Imagine building up the courage to go on Australia’s Got Talent at 14-years old, and then hear one of the first judges say to you, “You’re either going to be amazing or dreadful, both I will enjoy.”
Though this would intimidate most, Jack Vidgen, from Sydney, Australia, kept his cool and was able to belt out Whitney Houston’s hit song, “I Have Nothing” flawlessly.
In an interview before his performance on stage, Jack described himself as sort of closed off because he never snag in front of anyone except his mom, until his first performance of “Hallelujah” in the seventh grade. Jack thought it would be cool to become Australia’s next Justin Bieber, and it’s clear from his look the teen definitely looks up to pop star. But Jack was also hoping he would get on the show so that his dad, who lives in Queensland and struggles with multiple sclerosis, would be able to see him, or better yet Jack could see his face when he won the whole show.
The judges, Dannii Minogue, Kyle Sandilands, and Brian McFadden, were hesitant to root for the boy because of the weight that the song carried. Whitney Houston, one of the best selling musicians of all time, is a hard artist to cover, and though she is a popular choice for music competitions, the singers rarely compare to Houston.
This time however, the judges and audience were in awe of Jack’s voice. Before jack was even half way through the song people seemed to realize he was something special. When the song builds, Jack was clearly able to show off his range and power. The whole audience was roaring and on their feet, including all three judges.
One of the three judges, Brian McFadden, was so impressed that he ran onstage to hug the boy and plant a kiss on his cheek before he was even finished singing.
Kyle Sandilands, the same judge that told him he may be dreadful, was the first to comment after the performance and said “I don’t like the jump the gun or predict anything too much into the future, but to me you could very well, easily win this contest.” Dannii Minogue called the performance “Mindblowing” and Brian McFadden was practically speechless.
The vote was obviously unanimous and Jack Vidgen was on to the next round. As the singer went backstage to yet another standing ovation, the first thing he did was hug his mom, proud and teary eyed. Host Grant Denyer was also thereto greet him and congratulate him on an amazing performance. “That was out of this world!” said Denyer to Jack and his mom.
Jack continued to wow audiences, judges, and the rest of Australia with his performances throughout the rest of the season. The public voted him in nearly every week, right up to the finale, where he won the entire show and the grand prize of $250,000, beating out a singing/dancing act and an illusionist. His success didn’t stop there, Sony soon signed him to record deal that was out by Mid August of that year that reached number three on the ARIA Albums Charts.
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