In case you missed or want to watch again some of the acts from the America’s Got Talent 2012 Las Vegas Week, find the individual performances below, in addition to an exciting preview of next week’s America’s Got Talent 2012 live quarterfinals!
Battle Born
Battle Born is a hip-hop dance crew from Las Vegas who can dance on practically any part of their bodies. This is their chance to show America what they’re made of.
Burton Crane
After Burton Crane’s first audition in New York, the country had just one question: “Whatcha gonna do?” Now Burton gives them another question to ponder.
In case you missed or want to watch again some of the acts from the America’s Got Talent 2012 Las Vegas auditions, we’ve embedded the final Las Vegas auditions below. Plus, you can see the videos of all the America’s Got Talent 2012 Winners. Which ones were your favorites?
Justin Rivera
Justin Rivera entertains and amuses with his whimsical take on traditional stage illusions.
Frank Roche
Frank humored the judges with his impressions during the St. Louis auditions, and now he’s come to Las Vegas to joke his way into the finals.
In case you missed or want to watch again some of the acts from the America’s Got Talent 2012 Las Vegas auditions, we’ve embedded them below. Over 100 acts went to AGT Las Vegas. Which ones were your favorites?
All Beef Patty
All Beef Patty brings her powerful voice and unique style to the Las Vegas stage.
All That!
All-male clogging group All That! brings their lightning-fast clogging to the AGT stage in Vegas.
There have been several acrobatic/dance routines this season so far. While my favorite still is the graceful couple, Rebecca and Donovan, Lindsey Norton, a 16-year-old from Oldsmar, Florida, took the stage in Tampa. The longer her act went on, the more impressed I became. I am amazed at how flexible a person can be. Here’s her performance, which drew a standing ovation from the audience.
Norton has been dancing since she was two years old, and when asked by Sharon how much she practices, she said between 15 and 20 hours a week. With that much dedication a week, it’s like a part-time job, and her act was very polished. I loved how Sharon described it:
I can see you’re serious about your craft. You put in time and effort. You’re like a little angel, and you’re a great example for 16-year-olds out there. You’re a beautiful, young girl.
Lindsey has performed a lot since she was little and has won a lot of awards. She represented the US in the International Dance Organization’s World Cup in Poland back in 2010. While participating, she won gold medals in both the Jazz and Modern divisions. Here is one of her performances in 2010 with her company, All American Dance Factory.
It will be interesting to see how far she goes. As I’ve been perusing the comment boards, some people feel like she is better fit for the Cirque du Soleil than AGT, but I think she definitely has what it takes to do well. If all else fails, at least she seems like a good girl that others can look up to. It’s refreshing to see a teenage girl who is dedicated to something she loves and works hard at it.
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.
In case you missed or want to watch again some of the acts from the final show before America’s Got Talent 2012 goes to Las Vegas, we’ve embedded them below. Which ones were your favorites on last night’s show?
Trish
Trish came to the auditions to show off her rapping skills, but she really just wants to meet her celebrity crush, Howard Stern.
Jacob Williams
Jacob Williams, a stand-up comedian from Chicago, humors the crowd with his timid delivery and brilliantly crafted jokes.
Less than a week ago, Timothy Poe brought America to tears with his story.
Now, Poe is the one in tears.
In an interview released last night by WFAA-TV, a local news channel for Dallas/Fort Worth, Poe apologized for what his story. Poe had his fiancee, Carrie Morris, by his side throughout the interview. Despite apologizing, Poe did not admit to lying.
I mean, as far as everything I said, I believe it wholeheartedly myself. But I feel like I’m going crazy.
It appears that Poe might soon be claiming insanity caused by service in the military. He said:
I don’t know. I’m thinking, why have I for the last, over two years, believed things have happend to me and they might not have? . . . I don’t feel like I’ve lied. That’s what’s driving me crazy, because I truly thought things have happened to me.
Throughout the interview, Poe still had the stutter that he said he developed as a result of a brain injury while in Afghanistan, a story he is still sticking to. However, this may be fabricated as well. In the first post about Timothy Poe, I mentioned a golf tournament for injured soldiers he participated in a few months ago. However, WFAA-TV also interviewed Donna Cranston, the founder for Defenders of Freedom, an organization that helps wounded and injured troops financially. Cranston claimed that Poe is a liar:
I believe he’s a liar, and I hate to say that. I know we’re not supposed to call people liars, but I believe he’s a liar. I’m not angry for me, but angry that he would slap the brothers and sisters that he served alongside in the face like he has done.
