Chuck Adams instantly had the America’s Got Talent audience on the edge of their seats with his emotional rendition of the Goo Goo Dolls’ timeless ballad “Iris”. The Connecticut singer has a warm, honeyed voice that can really pull your heartstrings, which is no doubt why his June 25, 2025, audition went viral. The heartfelt ballad was the perfect choice for the 40-year-old singer to show off his talents, as he expertly put his stamp on the song and brought the emotion behind the lyrics to the fore.
The guitar arrangement had a touch of country while Adams brought an R&B feel to the vocals – whatever the mix was, it worked. Adams’ performance was real goosebumps territory, and he got a well-deserved standing ovation from the stunned audience afterward. Another element many fans loved was how Adams began the audition by giving a shout out to his mum. The Music Man has to say that seeing her watching proudly from the audience as Adams knocked the audition out of the park was one of the best parts of the video.
Adams’ audition was one of the biggest debuts in 2025 on America’s Got Talent, as it hit 1.6 million views in just three days. Fans gave the singer-songwriter some big props, adding comments such as “He is a musician, not just a singer. He takes people on a beautiful journey” and “He starts by giving gratitude to his mom, he’s a winner already.”
Adams originally cut his teeth as an R&B artist in his younger years, and more recently he moved into a career as a “soulful country” singer-songwriter. Prior to debuting on America’s Got Talent, Adams gained national attention through taking part in the Apple TV+ competition My Kind of Country. He performed his original ballad “A Place Called Heaven” for the finale, which again featured his signature heartfelt vocals, this time over a bluesy country arrangement.
The Music Man readers might not be surprised to hear that Adams was a big hit with the AGT judges, and after delivering an “Iris” cover, he steamed home with four yes votes. Mel B told Adams that he is a “great performer, great singer and a great guitarist.” She then noted that she felt that nerves threw him off a bit, and said “there’s so much more that I know you can give, but you had me at the first strum.” Cowell responded to Mel B’s remarks by saying “If this was about giving you confidence, then this absolutely works.” Cowell then noted that Adams has a real presence about him, and said that moving forward in the competition, he wanted to see him reinterpret a song in a way that the judges had never heard before.