Sofia Vergara was so touched by one performance during the June 16 episode of America’s Got Talent she cried. Singer Nolan Neal took the stage and revealed the struggles he faced in his past. His dad committed suicide when he was in his 20s, and Nolan later developed addiction issues. Nolan would lose his record deal due to his struggles, and his loved ones eventually had to step in to help him.
Nolan performed an original song titled “Lost” for his AGT audition. This was the first song that he wrote sober. His performance was raw and emotional. You could feel his heart with every single lyric.
Sofia, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel gave Nolan a standing ovation, along with the entire audience. When it was Sofia’s turn to speak, she had tears in her eyes. “It was really touching for me, your song,” she told Nolan as her voice cracked with emotion. “I know very well the sickness of addiction. My family is completely full of this horrific sickness, and I totally understand.”
She added that hearing that song gave her “a lot of hope for people who are going through your problem.” All 4 of the judges gave him a yes, so Nolan will be moving on to the next round of the competition.
The June 16 episode was quite the emotional roller coaster for Sofia. The new AGT judge helped one of the contestants with his sword-swallowing act. Sofia freaked out a number of times, and even ran off the stage at one point!
This isn’t the first singing competition that Nolan has auditioned for. He was a two-time contestant on The Voice and made it to the Knockouts. For one of his blind auditions, he performed a unique rendition of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” America’s Got Talent season 15 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.