Poe had several bills paid by Defenders of Freedom and also received gas and restaurant gift cards. During an interview she conducted (which can be heard in the video I’ve posted at the end of this post), Poe had no identifiable stutter.
Well, I’m glad that Poe has admitted to some things, but I’m still waiting for the words “I lied” to come out of his mouth. Will that ever happen? Who knows. He did say he will be getting help at a VA hospital though, so that’s one step closer.
A big question swirling around the Internet is . . . Will he participate in America’s Got Talent competition?
According to a Fox News report, he won’t. Anthony Anderson, Jr., manager of Stolen Valor, a Facebook community, told FOX11.com:
I have been told by a very reliable source that Mr. Poe gets eliminated anyways, and very soon, and that is possibly why NBC hasn’t pushed the subject.
Let’s hope this is true, and that NBC will look more carefully into contestant’s back stories in the future. Stolen Valor is a group that “out[s] people who falsely claim military service and/or claim unuthorized medals.” Anderson revealed some of the things they found out:
We have found out that (Poe) only served one month in Afghanistan, and left due to an ear infection.
Fox News also reported that the photo he used for the show was not of him, but Staff Sgt. Norman Bone. TMZ said that Bone is “livid about the misuse of his photoraph, and is consulting the Army legal department to explore his options.” Apparently, Poe apologized for this and blames the show for “pressuring him to produce photographs quickly.”
I must have sent the wrong pictures from my hard drive to ‘AGT’. (Show producers) kept pushing me and pushing me saying ‘You need to put these out. You need to put these out.’ Well I had deleted a lot of photographs because because I wanted nothing to remind me of things that had happened to the past.
A rep from the company behind AGT, Freemantle, has issued an apology statement from Bone and removed the photo from circulation.
Part of me feels bad for this guy. If he truly is suffering from brain damage that has caused him to not be able to discern reality from fiction, then I hope he can find the help he needs. He did serve in the military for several years, and maybe he is suffering from PTSD. On the other hand, it’s hard to believe anything that comes out of his mouth. He seems to put the blame on everyone but himself. Maybe he is just a pathological liar. Either way, hopefully he can resolve his issues and find peace with the situation (and hope that those he has deceived can forgive him.)
Here is news report from WFAA-TV. The raw, unedited interview can be watched here.
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.
With rumors about Tim Poe, the supposed injured soldier who auditioned for AGT on Tuesday night, surfacing around the Internet, everyone is asking the same question: Is it true?
Although Poe has denied allegations, recent information is indicating that Poe is a fraud. Poe’s ex-wife, Kelly Ballard, told the NY Post that Poe was not injured:
There were no combat injuries. I think he developed a ‘feel sorry for me’ stutter.
AGTNews.com also posted some other juicy details from the interview with Ballard about Poe:
“I had him arrested in June 2002 for domestic violence. After that, he vanished to Minnesota. He didn’t help out with our son at all. . . . The whole time I have known him, I have never known him to be enrolled in any college. There is a possibility that he may have an associates degree from before I met him. One hi Facebook page he says he has a Masters Degree in project management.
She also said that he was the lead singer for Crawlspace, a band in Rochester, Minnesota for four years, which totally puts discredits his story about never singing before a speech pathologist suggested it. This photo from the Crawlspace Myspace page supposedly features Poe from his days singing for them (on the left):
So before you think that maybe he just has a disgruntled, angry ex-wife, listen to this: The Associated Press reported the following concerning his military record:
. . . Poe served with the Minnesota Army National Guard from December 2002 through May 2011, working as a supply specialist. Records show he was deployed in Kosovo from Oct. 10, 2007 to July 15, 2008, and then served in Afghanistan for about a month in 2009.
The Associated Press article quoted Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard, saying:
Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports. . . . We looked very closely at his record. We did not find something to substantiate what he said.
That sounds pretty legit to me. Poe has talked with TMZ, denying all allegations. Curious about what he said in the interview. Well, TMZ staff said in the article:
Poe tells TMZ, the fact that there is no record of the incident is a common problem — one that Poe says is endemic when it comes to reporting soldiers’ injuries in Afghanistan . . He said he received treatment at a military medical facility in Afghanistan before being transferred to a medical center in Landstuhl, Germany . . . Tim says he plans to sue his ex-wife and several others for telling the media he was lying.
He also did not give TMZ any “hard proof” to back up his story, saying he “can’t release pics or documents for legal reasons.”
