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Blast From the Past: Ali and Christina, the Singing Sisters

After a post written about the “The Singing Sisters”, Christina and Ali,  from Season 5 of America’s Got Talent resurfaced on our Twitter account, a follower asked for an update on them.

And just for anyone who is unfamiliar with Christina and Ali, here’s a little background on them:

These two beautiful girls from Idaho Falls made it to the top 10 on Season 5 of America’s Got Talent as a singing duo. One of the things that made them stand out is that they both have cystic fibrosis. After the season, they went on a 25-city tour with AGT. Christina has a “huge voice” and Ali is a “vocal Swiss Army knife,” according to their website, and together, were a vocal phenomenon. Here is a video of them on America’s Got Talent:

These girls truly have an amazing story of overcoming such obstacles. Since America’s Got Talent, they have written and produced a song called “Love is Gonna Find You” in 2011 with a Dove Award-winning and Grammy-nominated producer/songwriting team that worked with big names like Kelly Clarkson and Michael Jackson, which was featured in their 5-song EP that was released this past Valentine’s Day. Sadly, their older sister passed away last year, and the girls sang at her funeral. I can’t even imagine how hard that would be!

Christina just finished up her sophomore year of high school, and Ali most recently was taking a break from school at Brigham Young University-Idaho to help promote the EP. One of the seconds on the EP is an anti-bullying song, in honor of a friend who committed suicide in 2009 because of bullying. They have been interviewed by several magazines, including Twist Magazine and Seventeen earlier this year. In the Seventeen article, the girls talked about Cystic Fibrosis, and how it affects their every day life:

Ali: For me personally, I get really worn out and really tired throughout the day. It’s a struggle sometimes to remember all the medicine I have to take. Every time I eat, I have to take pills and I often have to undergo treatments. It’s a lot of time and hard work.

Christina: I always have a lot of treatments to do and I like to hang out with my friends which is hard when I have treatments.

For those unfamiliar with what Cystic Fibrosis is, it’s a genetic disease that affects digestion, weight gain, and the lungs. The lungs have a rally thick and sticky mucus that builds up and can cause infection and a general decline in function of the years. In the Twist Magazine article, the girls said that the disease affects their singing voices at times. The fact that they singing, despite that added challenge, shows what strong and talented girls they are.

These girls have every reason in the world to complain about the life card they’ve been dealt, but they seem to keep going forward with a great attitude, and seem to having a lot of success recently in their music career. I listened to a few of the songs on the EP, and it is a very uplifting, positive album with a good message. I really hope to see more of these two girls, because really, they are great role models of overcoming trials and just being good people over all. They are great examples, especially to young girls everywhere. I’ve obviously never met them, but beyond their incredible voices, seem very sweet. I’d love to talk with these girls someday!

Be sure to check out their website here for updates, pictures, videos, and more. Their album can be downloaded on iTunes here. And, to finish off, here is the music video of their song, Love is Gonna Find You:

July 12, 2012 I Written By

Katie Clark is a journalism student at Brigham Young University in her senior year. She is originally from Littleton, Colorado, and hopes to move back there after graduation. Reality television is her favorite to watch, and has enjoyed writing about America's Got Talent and A Chance to Dance. She is a stay-at-home-mom who enjoys writing (especially blogs), cooking and sewing (while spending far too much time on Pinterest finding inspiration) and being outside with her husband and son.

Airpocalypse Comments on Christina and Ali

It seems like my post about Christina and Ali has brought out some people who disagree (which is totally fine). Although, I was pretty excited when X from Airpocalypse stopped by Pure America’s Got Talent and left the following comment about Christina and Ali:

Jason L. Cheung a.k.a Air Guitar X:
I feel I must comment here. I had the honor of competing (with? against?) Christina and Ali in Week 1 of the Top 48. I am a proud member of Airpocalypse, and I am compelled to confirm that Christina and Ali are two of the nicest people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I’ve heard that Courage is Grace under Pressure, and I hope that should I ever have to confront the challenges that these two young ladies face on a daily basis, I hope I can have a fraction of the Courage that they have.

