How 82nd Airborne Division Chorus fared on America's Got Talent finale
The 82nd Airborne Division Chorus made its way to the top 10 in Wednesday night’s finale of the NBC talent show “America’s Got Talent,” but didn’t capture the top spot to become this season’s winner.
The exact amount of votes the chorus earned and where they placed in the top acts wasn’t stated Wednesday night. They were not among the top five. Earning first place and the $1 million prize was dog act Adrian Stoica and Hurricane.
The season’s second place winner was magician Anna Deguzman, followed by synchronized dance group Murmuration. Singer Putri Ariana placed fourth and acrobats Ramadhani Brothers took fifth place.
The Fort Liberty-based chorus joined this season after auditioning in July with the Temptation’s hit “My Girl.”
Their audition followed a video that went viral last April showing the soldiers singing “My Girl” on one of Fort Liberty’s drop zones before a jump.
The group advanced on to last week’s semifinals singing a cover of Pink’s “I Am Here.”
Tuesday night’s final performance featured soloists Pfc. Soloist Silken Carlton and Spc. Corey Smith, while the chorus covered NEEDTOBREATHE’s song “Brother” with the lyrics, “Brother, let me be your shelter/ Never leave you all alone/ I can be the one you call/ When you're low/ Brother, let me be your fortress/ When the night winds are driving on/ Be the one to light the way/ Bring you home.”
The performance ended with the paratroopers saluting.
Judges Hedi Klum and Sofia Vergara told the soldiers they thought Tuesday night was their best performance.
“You guys climb that ladder every time,” Klum said.
Judge Simon Cowell said he thought it was one of the best performances of the night.
“What you do in your day job is that you literally risk your life for this country, and with what you just sang, that lyric made me feel so emotional and so proud for you, and I want to thank every single one of you for what you do , what you stand for and what you just did just now because that’s what I call a moment,” Cowell said.
Members of the chorus have maintained that being on the show was about showing America the different opportunities the Army offers.
“We want to thank our division for allowing us this opportunity, but we really just wanted to connect with America tonight,” Staff Sgt. Marcus Gilbert said during Tuesday night’s show. “This is for you. We just want to let y’all know that we have your back at all times.”
In a video shared to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer spoke to chorus members in Los Angeles before Wednesday night’s show.
“We couldn’t be more proud of you,” Weimer told chorus members. “It’s neat to see how you’ve rallied a community that we normally aren’t associated with. I mean it is really awesome to see that. I think the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is watching you smile and enjoy yourself performing and doing what you love, and you’re also paratroopers.“
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3538.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How the 82nd Airborne Division Chorus landed in America's Got Talent finale
