America’s Got Talent: Matt Mauser audition; tragic Kobe Bryant connection

Matt Mauser

Tonight on America’s Got Talent you are going to see a performance from singer Matt Mauser — and hear more about his tragic past.

A little over one year ago, Mauser lost his wife in a terrible helicopter crash, the same one that claimed the lives of his wife, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, Bryant’s daughter Gianna, and many others. He went through an unspeakable period of sadness and it’s hard to imagine putting yourself back together. It’s brave of him to come out on a show like this, looking to see what his next move could be in life.

Before Matt even performed on the stage, we knew he was going to be great — the producers wouldn’t exploit a story like this and them embarrass him in front of the judges. He’s also been a singer/songwriter for some time. The question we had was how great, and also how moved we would be by his performance.

Mauser’s song choice was a risky one — “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins. It’s a song that has been done a million times on other singing shows, but we’re not sure that it’s ever been done this well. His voice was smooth, powerful, and packed with character and emotion. You could tell that this meant a lot to him, and we think he may have inspired a lot of people out there to tap into their inner feelings. He did get choked up at the end, and understandably so. We just appreciate that he focused on the emotion and the song first, rather than some deep desire to go out there and hit a huge note.

It goes without saying that Matt got four “yes” votes — he’ll be going through to the next round.

We hope that this performance gives Mauser peace, both now and many years into the future.

Related Check out some other coverage now of tonight’s America’s Got Talent episode

What did you think about Matt Mauser and his audition on America’s Got Talent?

Is he one of the most memorable people this season to you? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and also come back around to ensure you don’t miss any other updates. (Photo: NBC.)

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