So, how many of you happened to catch last night's episode of America's Got Talent? If you did, then no further words are needed. If you didn't though, there were two dark alt. acts: one of which, along with an unfortunately bad sideshow act, was 19 year old Andrew de Leon...check out his standing o performance here.

His parents never heard him sing before? How could they NOT have heard that amazing voice coming out of his room when he sang alone?

I could see The East Village Opera Company easily signing up Andrew, if they sadly hadn't disbanded.

-- Nephele

My boyfriend thinks is all set up, I'm not sure, but you ahve to give it to him, he can sing and I like his look.
And even if my boyfriend is very sceptical, I'm sure this is not a story that can't possibly be true.

I think your boyfriend is right to be at least a little bit skeptical. I mean, I imagine that Andrew had to do at least a little singing for the show's producers, for them to decide whether or not to have him on the show. The show's producers have to arrange for some good acts, as well as the gonzo acts that they get, else no one would watch the show in expectation of seeing something good.

Regardless, cheers to Andrew on his amazing talent!

-- Nephele

mmm... I'm not sure about the "no ones heard me sing before" part... I know a couple opera singers, it's not something you do quietly. If you're in the same building, house, block...etc. let alone on the other side of a door or window, you know what they are doing. Maybe he hasn't preformed before, but people have certainly heard him sing.

That is not meant to detract however, from his rather talented singing...

The video posted is blocked in my country, but this all sounds remarkably similar to this duo that were on the British version of the show earlier this year.

Ya, it was blocked in Canada as well... I youtube'd it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIvmlFDcaM

Wow! I wasn't expecting that at all. He's wonderful.

Well he said that he's never performed in front of anyone. Just singing and actually performing are two different things. And as far his parents go, they probably never heard him seriously. I mean, they might have overheard him in his room a few times, but I believe that no one's really heard him.

He sounds great, though! I hope he makes it far.

He totally nailed it! So different that what we usually do...you know...hang around in dark corners, kill things, worship Satan...you know.

Of course, he can STILL DO those things and sing in his spare time.. It all works out in the end.

Like I said w/Andrew...Whaaaa?! They are good though!

Maybe he hasn't had the courage to do it in front of people, and has been going out and climbing trees away from everyone to sing alone.

^^Sounds pretty goth to me. (joking)

Well, I'm sceptical of his claims that he hasn't sang in front of anybody --at least prior to auditioning for the show, and sceptical of his claims of being self-taught. I re-listened after he said that, and the boy has pro-style breath control, he at least took a few classes privately or school choir to learn that; the overwhelming majority of self-taught singers, especially men for some reason, cannot really grasp proper classical singing techniques, including diaphragm and breathing.

Bruce Dickenson of Iron Maiden makes the same kind of claim (lack of formal training), and I can barely keep up with him in my natural range on Rock Band, and this is after nearly fifteen years of my own training and at least some daily practise since.



[nods]

A friend of mine had an apartment neighbour who did opera, semi-professional. My friend had big parties every other month, and she never once claimed she could hear us --a few of us who stayed after until morning even pre-emptively apologised a couple times, just to be safe, and she said she didn't hear a thing. But when she practised, we could hear her at my friend's place.

Now, maybe he hasn't intentionally given any performances --that I'll believe, but I can't believe he's had no training, and no-one has ever literally heard him before.



I was more thinking of Greg Pritchard.

Another !