Famous Latter-day Saints

"You Make Me Speechless": LDS 13-Year-Old on "America's Got Talent" Receives Standing Ovation for Stunning Performance

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Singing "Wings" by Birdy, Evie Clair gave a stunning and emotional performance on America’s Got Talent, singing for her parents as they celebrated their wedding anniversary and her father as he battles stage 4 cancer.

After receiving a standing ovation from the audience and all four judges, Evie Clair received nothing but praise from the judges. “You’re living through a story I think all of America can relate to," Howie Mandell said. "We need strength, we need heart, and that’s all the things I heard from you. . . . You make me speechless.”

Mel B called Evie an angel, adding, “Your dad’s gonna be proud of you no matter what and I’m proud of you.” Simon Cowell said, “You are one heck of a brave young lady. I love you singing on the piano. And I want to send our love to your dad.”

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Evie says her motivation for singing on the show is her father, Amos, who is battling stage 4 colon cancer. After Evie's performance of Macy Gray’s “I Try" in July, Howie Mandel told the teen, “You know, I’m a father of two girls and a son and when I listen to you, it’s the sound of an angel singing to her dad. I don’t think you can ask any more of a performer than to move your heart and I feel moved."

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Simon Cowell added, "What you gave us just then though, you gave us heart and that means a lot.”

After her performance, Macy Gray tweeted about the sweet song, adding to Christina Perri's praise of Evie from her first performance on the show.

For her first performance on America's Got Talent, Evie sang “Arms” by Christina Perri, a song with special significance for her and her father, Amos.

“When my dad is having rough days, then I go to his room and I sing him this song to help him feel better and just to give him comfort and strength to continue fighting,” Evie said.

"You are unbelievably brave for what you told us tonight," Simon Cowell told Evie.

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Amos Abplanalp discovered he had cancer in April 2016. "Amos is an LDS Bishop in [Florence,] Arizona and a psychological professional counselor at a prison. His first operation was unsuccessful and left him with a colostomy. He has continued as bishop and has been given strength from family and friends and blessings from above to do so," the video description says on YouTube.

On a family blog, Evie's mother, Hillary, recently posted, "Our Creator is aware of each of us in ways we can’t even comprehend. He watches over us and wants to help us understand His ways. Pain is only a small moment in the vastness of eternity and can serve a purpose to bring us closer to the One who suffered all, if we let it."

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