Mother and son Sharon and Brandon gave an uplifting performance of Calum Scott’s “You Are The Reason” on Ireland’s Got Talent. The pair put their hearts into the pop ballad and their gorgeous vocal harmonies absolutely hit the spot. They quickly won the judges’ hearts and went home with the golden buzzer after a 10/10 performance.
The song was all the more poignant as just two months earlier Brandon was fighting for his life in a coma in intensive care. The Kildare teen, 19, said he was out with his friends and “took something I shouldn’t have; I made a mistake. It nearly cost me my life.” Sharon was told news no mother ever wants to hear when doctors said they needed to prepare to “say goodbye to him”, but “he came back to me a couple of days later.” You can watch the audition for yourself below.
The audition has been viewed 11.6 million times, making it the third most popular video on the Ireland’s Got Talent YouTube channel. The duo’s success comes as no surprise, as they made an excellent song choice with “You Are The Reason”, that just beautifully shows their connection and incredible vocal talents.
Brandon displayed a smooth and delicate pop voice that carried the open verse, before Sharon dropped in and displayed an impressive low register, singing Calum Scott’s parts without breaking a sweat. The pair’s arrangement of the song into a duet also exhibited impressive taste, as it differed substantially from the original yet still hit hard. Later in the series they performed Aretha Franklin’s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”, which you can hear below.
After hearing “You Are The Reason”, host Lucy Kennedy sent the room into a fever pitch by taking a leisurely stroll towards the judges’ desk. Kennedy really knows how to set up a big moment, as the whole room watched her every move in anticipation of what was next. She then hit the golden buzzer with a big grin on her face, prompting a celebration from the audience and a tearful hug from mother and son.
Afterwards Kennedy asked how Sharon felt, and the proud mother said “Today meant so much. I thought I’d never sing with Brandon again, and just to be on the stage I was a winner.”
Denise Van Outen opened up the judges’ comments by saying “You’re fabulous together. You can see the love just shining through. You just both have individually amazing voices, but together you’re just phenomenal. Brandon you’ve got such a fantastic tone to your voice, and you truly deserved [the golden buzzer].”
Jason Byrne lightened the mood at this point with his comments, saying “Normally we see this kind of setup where one is better than the other, but you were equally good. Brandon you definitely came out of that woman, there’s no doubt about it.” After his cheeky observation got a laugh, Byrne wrapped things up by saying “You’re just amazing. I just loved listening to the two of you and you’re gonna be big stars.” If you would like to see more from Sharon & Brandon Webb, you can follow them on Facebook.