{"id":2948,"date":"2025-06-18T05:48:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T05:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/story15.com\/?p=2948"},"modified":"2025-06-18T05:48:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T05:48:23","slug":"courtney-hadwins-first-agt-audition-with-an-otis-redding-classic-left-everyone-in-shock-and-its-still-a-record-breaking-hit-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/story15.com\/?p=2948","title":{"rendered":"Courtney Hadwin\u2019s first AGT audition with an Otis Redding classic left everyone in shock and it\u2019s still a record-breaking hit online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are moments on America\u2019s Got Talent that audiences never forget, and Courtney Hadwin\u2019s audition in Season 13 is undoubtedly one of them.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, a shy 13-year-old from County Durham, England, stepped onto the AGT stage looking visibly nervous. The bright lights and big stage often overwhelm contestants, and at first, it seemed Hadwin might be another timid performer lost in the moment. But what happened next would rewrite expectations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch her performance below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"vQ6xxWM9\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Courtney Hadwin: 13-Year-Old Golden Buzzer Winning Performance - America's Got Talent 2019\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/smemL0SjN80?feature=oembed\" width=\"790\" height=\"444\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-origwidth=\"790\" data-origheight=\"444\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As soon as she launched into Otis Redding\u2019s \u201cHard to Handle,\u201d the transformation was immediate. Her voice was bold, soulful, and packed with an energy that stunned everyone watching. The judges\u2019 jaws dropped. The crowd leapt to their feet. It was a complete surprise.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pinimg.com\/736x\/59\/fd\/6d\/59fd6dc01889b7e466c92d602a4e299f.jpg\" alt=\"120M views \u00b7 1.4M reactions | That Time Courtney Hadwin Rocked the Stage and Scored The Golden Buzzer! - America's Got Talent 2020 | Courtney Hadwin's unique and memorable audition had the\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like a switch just turned over,\u201d said Heidi Klum. Simon Cowell called it \u201can audition I will never forget.\u201d And Howie Mandel, speechless at first, awarded Hadwin the coveted Golden Buzzer. He later compared her to Janis Joplin, recalling the story of how Joplin was discovered seemingly overnight. \u201cYou are not from this era, you\u2019re from a whole different era,\u201d he told her.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/sei_16741389.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" alt=\"America's Got Talent: How Courtney Hadwin fought back from The Voice | Metro News\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That moment didn\u2019t just impress the judges. It went viral around the world. As of now, Courtney Hadwin\u2019s audition has reached over 310 million views, making it one of the most viewed performances in AGT history.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk\/webimg\/legacy_ash_100440943.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&amp;trim=&amp;width=640&amp;quality=65&amp;enable=upscale\" alt=\"Incredible audition video of America's Got Talent star Courtney Hadwin racks up 120 million views\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>From Viral Sensation to Independent Artist<\/h3>\n<p>Now 20 years old, Courtney Hadwin has grown far beyond that unforgettable debut. With a distinctive rock vocal that feels far beyond her years and a stage presence that radiates confidence, she has been praised as a modern-day Janis Joplin.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Simon-Cowell-Courtney-Hadwin.jpg\" alt=\"America's Got Talent' Rocker Courtney Hadwin Signs Record Deal\" \/><\/p>\n<p>She credits her passion for performance to her love of legendary artists like Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Etta James, and James Brown. These influences shine through in every performance, blending raw soul and classic rock into her unique sound.<\/p>\n<p>In a 2018 interview with Forbes, Hadwin reflected on her journey. \u201cI am just me and it was great that AGT let me be me on stage,\u201d she said. \u201cI think the stage is the place where I feel most comfortable and most myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.totalntertainment.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cortney-Hadwin.jpg\" alt=\"Courtney Hadwin shares new single 'DNA' - TotalNtertainment\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Her audition was more than a breakout moment. It was a rare and genuine display of talent that reminded the world to never judge a book by its cover. Courtney Hadwin\u2019s journey began with a single performance that left millions speechless and has since evolved into a promising music career built on authenticity, soul, and fearless expression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are moments on America\u2019s Got Talent that audiences never forget, and Courtney Hadwin\u2019s audition in Season 13 is undoubtedly one of them. In 2018,&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/story15.com\/?p=2948\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Courtney Hadwin\u2019s first AGT audition with an Otis Redding classic left everyone in shock and it\u2019s still a record-breaking hit online<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Courtney Hadwin\u2019s first AGT audition with an Otis Redding classic left everyone in shock and it\u2019s still a record-breaking hit online -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/story15.com\/?p=2948\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Courtney Hadwin\u2019s first AGT audition with an Otis Redding classic left everyone in shock and it\u2019s still a record-breaking hit online -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are moments on America\u2019s Got Talent that audiences never forget, and Courtney Hadwin\u2019s audition in Season 13 is undoubtedly one of them. 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