Eddie Williams is a two-time Australia’s Strongest Man winner but lifting really heavy things is not his only forte. The man-mountain began his Australia’s Got Talent audition by lifting 150 kg and 165 kg boulders and hoisting a huge chunk of wood on top. Then the real magic began as Williams sat on top of the bench, took up a mic and launched into John Legend’s piano ballad “Ordinary People”.
Strongman champs are not typically known for having soulful singing voices, but Williams showed you definitely can’t judge a book by its cover. The 29-year-old strongman performed the romantic R&B hit with a big smile on his face that had the women in the audience just melting. You can watch his audition below, which has been viewed 2.4 million times.
Williams performed “Ordinary People” in his own style, honing in on the soul and pop elements, giving the song a feel-good vibe. Legend sings the song with an intensity that brings out the darkness of the lyrics, but Williams made it feel much more romantic and hopeful. Being able to put his own stamp on the song like that definitely showed that the strongman has a real talent as a singer.
The opening section of Williams’ act had the judges a bit taken aback when the 150 kg boulder rolled onstage, followed by Williams who put out a stern energy during the strongman feats. When he shifted gears and started singing, his whole demeanour changed, and the crowd definitely responded to it, with a big cheer going up. You can watch Williams audition for America’s Got Talent below, which had a very dramatic ending that was quite different to his Australian appearance.
On Williams’ appearance on America’s Got Talent, he again performed “Ordinary People”, but judge Howie Mandel buzzed him before he got far into the song. Despite the vote of no confidence from Mandel, Williams nonetheless continued to perform. The audience and judges appeared shocked by Mandel’s decision as the comedian dramatically ran off the stage. Simon Cowell asked why he ran off and Alesha Dixon suggested that Mandel was “scared of” Williams’ reaction to being buzzed.
Williams put the finishing touches on his performance, and Cowell and Heidi Klum showed they were behind the big-hearted strongman with a standing ovation. The audience were clearly behind the big teddy bear as well, as they gave him a hearty chant of “Eddie, Eddie!”
Williams was eliminated following his America’s Got Talent audition, as he didn’t gain enough votes from the Superfans to progress to the semi-finals. He did fare better on Australia’s Got Talent however, where he progressed as far as the semi-finals.
Despite not making it as an idol, Williams still has plenty on his plate. In addition to competing as a strongman, the father of three works as a full time youth support worker for children with autism. Williams stands at 1.94m tall and weighs in at 190kg, making him one of the biggest athletes on the strongman circuit, as well as a firm fan favourite. If you would like to see more from Eddie Williams, you can follow him on Facebook or Instagram.