From her first performance in the opening round of America's Got Talent, Roberta blew away judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara and the live audience in attendance. After a beautiful rendition of Lady Gaga's "Shallow," she received a standing ovation and Vergara's first golden buzzer, sending her straight to the live shows in Hollywood.
She followed up her show-stopping performance two weeks later. Roberta from America's Got Talent sang Lauren Daigle's "You Say," once again astounding the judges and America. The USA's AGT fans voted for her to advance to the semi-finals.
In her first AGT performance since turning 11-years-old a week earlier, Roberta covered a song from one of her idols, Pink, according to America's Got Talent. Her heartfelt rendition of "What About Us?" ended the first night of semi-final performances with a bang. Everyone was floored by her singing yet again, with Vergara saying, “Just be yourself – because you’re perfect! Every time you come out you become better and better and better." At this point in the competition, the judges take a back seat as the decisions are made by America's vote. One day later, host Terry Crews announced the five finalists moving on, including Roberta, who fell to the ground crying.
The young Italian-American has been singing since the age of three. As an engineer for a local radio station, her father passed along his love and talent for performing, sharing the stage with her locally for years. Battaglia's singing is not the only thing that has won over the hearts of America. After her first performance, she revealed that she has dealt with bullying in school, a reality that rings true for many kids. The judges were quick to offer their support. "There's one way you win over bullies," said mogul Simon Cowell, "it's by being happy and successful. Bullies are always threatened by talented people, so in a weird way, it is a compliment." Vergara was next in line adding, "let's see who is going to bully you after this," before pushing the golden buzzer and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Many fans hope that this talented little lady wins a million dollars on America's Got Talent and she may just accomplish that goal... good luck, Roberta!
Source: The Star, America's Got Talent