+

america s got talent

Pop Culture

1980s cultural icon Michael Winslow made an emotional comeback on 'America's Got Talent'

He walked away at the height of his fame to raise his children after his wife's sudden death.

via The Nerd Patrol / Flickr

Actor, comedian, and self-proclaimed "voicetramentalist," Michael Winslow was just about everywhere in the '80s. His incredible ability to make sound effects with his voice and uncanny beatboxing skills landed him the role of officer Larvell Jones in all seven "Police Academy" movies.

He also did voiceover work in "Gremlins" and appeared in Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs."

But Winslow was forced to scale back his career in 1993 after the death of his first wife Belinda Church. As a single father, he had to stop appearing in films so he could spend more time with his children.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jane Marczewski.

Update: Jane Marczewski, the singer-songwriter who was given a 2% chance to live and who got even Simon Cowell teary-eyed with her "America's Got Talent" audition last summer, has died of cancer at age 31. Marczewski, who went by Nightbirde when she sang, had gained an enormous and devoted following with her beautiful voice, her raw vulnerability and her gratitude for every minute she was given. (Seriously, scroll down and watch her audition if you haven't seen it. It was incredible.)

Jane's family shared video message on her Instagram account, in which she explains how sadness and grief can go hand in hand with gratitude and hope, and it's a lesson we can all take something from. Rest in peace, beautiful Nightbirde.

The piece below was originally published on 6.10.21.

All of us face challenges in life, but some people also face challenges to life itself. For 30-year-old singer Jane Marczewski, who goes by Nightbirde when she sings, those challenges are real and immediate in the form of her third round of cancer. Prior to her America's Got Talent audition, scans showed cancer in her lungs, spine, and liver. Her prognosis was daunting—six months to live and a two percent chance of survival.

But to hear her tell it, that small chance is a gift. And hearing her sing about the last year of her life is enough to inspire even the most cynical among us.

She doesn't mention it on the show, but her husband also left her in the midst of her cancer journey. In her blog, she writes powerfully and poetically about these struggles, describing her hours spent curled up on the bathroom floor and the raw, painful conversations with God that have ultimately strengthened her faith. Her positive outlook has been hard-won, which makes it all the more relatable.

As she told the judges of America's Got Talent, "It's important that everyone knows that I'm so much more than the bad things that happen to me." She also said, "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy"—a philosophy that actually means something coming from someone in the depths of heartbreak and hardship.

Keep ReadingShow less

All her life, Dorothy Williams dreamed of being a star. Now 90 years old, she finally got her chance.

Thanks to "America's Got Talent," the nonagenarian had the opportunity to perform in front of a massive live crowd (not to mention the millions of viewers watching on TV). She wasn't about to let this golden opportunity go to waste.

Keep ReadingShow less