Louisville's D'Corey Johnson performs "Open Arms" on 'America's Got Talent.'

An 11-year-old performer from Louisville received four enthusiastic "yes" votes from the celebrity judges Tuesday during the premiere of Season 18 of "America's Got Talent."

Former Bate Elementary student D'Corey Johnson performed a power-packed version of Journey's "Open Arms" on the hit NBC show for judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.

"I think you have such a distinctive great voice," said Cowell. "I promise you, things are just going to be amazing for you."

Johnson is definitely living his dream. Now he hopes to follow in the footsteps of another famous Louisville music act, Linkin' Bridge, on the road to success. The acapella quartet landed in the finals of Season 11 of "America's Got Talent."

Before appearing on the hit NBC show, Johnson reached out to fans via social media.

"I would love for all of you guys to tune into NBC ... to watch #me perform on AGT!!!!!," he wrote on Instagram. "I'm so excited and overwhelmed with all the love and support shown to me!"

He may be pint-sized but Johnson's powerful vocals have already thrust the former church choir member into the national spotlight — including performing the national anthem at NFL games and as a key member of "Hits! The Musical," a national touring show produced by superstar Dionne Warwick.

More: Meet D'Corey Johnson: 'Old soul' Louisville 10-year-old with a big voice and bright future

Not bad for a kid from Louisville whose big break came when his principal asked him to sing the National Anthem during his school's morning announcements. A video of his performance went viral and life hasn't slowed down since.

"It is overwhelming, but it's fun. It's exciting. It's new," Nakia Johnson, his mother, previously told the Courier Journal. "D'Corey, once he sang at school and he went viral, we haven't been on a slowdown since. He's been in great demand."

Johnson sang the anthem at Nissan Stadium in Nashville before a 2022 game between the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants, performed "Lift Every Voice And Sing" in honor of Black History Month at the Kentucky state Capitol and received a legislative citation by Sen. Gerald Neal when he sang in the Kentucky Senate.

While there is no age limit to perform on AGT, two young performers close to Johnson's own age have won the $1 million grand prize. Grace VanderWaal won Season 11 at just 12 years old and became the youngest performer since Season 1's Bianca Ryan to win the show.

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Vanderwaal beat out Linkin' Bridge, an acapella group from Louisville on Season 11. Linkin' Bridge finished in the bottom 5 of the Top 10 at the conclusion of the show that aired in 2016.

Now it's Johnson's turn at the mic and in the national spotlight. "I'm overwhelmed because I have always wanted to be on this, so I am glad I got a yes," said Johnson at the conclusion of his audition.

The elimination-style competition will go on for 15 weeks across multiple rounds, including auditions and live shows, ending with the grand finale where a winner for the 18th season will be crowned.

The schedule for Season 18 includes:

• Audition rounds - May 30 - August 8

• Live Shows - August 22

• Season finale - September 26

• Finale results - September 27

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville's D'Corey Johnson performs on 'America's Got Talent'