Britain’s Got Talent was not ready for hilarious pianist Jon Courtenay, who blew the audience away with his witty original tune that referenced everything from Simon Cowell’s teeth to David Walliams’ career as a novelist and even his own career playing in dive bars. The 46-year-old entertainer went home that night with the golden buzzer and eventually won the entire season, so you’ll definitely want to hear his story.
Courtenay was supported by his wife and two young sons at his audition. Dad made his boys proud that night by performing an original tune that showcased not only his top-notch vocals and musicianship, but also a remarkable lyrical wit. Courtenay began by cheerfully roasting the judges, then described his career in show business, his family life, and finally his dream of making it big in show business.
Towards the end of the song Courtenay worked the names of past winners of Britain’s Got Talent into the lyrics, which was remarkably prescient given how the rest of the season panned out. He also worked his wife and sons into the lyrics, and even referenced how happy he’d be to meet hosts Ant and Dec. This last bit might have been crucial to his successful audition; when all was said and done, Ant and Dec gave Courtenay their golden buzzer!
Courtenay’s audition drew quite a bit of attention online, where it attracted seven million views on YouTube. Fans really connected with his story and performance, adding comments such as “This guy won not just because he made us laugh and cry through tough times, but he gave so many people hope” and “This guy is amazing at singing, comedy and at playing the piano. Wow! His kids must be very proud of their dad.” Another popular video from Courtenay on YouTube is his semi-finals performance.
Courtenay, who lives in Mossley in Greater Manchester, had quite the wild ride on series 14 of Britain’s Got Talent. After getting Ant and Dec’s golden buzzer, the singer-songwriter advanced straight to the semi-finals, where he performed “When I was a Boy” and shared his dreams from his childhood. This semi-finals appearance was quite the hit, and Courtenay won the judges’ vote, then advanced straight to the final. In the finals, he performed a song themed around finding happiness in small things. The Music Man is happy to share with readers that with this performance, Courtenay won the public vote and took out the entire series.
If you enjoyed Jon Courtenay’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent and would like to hear more from this talented pianist, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel or follow him on Instagram for more incredible music.