Knoxville Welcomes America’s Got Talent
Across the country, tween girls dance in front of mirrors singing Taylor Swift hits, or granddads sit on porches picking banjos and mandolins. Teenagers meet after school for band practice, as parents wrap magic kits for birthday gifts, not knowing this small purchase might ignite a love for performing.
These folks are often the ones who appear in the spotlights of NBC’s America’s Got Talent.
“Homegrown talents are our favorite,” said Adam Davis, digital producer of the TV show. “We arrive in these cities and see a talent that’s been mastered and crafted at home with very little experience and we think, Wow, America’s got talent! It’s a pretty phenomenal thing to watch.”
On Thursday, November 15, Knoxville, Tennessee, will be rocking as a first-time audition city for the hit televised talent show.
Since its inception in 2006, AGT has become a favorite for viewers of all ages. Skilled, funny, crazy, bizarre or inspiring contestants can hook legions of fans from the start.
While AGT has visited other regional cities, this is the first time auditions will be held in Knoxville. Though it is a relatively small city, Davis said producers expect the vibe to be pumped as hundreds of hopefuls queue up outside the Knoxville Convention Center at 701 Henley Street.
This year’s tour includes stops at New York City, Detroit, San Antonio, Tampa and Los Angeles. More auditions will be announced once the season gets going. If you live in the Southeast but can’t make it to Knoxville, AGT will also be in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, December 15.
Talents of all sorts line the street on audition day, Davis said. The performances go far beyond just singers or comedians. Remember, the act that kicked off last season was a chicken playing a piano.
Davis says it is fun to see regional voices or locally talented act. What makes a city artistically or musically significant comes through on audition day, he said.
“We’ll roll into a city and feel the cultural flare. In Knoxville, we may get cloggers and bluegrass musicians, while in Detroit, we’ll probably see … comedians and soul singers,” he said.
The entire AGT crew is looking forward to season 14, he said. They’re expecting huge turnouts in all audition cities, but they don’t want that to deter anyone. Complete unknowns have skyrocketed to stardom with an appearance on America’s Got Talent.
“If something is telling you to do it, you need to go for it,” Davis said.
Doors in Knoxville open at 8 a.m. and performances will continue all day until the final person has auditioned. Davis said the process is less complicated if you pre-register at agtauditions.com ahead of time. Each person or group has 90 seconds to show the judges and producers what they’ve got.
“Don’t miss this opportunity,” he said. “Don’t get it in your head and think you’re not good enough. You are good enough, so show up and audition. And if it’s someone else you know who has the talent, encourage that person to show up. You never know what can happen.”
— By Susanna Barbee