Gabrielle Union used her first ever America’s Got Talent golden buzzer to send blind and autistic singer Kodi Lee through to the live shows.
Kodi, 22, performed an emotional piano rendition of Donny Hathaway’s A Song For You, receiving applause and a standing ovation from the audience.
Simon Cowell described the audition as “extraordinary”, praising Kodi’s “excellent” voice and tone. But it was Union – appearing on her first series – who wanted to make sure Kodi sailed through to the live shows as she pressed down on her golden buzzer.
“I’m a new judge on this show this year,” Union said. “And I am also a new mum this year and that’s the toughest job I’ve ever had and the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.”
“You just want to give your kids the moon, the stars and the rainbows and tonight, I’m going to give you something special,” she said just before she pressed the button to release the golden confetti.
Union then ran on stage to join the emotional celebration before fellow judges, Julienne Hough, Cowell and Howie Mandel made their way up.
Before her son’s performance, Kodi’s mum said: “We found out that he loved music really early on. He listened and his eyes just went huge, and he started singing, that’s when I was in tears.
“I realised he’s an entertainer. Through music and performing, he was able to withstand living in this world because when you’re autistic, it’s really hard to do what everybody else does. It actually has saved his life playing music.”
America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays on NBC in the US and drops Thursdays on Netflix UK
