Ashley Marina didn’t crumble.
Tough-love judge Simon Cowell stopped the 12-year-old from Pittsburgh midway through a rendition of Anyway on America’s Got Talent earlier this week, telling her the music was “overbearing”.
He then asked her to sing a different song a cappella, allowing that she had a good voice. Ashley obliged, again showing vocal chops on Opportunity.
Nuh-uh, Simon said. “I think you brought the wrong songs with you today,” he told the young hopeful.
The crowd booed. The tension rose.
Fellow judge Sofia Vergara then suggested giving Ashley a third chance, and the panellists had her go backstage and come up with a more appropriate song.
Ashley struggled. The clock was ticking.
She finally opted for an original song about her dad, Mark. “I know I can get into this because I wrote it,” she told the judges.
Ashley did her and her dad proud on the song. And she advanced in the competition.
“Well, I think we finally met Ashley,” Simon told her. “I can’t tell you how important that is.”
Watch the talent show drama in full in the video above.