! You just are! I love you so much, and this was fantastic! Heck yeah!”
Cowell, meanwhile, called Lee’s performance “stunning” and said the song lyrics “took on a whole new meaning for us just then.
“You have this real gift, and every time you perform there’s just silence,” he added. “Everyone’s focused and they’re listening to every word.”
Kodi Lee performs on ‘AGT: All-Stars’ — and reaches finale
Going into his audition for “All-Stars,” there was only room for one more act to advance to the finale. It was a tough competition — Lee’s episode alone featured 10 talented acts that included “AGT” winner and spoken word poet Brandon Leake, and the fan-favorite “AGT” comedian Josh Blue.
But when he stepped onto the stage, it became pretty clear that he was in a league of his own. Lee, a pianist and singer who won “AGT” in 2019 — and whose audition, with more than 430 million views, is the most-viewed audition in “AGT” history — was greeted with a massive standing ovation from the audience.
“He’s like a rock star,” Klum said.
After some reminiscing, Lee performed Calum Scott’s “Biblical” and once again received a standing ovation from the show’s judges and audience.
“There’s no other word to describe what you do than amazing,” Mandel said following the performance. “And you are truly amazing, you’re truly an all-star.”
“I feel like my heart doubles in size when I hear you sing,” Klum added. “And you truly are an all-star, and I feel like ‘AGT’ is what it is because of people like you.”
Lee is a “musical prodigious savant” and has an audio photographic memory that allows him to recall a song after just one listen. The success he has found through “AGT” has inspired countless fans.
“When Kodi won … I felt like the whole world won because it opened up so many doors,” Lee’s mom, Tina Lee, previously told the Deseret News. “Everything that we fought for and everything that we’ve done for him, it made me just so happy to know that he’s opening doors for all the other parents’ kids.
“He’s shown the world that anything is possible — no matter what,” she continued. “He is the hardest worker that I’ve ever met — ever. When he has a goal, he keeps going, and I have to keep up with him.”
What else is Kodi Lee up to?
Since his 2019 “AGT” victory, Lee has been performing regularly in Las Vegas — most recently at the Luxor as part of “America’s Got Talent Presents Superstars Live” — and has released two singles, “Miracle” and “Hello World.” Now Lee, who spent several years in Utah, is back on the “AGT” stage and has a really good shot at winning “All-Stars.”
“AGT: All-Stars” will reveal the champion during a two-hour episode airing Feb. 27 on NBC. During the episode, the top 11 acts will perform alongside a number of musicians, including Weezer, Terry Fator, Adam Lambert and Lindsey Stirling.
“I want to thank all my fans for your love and support,” Lee previously told the Deseret News. “Heck yeah!”
For Tina Lee, she hopes her son’s story will especially resonate with other parents who have children with disabilities.
“See what they love to do, and give them the tools,” she told the Deseret News. “Stay strong and keep fighting for the tools they need, for what you know your child is good at and loves to do. You give them what they need, then they’re going to flourish with it.”