Am I bummed that I am not in the competition still? Hell yes. Am I bummed that they are in what could have been my place?

Nope. Not at all.

Yes, there are acts that I think we should have gone ahead of. However, this is not one of them. Best of luck to them. If you pray, (to whoever), pray for them. And if you don’t, you must recognize the fact that you are watching one of the most inspirational things that you may ever see.

~X

First, it’s nice to hear from someone who has had first hand interaction with Christina and Ali. Second, this says a lot about Airpocalypse and the type of people they are.

UPDATE: Here are some comments submitted by Jamison (from Blue Sky Canopy)

Although our my act never made it to air-time, in Vegas I was in the ‘duos’ category with Christina and Ali, so after spending all that time with both sisters and their parents, I also feel the need to comment here.

For Christina and Ali, this isn’t about winning. They carry a message with them greater than anyone else on the show – and instead of telling it, they’re SHOWING it. Follow your dreams, no matter what.

Not to say they’re the only courageous people on America’s Got Talent – many others have come from hard backgrounds/lives, but after knowing them personally, I can tell you with complete honesty: They deserve everything good in this world.

Sympathy votes? No. I believe people over-think the title of the show too much. It’s not solely about who the most talented person/act is. It’s about who people like personally. Remember, they’re looking for a Vegas “show”, not “just singing.” Professional performers need to be personable with their audiences, like-able, relate-able, and inspiring. So, whether it’s their amazing talent, courage, inspiring story, beauty, humbleness, or grace, people will continue to vote for Christina and Ali because THEY DESERVE IT.

What they portray on the show is NOT some produced persona the show made up for them – what you see/hear is who they REALLY are. They are angels. I spoke most with Ali (she was closer to my age), and every time, I would feel a warming light radiating from her smile, eyes, and sincerity.

Christina and Ali, and Michael Grimm, are the most genuine acts I met during my experience with the show. They deserve it all, and I hope they get it. God bless them.

-Jamison

UPDATE 2: Here’s the comments from Iron Horse about Ali and Christina:

I’m 100% behind Jason on this one! We spent time talking with them and their parents in Vegas and Hollywood and the whole time they were always cheerful and full of good things to say about every act.

I think it takes talent to be able to sing like they do with the breathing problems that they have. My brother and I both have had pneumonia for the past couple weeks and I know first hand how hard it is to sing with fluid in your lungs… not saying I know what it feels like to have CF, but I know what it feels like to not be able to breath properly and try to sing at the same time. Christina and Ali are not only brave enough to devote their lives to something doctors have told them they’ll never be able to do properly, but they are extremely brave to do it in front of millions of Americans on live television.

They may not be the most talented singers in the world… Many may not even feel they deserve to be this far in the competition… it’s not my place to say. But give them credit for what they are doing.

Just my two cents…

-Carl
Iron Horse

August 30, 2010 I Written By

Christina and Ali in the America’s Got Talent Finals

If you’ve been reading Pure America’s Got Talent this season, then you know I’ve already displayed my bias for Christina and Ali front and center. I don’t shy away from the fact that I have biases. I embrace them and enjoy the beauty of loving something or someone.

However, it’s not surprising that a lot of people are saying that Christina and Ali don’t deserve to be in the finals. They usually have the obvious argument that they aren’t great singers and that they shouldn’t win based on their sob story. First of all, I’m not sure why someone shouldn’t win for a sob story. However, let’s set that aside for a minute and consider their talent.

In order to illustrate how talented I think Christina and Ali are, check out this INCREDIBLE video of pianist Liu Wei on “China’s Got Talent.” I won’t ruin the video, but you REALLY MUST watch this video (and you might want some tissues close by). It’s pretty incredible (Thanks Marianya for pointing it out to me).

