Simon Cowell Uses Golden Buzzer on ‘America’s Got Talent’ for Singing Cancer Survivor

By Margo Gothelf 2 min read

A teenager brought down the house with her inspiring, performance on America’s Got Talent that wowed judge Simon Cowell so much, he stood and pressed the “golden buzzer” in a heart-felt moment on the show.

As soon as 16-year-old singer Calysta Bevier took the stage, Howie Mandel complimented her on her style choices, even comparing the teen to Audrey Hepburn. However, Bevier’s short hair wasn’t her choice.

“I’m a survivor of stage-3 ovarian cancer,” she explained. “I kind of came here today to show people that no matter what you’ve gone through to keep chasing your dreams.”

After Bevier’s explanation, she performed Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song,” further promoting her message. When she was done singing, Cowell was blown away by her talent.

“Calysta, I love everything about you,” Cowell raved. “You know what? I just had this feeling when you walked out — I can’t explain it. Just your spirit, the choice of song, your voice: I think you’re really special. I’ve just got this really incredible feeling about you, I really do… I think everyone in this room felt it. I predict great things are going to happen for you. There’s something about you.”

He continued, “Sorry, I’ve gotta do this,” as he stood up to push the golden buzzer sending the 16-year-old right to the live shows.

Season 11 of America’s Got Talent will be a tough field for Bevier to win. In order to take the crown she must beat Grace VanderWaal, who Cowell dubbed the next Taylor Swift, and Lori Mae Hernandez, who brought down the house with her Donald Trump jokes.