Twelve-year-old Kadie Lynn Roberson, hailing from the tiny town of Kemp, Texas, (which has only one stoplight!), arrived on the America’s Got Talent (AGT) stage with her adoptive parents, who had taken her in when they were in their 50s. She shared a heartwarming story of her upbringing, stating that her parents are incredibly supportive and that she doesn’t even think about being adopted—they are simply her mom and dad. Kadie Lynn explained that singing is not just something she does, but “who I am.” Her sweet, humble, and small-town demeanor immediately endeared her to the judges, but they were not prepared for the voice that was about to emerge.
For her audition, Kadie Lynn performed a powerful country ballad. The moment she began, a massive, mature, and soulful voice completely unlike her appearance filled the auditorium. Her vocal control and ability to convey deep emotion were astonishing for a 12-year-old.
After her show-stopping performance, Mel B was the first to react, exclaiming, “Oh my gosh! This little cute thing, and then you start singing, and this big powerful voice comes from out of nowhere!” The judges were particularly impressed with her ability to sing a love song with such believable attachment.
The panel was unanimous in their praise for the young Texan. Heidi Klum was “very, very impressed” by her power and confidence, while Simon Cowell offered perhaps the highest praise: “We’re mining for talent, and you dig and you dig and you dig, and then every so often you find a little diamond, and that’s who we found today with you.” He predicted that in a few years, they would look back on this moment as the day they discovered Kadie Lynn. She easily earned four big, fat “yeses,” confirming her status as a genuine star.
