When Austin Brown made the decision to leave Home Free in 2024, he had no idea that he would end up on the America’s Got Talent stage, not once, but twice. Emboldened by his desire to become a solo artist, Brown auditioned for the reality TV talent show by singing a cover of “When A Man Loves A Woman.” At the time, the judges were split, with Sofia Vergara and Mel B giving Brown a yes, while Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell gave him a no. Cowell also suggested that he return and sing a different song.

“I was shocked, honestly,” Brown tells Everything Nash. “‘Cause I felt like that was one of the best times I’ve ever sang in a situation where I was that nervous. I felt like I did well. I feel like I did close to my best. And for me to have gotten two nos, I was really just sort of immediately astounded and also thinking in my head, ‘Okay, everything happens for a reason.'”

Undeterred, Brown did just that. Given another chance by the America’s Got Talent producers, Brown returned, this time to sing an original song, “Somebody Believed,” earning a resounding yes from all four judges.

“I was less nervous for the second audition than the first one, ’cause I’d already had some experience, and I knew what I was doing,” Brown shares. “I was gonna be myself.”

Brown’s performance of “Somebody Believed” impressed all of the judges, including Cowell.

“Just getting to sing that song, a song that honestly, it feels like it was written for that moment,” Brown reflects. “It literally talks about turning nos into yeses. … It still feels like a dream, but it just keeps getting better. And I’m just grateful for the journey, and I’m really optimistic that we’re gonna be here for that next round for those live episodes.”

 

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In fact, there may not be a better song for Brown and the journey he is on than “Somebody Believed,” becoming an anthem of sorts for Brown as he embraces life as a solo artist, after so many years with Home Free.

“It’s a song about overcoming obstacles,” Brown explains. “It’s a song about believing in yourself, maybe when no one else does. It’s a song about how sometimes when you don’t believe in yourself, all you need is that one person around you to be the wind in your sails, to believe in you. It’s a song I’m gonna be singing for the rest of my career. I love it. It’s one of the most fun songs I have to sing right now. And, I’m just loving the response that I’m getting from everyone who hears it.”

For Brown, the biggest win might be gaining the support of Cowell, even more than making it through to the next round on AGT.

“Simon is the boss at AGT. He is a legend,” Brown says. “He’s somebody that I’ve been looking up to since I was a kid. … I wasn’t nervous to be there, and singing in front of all those people. I’ve sung in front of big crowds, I’ve sung on television. But being in front of Simon, he knows so clearly when something is really good. Don’t get me wrong; he’s been wrong before. But when he says it’s great, he’s always right about that. So I wanted nothing more than to impress him. He did say a lot of kind things, but ultimately, he said no that first time.

“And for him to completely flip around, come to the table and have my back, say yes, and his face lit up when I was singing that second song,” the Georgia native continues. “That truly is maybe the greatest feather in my cap to this point in my career, is having Simon Cowell say, ‘Yes, Austin.’ I couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m just so excited to keep going on this journey, and hopefully show him he was more than wrong about his first opinion.”

With Brown making it to the next round on America’s Got Talent, the show is in many ways just the beginning for Brown and his promising career as a solo artist.

“It builds my confidence,” Brown says. “It makes me think, ‘Okay, this is the right choice.’ It’s really confirming for the journey, getting to here, and it gives me the opportunity to show America who I am. I’ve been daydreaming about impressing Simon since I auditioned for the second season of American Idol when I was 15 or 16. I slept on the side of the road in Atlanta when my daddy drove me up, and I didn’t even get past the first round. But that’s okay. Everything happens for a reason. But having this opportunity, there’s nothing better. I was just looking at the stats and stuff. It’s literally the No. 1 talent show out there. There’s no comparison.

“And so, it gives me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams,” he adds. “To maybe one day be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and to win CMA awards, and make it on the country radio. This is a step in that direction. And I’m just looking forward to every step that comes after it.”

America’s Got Talent airs on Tuesday nights at 8:00 PM ET on NBC. Find all of Brown’s music and upcoming shows at AustinBrownMusic.com.

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Photo Credit: NBC / Trae Patton