Tennessee waitress Madelyn Tallent was really made for America’s Got Talent. The small-town girl had big dreams on AGT 2026, and Simon Cowell saw real star potential when she sang a gorgeously twangy take on One Republic’s “Counting Stars.” But first, Madelyn and her duo partner Malachi Martin had to overcome one doubting Thomas! Judge Sofía Vergara labeled Howie Mandel “The Grinch” for saying the talented duo were undercooked.
More than half a million fans tuned in, with many backing Sofía, saying Madelyn’s voice just couldn’t be denied. There’s no doubt that the Tennessee talent has the X factor too. It was her first time ever playing to such a big audience, and she took to it like a natural, drawing in the audience with cheeky grins as she jammed out with Malachi. The Music Man is glad to see that three out of four judges became believers!
Madelyn and Malachi auditioned on America’s Got Talent on June 24, 2026, and drew 506,000 views in two weeks. Fans loved what the duo were putting down and added comments such as “They are the real deal! Her voice is SO country in the best way possible. I could totally hear that on the radio now. Someone sign them now” and “Howie was wrong. They were excellent and her voice is amazing. Biggest audience she ever performed in front of and didn’t close her eyes once. Great job. Country music needs them.”
So far, Madelyn and Malachi have only given a single performance on America’s Got Talent. It has to be said that the ladies are really crushing it on the vocal front this season. AGT 2026 opened with a bang with 14-year-old Lai Noelle’s show-stopping audition on Sienna Spiro’s “Die On This Hill.” The shy teen started off with some nerves but then turned into a soul queen, stunning the audience and judges. Her audition became an instant classic, drawing a huge 2.2 million views.
Madelyn Tallent and Malachi Martin are from Benton, Tennessee, and only formed as a duo six months prior to their America’s Got Talent audition. Madelyn noted that Benton has a population of just 1,500, and that the pair quickly bonded over music when they met, given there are few enough musicians in the town.
Simon Cowell and Sofía backed Madelyn and Malachi hard. Mel B felt that the duo hadn’t quite hit their full stride yet, but was still a fan of what they delivered. The end result was that the above three judges gave the duo yes votes, while Howie voted no. The Music Man is pleased to report that this allowed the talented country act to move to the next round.