On the season 14 premiere of America’s Got Talent, Kodi Lee wowed viewers, the audience and the judges with his mind-blowing performance. He is a singer and a pianist who is a blind and autistic musical prodigious savant, according to his website. Lee was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, which is a visual disorder, and he had to undergo a life-saving surgery at just 5 days old. He was later diagnosed with autism, but none of this has stopped him from going after his rockstar dreams.
During part 1 of the quarterfinals for AGT 2019, Lee takes the stage once again and we will update this post with his quarterfinals performance, as well as a rundown on the judges’ comments from his set. See his performance above.
Kodi Lee’s Video Package & Quarterfinals Performance Details
Ahead of Lee’s quarterfinals, a video package showed his mother talking about how she’s been able to help him through his passion, which is music. So at the end of his performance, his mother joined him on stage. Mom Tina also told The San Diego Union-Tribune that, “He can hear a song and play it right away on the piano and sing it. With the lyrics, sometimes he has to go over it more, but the music is there. It’s amazing.”
Judge Gabrielle Union gushed over the performance and thanked him for making her a part of his journey. Simon Cowell said that the world is nothing without people like him.
Through his performances, Lee hopes to raise awareness about autism, in addition to other causes. He also wants to show that people can live their dreams no matter what. His professional bio states, “He is one of only approximately 25 in the world today who possess his extraordinary abilities. Kodi’s amazing gift lies within his musical expression, perfect pitch, and passion for all forms of music. Kodi has an audio photographic memory, in which he can recall music he hears after just one listen. An unbelievable gift in itself, but his musical expression and prowess top even that. He has been performing his singing and piano expertise all across the globe for many years.”
Kodi Lee’s AGT Audition
Have a look at Lee’s first performance on America’s Got Talent in the below video. It’s no wonder he took home the golden buzzer with his performance.
According to Hollywood Life, before Lee’s AGT audition, his mom said, “Through music and performing, he was able to withstand living in this world because when you’re autistic it’s really hard to do what everybody else does. It actually has saved his life, playing music.” And, after America started responding so well to Lee’s audition, Good Housekeeping reported his mother saying, “This experience has been one of the most memorable and amazing events in our lives. To see the world embrace Kodi the way they have has been truly incredible. To see all the attention and love he’s getting from everyone makes him so happy. The first day I don’t think we stopped staring at his phone and ‘liking’ everyone’s comments.”
Before being on America’s Got Talent, Lee was performing with his band Kodi Lee & the Midnight Satellites.