The Birmingham Times
When results from overnight voting were announced on Wednesday’s America’s Got Talent episode the Birmingham Youth & Young Adult Fellowship Choir was eliminated.
The choir wasn’t among 10 acts voted into the finals round, set for Sept. 23-24. But the troupe, directed by Ahkeem Lee, earned plenty of praise and fans throughout Season 20, with celebrity judge Simon Cowell as its champion.
The Alabama vocal troupe, a fan favorite on AGT, performed on the NBC reality series on Tuesday night during a round known as the semifinals. The choir, more than 30 members strong, offered a rousing rendition of Alicia Keys’ “No One.” They earned a standing ovation from the show’s judges and studio audience.
The singers also impressed Cowell during the quarterfinals on Sept. 9, performing vignettes of two songs: Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” and Kirk Franklin’s “When I Think About Jesus.”
Supporters from the church and the city were featured in a video that aired on Tuesday’s episode, introducing the choir’s latest performance. “You represent the best of who we are,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
“When you put faith, determination, and sacrifice together with a bunch of young people, anything is possible,” choir director Lee said on Tuesday. “Birmingham, Alabama, is an amazing city. These young people are amazing. We are here and we are showing that Birmingham, Alabama, has something to say.”
If you watch: The finals of “America’s Got Talent” air on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. CT on NBC. Episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com contributed to this post.
