When Benjamin Hightower hit the America’s Got Talent stage, the first thing everyone thought was that the military vet was the spitting image of Benson Boone! However, the 30-year-old wasn’t there to bang out “Beautiful Things” on the piano, and instead treated the crowd to his cut of Chappell Roan’s anthem “Pink Pony Club” during his viral June 11, 2025, audition. The song about dancing in heels at the club might not be what everyone expected from the tattooed military vet, but Hightower’s voice was undeniable.
Hightower has a lithe tenor that is both powerful and sweet. It’s the kind of voice made for singing hits at arenas, just like Queen legend Freddie Mercury. Furthermore, the Tennessee singer just exudes good vibes, and you can tell he really loves performing. The audience quickly caught onto the vibes and gave him a standing ovation with the judges at the end. Hightower really knocked his audition for six, and it probably won’t surprise The Music Man readers to hear that he got four big yes votes from the judges!
Hightower’s audition did some major digits on YouTube, hitting 1.1 million views in five days. Fans could see that he was a winning bet this year on America’s Got Talent, and added comments such as “Wow, I love him. I think he’s gonna be a star. He’s a natural. He reminds me of Benson Boone, who I also love! He should have gotten a golden buzzer!” and “Great personality, beautiful range, his energy is fire!! He’s a star. Some people are just born to do it and he’s definitely one of them.”
The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that season 20 is not the first time Hightower has had a brush with fame on America’s Got Talent. The Tennessee talent previously appeared on season 12 of the show as part of the all-male military a capella choir In the Stairwell. He performed quite prominently in the group, opening the group’s quarterfinals performance with a solo vocal feature. The performance is a great example of how broad Hightower’s vocal range is.
As part of In the Stairwell, Hightower made it as far as the semifinals in season 12 of America’s Got Talent. He then served a seven-year stint in the United States Air Force, before departing to pursue a career as a performer, as he outlined at the start of his America’s Got Talent audition.