When this police officer walked onstage at America’s Got Talent this year, the audience sure wasn’t ready for what he had coming! Mervin Mayo had the whole audience vibing big time when he sang Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” straight to his wife watching on the side of the stage. The crowd was clearly touched by his show of devotion to his wife, and watching her reaction was just too sweet.
Mayo sang the Sheeran hit as a solo piano arrangement and brought his own flavor to the tune by emphasizing the soul and R&B elements. He’s a top-notch piano player, but fans really responded to the feeling that he injected into the tune, and some of those vocal runs were really something! Mayo’s audition went live on the America’s Got Talent YouTube channel on July 17, 2024, and for us at The Music Man, it was definitely one of the standout moments for the season!
After hearing such a passionate ballad for her, Heidi Klum asked to see Mayo’s wife. Mayo then brought Michelle onstage and explained that she was the Director of School Counseling for Richmond public schools. Judge Howie Mandel then pointed out that both Mayo and his wife admirably devoted their working lives to the community, which got a big cheer from the audience.
Howie then gave his nod of approval for Mayo’s performance. He wasn’t the only judge who was impressed, as Sofia Vergara followed this up by saying “You guys are a beautiful couple, and your voice is spectacular. It’s super romantic. I think people are going to love you.” This is not the first time Mayo has come to the public’s attention, as his 2020 YouTube cover of “You Know My Name” drew 3.1 million views on the platform.
Simon Cowell wrapped up the judges’ comments by saying, “You really do have a good voice, and everything you did was sincere. I just think it was a really great moment, and I think people genuinely are going to like you.”
With such big praise coming Mayo’s way, it won’t surprise our readers here on The Music Man that the talented singer then got four big yes votes coming his way from the judges.
If you like Mayo, you can hear more of his performances on his YouTube channel Mervin Mayo. He has built up 105,000 subscribers on the platform and has several videos with more than one million views.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can follow Mervin Mayo on his Facebook and Instagram for more incredible music.