A Mississippi native took the stage Tuesday night in the first round of the live quarterfinals on “America’s Got Talent.” So, how did he do?
Ashford Sanders, a soul food restaurant owner from Canton, currently lives in Atlanta, where he runs Ashford’s Kitchen. In the audition rounds, Sanders wowed the judges and audience with his R&B-inspired rendition of Billie Eilish’s hit song “What Was I Made For?”, earning a unanimous “yes” from all four judges.
His stellar performance and genuine personality helped him cruise through the audition rounds and into the quarterfinals.
Sanders’ name was one of the first on the drawing board for round one of four on Tuesday, where he performed ILLENIUM and Teddy Swims’ song “All That Really Matters.” However, the judges found this performance less convincing than his first.
“I wish you’d chosen a song where you could have completely reinterpreted something so you would have had a moment, because it wasn’t quite, for me, a moment,” Simon Cowell said.
Multiple judges felt Sanders’ performance fell flat compared with his rendition of “What Was I Made For?”, saying he didn’t make “All That Really Matters” his own.
“I’m going to be honest, I like the Teddy Swims version better,” Howie Mandel said. “If you’re going to take it, you’ve got to make it your own and make it better, especially at this point. And maybe because I’m looking for a golden buzzer tonight, that wasn’t a golden buzzer worthy performance.”
Although the judges did not feel that Sanders’ performance was deserving of a golden buzzer – a golden button that, if pressed in the quarterfinals, sends a contestant straight to the finals, regardless of total votes – Sanders still received ample praise about his voice from each of the four judges.
“I think you could literally sing anything,” Mel B said. “I think that song was a bit of a risk, but I don’t mind that because your voice is so good, so beautiful.”
“You owned it. You made it yours, then it was like super emotional,” Sofía Vergara added. “I loved it.”
Although the judges opinions were mixed on Sanders this time around, it’s up to the people to cast their votes and help move him along. Voting for the first round ended at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, so it’s past the time for fans to vote Sanders on to the semifinals.
However, local fans can vote for another Mississippi native, Elsie. after she performs on Tuesday, Sept. 1, during the third round of live quarterfinals. Voting starts during the Tuesday night live shows and ends at 6 a.m. the following day. To cast your vote, click here.
