Jourdan Blue's emotional performance receives golden buzzer on 'America's Got Talent' season 20 premiere
America's Got Talent kicked off its historic 20th season on Tuesday, May 27, with a gripping and emotional premiere that left viewers and judges deeply moved. With mind-blowing magic and high-energy dance performances, the evening was filled to the brim with talent—but it was Jourdan Blue, a 23-year-old street singer, who took center stage and stole everyone's heart, receiving judge Howie Mandel's Golden Buzzer for a performance that was raw yet inspiring.
Jourdan, who performs each night on the streets of New Orleans, opened up about the challenges he faced prior to appearing on the AGT stage. "It's a struggle," he stated. "I sing from 8 p.m. to 2 or 3 a.m. until the cops boot me off the street. It's how I take care of my girlfriend and my son, Jax."
He became a father at a young age and said he "wasn't ready" when Jax was born. But being a dad gave him direction. "He's taught me there's a lot more to life than what I realized.
I want to lead by example and show my son you should chase your dreams."
J
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ourdan also revealed he had a troubled past despite being raised by a police officer father and a lawyer mother. Kicked out of school as a teen, he found himself homeless at 16, sleeping wherever he could until his grandfather took him in. 'He drove out there that night and picked me up. He said, 'You stay with me now,' and I've been with him ever since.'
That love and security enabled Jourdan to redirect his grief into song. But on January 1, 2025, tragedy again befell him—an incident the show has foreshadowed but has yet to disclose fully. The intensity of that loss seemed to drive his performance, which had everyone in awe and reduced Howie to tears.
"You don't just sing," Howie declared passionately, before striking the Golden Buzzer. "You live every word, and we live it too.
You deserve this."
Surrounded by golden confetti, Jourdan Blue took the stage of AGT no longer a mere street singer—but a budding star, whose tale of perseverance, fatherhood, and optimism now inspires an entire nation.
Season 20 is off to a start, and if Jourdan's performance is anything to go by what the future holds, America's Got Talent is in for its most memorable season yet.
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