entertainment/tv/tv_americasgottalent_100108
The top 5 in ‘America’s Got Talent’
Judge Piers Morgan says he’ll be happy whichever way the chips fall tonight on the finale of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Viewer votes determine who gets the top prize of $1 million.
“Unlike previous years, I think the voting went brilliantly,” Morgan says. “As a judge, you can’t ask for more.” Here are the final five:
Donald Braswell, 45
Hometown: Boerne, Texas
Occupation: Singer
Talent: “I was trained classically many, many years ago at Juilliard. What I do now is more of an adult-contemporary classical crossover genre.”
Plans for the cash: “Pay off a lot of little debts (and) help my mother get into a better situation than she’s in right now. That would be one of my first concerns.”
Dream collaborations: Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli.
What’s next: “My dream is to really pursue a long-term career and take this as far as I can.”
Morgan’s take: “He is the ultimate comeback kid, the Rocky Balboa of ‘America’s Got Talent.’ He was down and out, going nowhere. We decided to have a wild card, and he won the American vote. From that moment, he just got suddenly this huge surge of confidence. If he was to win, it would be the ultimate comeback story.”
Eli Mattson, 26
Hometown: Duluth, Minn.
Occupation: Singer, piano player
Talent: I don’t do flashy. I just sing, play the piano and write songs. I like classic rock a lot.”
Plans for the cash: “Take care of the family, buy my mom a new car.”
Dream collaborations: Billy Joel, Elton John, Alicia Keys
What’s next: “I think it’s kind of out of my hands right now. All the people that really needed to hear me have heard me.”
Morgan’s take: “Eli has a very distinctive voice [and] a very modest character. He can take almost any great song by a great artist and give it its own interpretation and make it work. You can imagine an album of his version of these famous songs, and it would really work.”
Neal E. Boyd, 32
Home town: Sikeston, Mo.
Occupation: Insurance sales manager
Talent: “I perform opera. I like bringing a classical spin to a lot of popular songs.”
Plans for the cash: “The first thing I’ll do is secure my family. I want to make sure that my mother can just be a full-time grandmother. I also want to invest in myself vocally and work with the best coaches in the world. I’m not a great singer, but I think I have a lot of potential.”
Dream collaborations: Celine Dion, Leona Lewis, Josh Groban
Morgan’s take: “Neal is a very shy, modest, humble guy who does a very ordinary day job, [and] he’s not the classic body-beautiful-L.A.-heartthrob-look. The only irregular thing is that he has this extraordinary voice that comes out of nowhere. I was thinking, ‘Where (have you) been? Why are you selling insurance when you can sing like Luciano Pavarotti?’”
Nuttin But Stringz
Damien, 22, and Tourie Escobar, 24
Home town: Queens, N.Y.
Occupation: Musician brothers
Talent: “To keep it real simple, we are a violin duo that started a new genre of music that we call urban rock,” Damien says. “It’s a unique blend of classical music, rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop.”
Plans for the cash: “We’ll definitely buy our mother a house,” Tourie says. “She’s the one who bought us our violins.”
What’s next: “Next is the world. Next is trying to get our music out there even further, showing everybody something new,” Damien says.
Morgan’s take: “They’ve been my favorite act from the start. It doesn’t mean that I think they should win. [But] whatever happens, they’ve achieved something really unique. They’ve brought hip-hop to classical violins. It’s a magical combination. They’ve just stormed this show for originality and uniqueness and for intensity of performance.”
Queen Emily
Emily David, 40
Home town: Houston
Occupation: Full-time mom
Talent: “I have what I believe to be a very unique talent, which is singing,” she says, laughing. “Ever since I was a little girl, I just had this big belting voice that really has never needed a mike.”
Plans for the cash: “The first thing I would do is sit down, scratch my head and think. That would be a whole new life for me. I would put it away and let it sit there first so that I can make wise decisions.”
Dream collaborations: Shirley Caesar, Tina Turner
What’s next: “I would love to record a CD!”
Morgan’s take: “When that voice first busted out, it was like Aretha Franklin’s kid sister. It was amazing. She’s got a lot of heart. I don’t think she will win, but I think that Emily has won the hearts of America, and for her, that’s almost as important.”
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