Well, if he is lying, he sure can make up a good story. In my opinion, he sounds like he has the makings of a pathological liar. A fake degree, being in a band, and worse of all, faking a war injury?
I’d love to know the truth, but who knows how much work it will take for that to happen. Tim Poe, I’d love to hear from you and see some solid proof. Until then…I’m really doubting his story. And I hope that NBC will look more into the stories of contestants next time around.
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.
In case you missed or want to watch again some of the acts from week 4 night 2 of America’s Got Talent 2012, we’ve embedded them below. Which ones were your favorites on last night’s show?
JADA
JADA is an all-girl pop quartet from Boston that has traveled all the way to Austin to show the AGT judges what they’re made of.
The Aurora Light Painters
The Aurora Light Painters from San Francisco create live paintings using light and projector screens.
One of my favorite parts of America’s Got Talent is the plethora of inspiring back stories that contestants bring along with their talent. Tonight, one of the most touching stories this season, in my opinion, was told. It was that of Timothy Poe.
When Timothy was first introduced, he has a pretty obvious stutter. He soon explained that he had served in the military for 14 years, until he was hit by a grenade and, as a result, had brain damage. One of the most lasting effects from the blast was a stutter. Before his accident, he wasn’t very musical. It wasn’t until his speech therapist suggested he sing in the shower that he discovered a love for singing. Here is his audition and story (grab some tissues. Everyone at my house was tearing up by the end):
Was he the best singer? Not by any means. But what I felt his voice had was a lot of spirit, and it’s incredible that he can sing without the stutter. I think this is the typical “rising from the ashes and overcoming” stories.
But, before you get to attached, keep reading.
As I’ve been trying to find a little bit more about him, I discovered that there is a little bit of controversy going on about Poe in comment boards. Apparently, he may not be the man he claimed to be on the show. I discovered these comments on another website:
I was Timothy Poe’s sergeant in Afghanistan. The story he is telling is a LIE!! He was never injured over there. Instead he was medevaced back to the states because of a hearing problem he attributed to a training accident while we were still in the U.S. He never even left the base in the few weeks he was over there! Timothy Poe is a FRAUD!
and another:
Timothy Poe is a fraud. He did not hurt his back in Iraq or any other country abroad. His lies tonight were a slap in the face of all soldiers that fight for our country. To the soldiers who do, thank you for fighting for my country. To you, Tim Poe, you should be ashamed of yourself. Faking a lisp so people will feel sorry for you? Your fiancee and children should be embarrassed of you. You are a disgusting human being. The truth will come out. I wish AGT checked background [sic] stories so he would never have been put on tv.
Quite the accusations, huh? If he truly is a fraud, I agree with the second commenter — that’s a slap in the face to all those soldiers out there righting for America. When he was doing his after-interview, my sister commented that he didn’t appear to have his stutter anymore. If his story is true, it’s pretty terrible that people are accusing him of lying. I found this article about a charity golf game he recently participated in that helps injured veterans get back into the work force. He tells a similar story in the article.
I’m not sure what to say. I like to believe that someone would go on TV and completely lie, especially a story like this, but I’m not sure why anyone would try and spread lies about someone who was injured while the service, if he indeed was. I’m guessing we’ll find out soon enough the truth. Any readers out there know the real story? I’d love to find out the real story!
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.
Although there has already been a sand artist this season, the one from tonight was my favorite. Joe Castillo, originally from Mexico, has been cultivating his love of art over the past 40 years. His act consisted of the song “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood and the creation of a very patriotic piece of art using sand and art. Check it out:
Can you get any more patriotic? I love how in the end, the picture ended up as Lady Liberty.
As I mentioned, he was born in Mexico, but moved to the USA in 1963 after his father died. He grew up very religious and has been involved in art since he was enrolled in an art class taught by his mother when he was five years old.
Castillo worked in advertising for 18 years but sold his business after his wife died from breast cancer when they were in their 20s. At that point, he graduated from the Ashbury Seminary. Since he has expressed his love for God through his work and performed at many conferences for youth called ArtStories, where he illustrates Biblical stories in a beautiful way.
The specific name of the act his performed on AGT is called SandStory. He uses sand on a light table that are projected onto a large screen. He has performed on CBS, NBC, BBC, Kings, presidents, and more. He often performs at church and youth conferences and is available for hire. This is a performance he did for a promo on the CBS Show, Ghost Whisperer:
He has a lot of videos floating around the video, and some of his best can be viewed here on his website. This is one of my favorites:
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.
