Season 17 of America’s Got Talent started off on a very positive note on Tuesday night. The episode saw host Terry Crews give away the first Golden Buzzer of the season. As PEOPLE noted, he pressed the Golden Buzzer for Avery Dixon, a 21-year-old saxophone player from Atlanta, Georgia, and sent him through straight to the live shows.
Before his performance, Dixon shared some of his backstory with the judges — Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel. He explained that he experienced “relentless” bullying when he was growing up because of his voice and appearance, which were affected by his premature birth. The musician even said that he considered suicide at one point because of the bullying. Thankfully, Dixon found his outlet in music and, specifically, the saxophone.
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While Dixon was clearly a bit nervous, he was able to show everyone what he’s made of as he brought down the house with his impressive saxophone skills. His performance brought everyone to their feet, and Klum even noted that it led to Mandel showing off a few dance moves, an impressive feat. Cowell said that Dixon’s story and performance touched everyone’s hearts and gave him his first “yes.” However, Crews quickly came onto the stage to let everyone know that there would be no need to vote.
“Avery Dixon, you touched the heart of every human being in this building right now,” Crews said. “And I want to tell you, man, you’ve been bullied all your life, but you tell every bully that you have a big brother named Terry Crews who is here, who’s got your back, and all those bullies are gonna have to watch you succeed.” He then pressed the Golden Buzzer, meaning that Dixon would go through straight to the live performances. Following the emotional moment, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star opened up to PEOPLE about why he decided to press the Golden Buzzer for the saxophone player.
“First of all, what I was looking for when I pushed my Golden Buzzer, was talent. The story, how many obstacles this person had to overcome, and the talent,” he said. “Because you can have one or the other, but you got to have both to get that golden buzzer.” Crews added, “[Dixon] did not disappoint. I was just floored.”
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