77-year-old Mel Day brought the house down on Britain’s Got Talent with a rocking version of Wilson Pickett’s “Land of 1000 Dances” that showed that old time rhythm and blues never goes out of style. Day brought a tonne of energy to the performance and his voice is the real deal, being both lithe and funky and hugely powerful.
Before the audition Simon Cowell asked Day his age and was in disbelief that he was 77, as the smooth-faced singer could pass as 30 years younger. The Birmingham talent then delivered the goods, showing off the commanding stage presence of a born entertainer as well as the explosive vocals to match. You can watch the audition for yourself in the video below.
“Land of 1000 Dances” was a perfect choice for Day’s audition, as he sounds remarkably like the original singer Wilson Pickett, and brings the same swag to the old time hit as well. Day just owned the stage and quickly had the crowd on their feet and clapping. The audience even enthusiastically rocked the dance moves for the song and sang along on the iconic “naaaa na na na” chorus line.
Day’s audition was a big hit online and has been viewed two million times on the Britain’s Got Talent YouTube channel. When it came time to vote, all four judges gave yes votes and sent the Birmingham rocker through to the semi-finals, where he sang a medley of soul classics including James Brown’s “I Feel Good”. Check out his semi-final performance in the video below.
Judge David Walliams showed off his comedy chops by telling Day deadpan that “I want to have your babies,” which cracked the singer up. The funnyman then leaned into this later, saying to Day before the final vote that “you made me pregnant during that performance”. More seriously, Walliams also observed that there “was real talent and soul there. It wasn’t karaoke – it was you. You’re a very special talent.”
Alesha Dixon was also a big fan, saying “when you’ve got soul like that Mel, it just never leaves you. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re still rocking it up there – so much swag.” Day then cheekily told Dixon that he’s got “a lot more to give baby”, getting a laugh from the crowd.
Simon Cowell then said “you don’t just walk onstage at 77 and sing like that. So you must have done this when you were younger, you must have wanted to be a recording artist.” Day then admitted that he had been let down many times as he tried to make it in the industry. Cowell then said that timing is everything and that “maybe this is your time Mel.”
Day was eliminated from Britain’s Got Talent following his semi-finals performance, although he’s since continued to perform live and bring the funk to fans everywhere. If you would like to see more from Mel Day, you can follow him on Facebook or Instagram.