Simon Cowell praises ‘unforgettable’ AGT singer who was falsely imprisoned for 37 years

Simon Cowell has shared a glimpse of America’s Got Talent’s much-anticipated new series, with one of the show’s most inspiring auditions yet.

The judge tweeted a clip of singer Archie Williams, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 37 years after a woman was stabbed and raped in her home in 1982.

For his audition Archie belts out the George Michael and Elton John hit Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, moving the entire judging panel to tears.

Simon posted the preview with the caption: ‘This is Archie Williams. I will never forget this audition for the rest of my life. And I’ll never listen to this song in the same way ever again.’

In the extended preview, Archie takes to the stage for his audition in front of judges Simon, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofía Vergara.

Speaking to host Terry Crews, he explains he was incarcerated for more than three decades for a crime he did not commit.

Moving: The judge tweeted a clip of singer Archie Williams, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 37 years after a woman was stabbed and raped in her home in 1982

He said: ‘I knew I was innocent, I didn’t commit a crime but being a poor black kid, i didn’t have the ability to fight the state of Louisiana.’ 

Archie said that despite having no fingerprints at the crime scene, and three different people testifying that he was home at the time of the murder, he was sentenced to life without the option of parole. 

He told Terry: ‘Freedom is of the mind, I went to prison but I never let my mind go to prison.’

Difficult: The Louisiana native said he would sing and pray to keep his spirits up behind bars at the Angola State Penitentiary, and always dreamed of auditioning for the show

Emotional: For his audition Archie belts out the George Michael and Elton John hit Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, moving the entire judging panel to tears

Archie said he would sing and pray to keep his spirits up behind bars at the Angola State Penitentiary, and always dreamed of auditioning for the show.

Thanks to DNA evidence and The Innocence project, Archie was finally released in March 2019, and mere months later he could finally audition for the show.

After moving the judges with his story, Archie belted out his rendition of the George Michael classic, moving the entire audience to tears.

Wow! Simon was full of the most praise, saying he will ‘never listen to the song in the same way’ following Archie’s audition

Simon was full of the most praise, noting that Archie had a ‘really good voice.’

‘I will never ever listen to the song in the same way after you. It took on a whole different meaning for me… this is an audition I would never forget for the rest of my life,’ he added. 

The judges unanimously voted to send Archie through to the next round, earning a delighted reaction from his loved ones. 

America’s Got Talent 2020 begins on May 26 at 8pm ET on NBC. The show airs on Netflix in the UK.

Coming soon: America’s Got Talent 2020 begins on May 26 at 8pm ET on NBC. The show airs on Netflix in the UK