Kenadi Dodds is one of the singers competing to win America’s Got Talent season 15 in the finals. The 15-year-old has wowed the judges and fans every time she’s performed. HollywoodLife talked EXCLUSIVELY with Kenadi ahead of the two-part finale, and she admitted that she really wants to “show another side of me to America that I haven’t got to show yet.”
Kenadi has impressed the judges with her original songs “Dancing Through The Stars” and “One-Way Ticket To Tennessee.” She did perform a cover of a Thomas Rhett song, but it’s clear her heart lies with her own music. She hinted that she “might go back to an original” song if she made it to the finale. “It will be a song that I can relate to and that I can do my best on,” she revealed.
The 15-year-old believes in her original music and wants the world to hear her words. Singing an original song is always a risky move, but Kenadi believes in herself and her music. “I think showcasing my songwriting is very important to me because that is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Kenadi told HollywoodLife. “I want to record albums, and I want people to know my songs. I don’t want to just sing karaoke. One of my talents is writing songs, so I think I did the right thing and I am proud of it.”
Kenadi is the only one in her family who doesn’t have an eye condition called Retinitis pigmentosa, which causes gradual loss of vision. Kenadi said before her AGT audition that her little sister wanted to see her “on the biggest stage in the world before it’s too late and her vision’s gone.”
Despite their struggles, Kenadi’s family has been constantly supporting her throughout her AGT journey. “My parents are such a big support,” Kenadi told HollywoodLife. “They are mentors and, speaking of mentors, Charley Jenkins has been a huge mentor of mine since I was 9. He has given me opportunity after opportunity my whole life, so I am grateful for him. My vocal coach has been such a big support and has been willing to help with anything I need help with. And The Swon Brothers have been such a great support for my career, and I have been blessed with the coolest and supportive people of my life. I am so blessed.” The America’s Got Talent finale will air Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 on NBC.