It’s hard to imagine anyone saying that Liu Wei is not very talented. Some could easily make the argument that if he was compared to other pianists he really isn’t very good. It was a pretty simple piece of music, he missed some notes and the rhythm was all over the place. I’m literally laughing as I type this since no one would say this (and they shouldn’t). Why? Because it’s an amazing talent that he can play piano with his feet.

How is this any different than the talent Christina and Ali display? They’re lungs are literally being destroyed. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a lung condition which makes it hard to breathe and yet they’re able to go on stage and belt out their songs. That’s overcoming a lot.

Maybe people don’t respect the talent as much in Christina and Ali’s case because it’s an internal disease which people can’t see. They can’t really know how much of the lungs have problems. They can’t see the amount of lung problems they have. However, would Liu Wei’s talent be any less amazing if he only lost half of his arms?

Plus, America can’t try and do what Christina and Ali are doing. America can’t attempt to sing with mucus built up on their lungs like Christina and Ali have to do. America could try and play the piano with their feet and so they can be more amazed by the talent of Liu Wei. Just because you can’t try it yourself, does it make it any less talented?

I don’t blame America. Most people don’t know much about CF and so how can they judge the talent of girls singing with CF? I don’t claim to be an expert in CF myself. However, I’ve sung next to someone with CF. That’s why beyond loving Christina and Ali’s goodness and kindness (which they have in abundance) I love them for their talent too.

August 25, 2010 I Written By

Singing Sisters and Cystic Fibrosis (CF) on America’s Got Talent

I’ve made it quite clear in the comments that I’ve finally found my favorite act for this season: the Singing Sisters. I’ll happily admit that I’m completely biased in this case. For some reason, I really like blonde girl singers (see Jessica Price and Julienne Irwin), but I love Christina and Ali’s determination and perseverance more than anything. The beauty of America’s Got Talent is that you can vote for whoever you want (at least now that we’re to Hollywood).

Let me just help you understand a little more about cystic fibrosis (CF) and my personal experience with a friend who has CF. Then, maybe you’ll understand my personal emotional connection with Christina and Ali’s performance on America’s Got Talent. Plus, hopefully you’ll have a greater appreciation for what Christina and Ali are able to accomplish.

A short description about Cystic Fibrosis:
The average life expectancy for those with CF is mid-30s, and only 47 percent survive to reach 18 years or older. Sticky mucus builds up in the lung, blocking the airways and making the child prone to many life-threatening infections. It also affects the pancreas, causing the CF sufferer to not properly digest her food.

My friend with cystic fibrosis is 56. He’s literally a walking miracle and a complete inspiration. As his neighbor and friend I would go over to his house regularly to give him what he called percussion therapy. That’s just a nice term for me going over and basically “beating” him for 30 minutes to an hour.

I’m not exaggerating. I would cup my hands and pound his chest, sides, and back (if I remember right) in three different positions. I guess the pounding helps to dislodge the mucus that builds up in the lungs that isn’t dislodged since he’s missing a chemical that the rest of us have. In one position, he would literally hang upside down off the couch and I would pound his sides while he clenched his teeth.

At one point he said, “Do you know why I do this one?” I said, “Why? He replied, “Cause all my friends that refused to do them, aren’t here anymore.” After “beating” him like this, my hands would literally hurt.

Just describing this on here, I can barely imagine Christina and Ali having to go through this type of therapy. Add in them singing with the lung problems that Cystic Fibrosis causes and their absolutely an inspiration for me.

I saw these girls first perform when I got to go and see the Las Vegas auditions taped live. Their audition performance hadn’t aired yet and so I didn’t know their story. However, when I watched Christina and Ali perform in Las Vegas I admit that my eyes welled up with tears. The same thing happened when I saw their audition. It’s too bad you didn’t get to see their full Las Vegas performance.

Certainly Christina and Ali aren’t the most talented singers that have ever graced the America’s Got Talent stage (Julienne Irwin probably wins that award for me). However, the talent they’ve shown overcoming their challenges is what makes them my favorite act on America’s Got Talent season 5.

Best of luck Singing Sisters!

July 13, 2010 I Written By