Lindsey Stirling made a return to America’s Got Talent, but she has been quite busy since her first appearance on the show in season 5. The violinist might not have made it far in the competition, but she has become a household name anyway. From her albums and concerts to her awards and TV appearances, America’s Got Talent was only the first step on Lindsey's road to fame.
Lindsey was first seen on the show during season 5, with judges Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan, and Sharon Osbourne. At 23 years old, she wowed them with her audition, introducing herself as a “hip hop violinist” and performing to the tune of “Right Round” by Flo Rida ft. Ke$ha. From there, she was sent to the next round and ultimately advanced to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for her, that was where the journey ended. Though the audience seemed to enjoy her mashup of “TikTok” by Ke$ha and “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz, the judges were not fans. Sharon Osbourne told her she would be better off in a group, and Piers didn’t hold back when he said she sounded like rats being strangled. But Piers just might be one to eat his words, as Lindsey recently made a comeback to the show as a successful guest performer.
During the latest results show, Lindsey returned with former AGT and AGT: The Champions winner Shin Lim. While the magician performed mesmerizing card tricks, Lindsey danced around him playing her original song, “Crystallize.” But before this, Lindsey was featured on the show multiple times following her short-lived stint in the competition.
Lindsey Performed On The Show Again
The first time Lindsey came to America’s Got Talent after being eliminated, she recapped her experience on the show, noting that she was heartbroken after her elimination. But her career blossomed after she started using YouTube to promote her music videos, one of which earned a million views in one day. During that season 9 episode, she was accompanied by Lzzy Hale on vocals as she danced and played her original song “Shatter Me.” During season 13, Lindsey and contestant Brian King Joseph performed her song “Roundtable Rival” during the finale episode. Lindsey was also featured on AGT: The Champions as a guest performer along with the shadow group, Silhouettes, who danced to her song “Aurora.”
Lindsey Almost Won Dancing With the Stars
In 2017, Lindsey was paired with Mark Ballas on season 25 of Dancing With the Stars, and the two finished in second place. Despite Piers having told her she wasn’t good enough to get away with “flying through the air and trying to play the violin at the same time,” Lindsey proved him wrong both with her career and execution on the dance competition. During the finals, what started as a dance routine became a mixture of ballroom and violin playing when she whipped out her instrument mid-performance and played a seamless rendition of “Palladio” while getting tossed around by her dance partner.
Lindsey Is A Successful Violinist
When Lindsey was on America’s Got Talent, Sharon Osbourne told her she wasn’t good enough to fill a theater in Vegas. But since then, Lindsey has filled theaters throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan and several other countries around the world (via AllMusic). She has released five albums, including Warmer in the Winter and Artemis, and was on Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Music: 2015. Along with her sister Brooke S. Passey, Lindsey wrote an autobiography called The Only Pirate at the Party, released in 2016. In it, she recalled events of her life, career, and time on the show, and even revealed that after Pier’s snide comments, she cried on the bathroom floor.
With several awards including Billboard Music and Streamy Awards, Lindsey has become a highly notable violin player. The judges may have knocked her down, but with determination, she picked herself right back up. Not everyone can win America’s Got Talent, but Lindsey has proved that contestants can thrive even without the show.
America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 PM ET on NBC.
Source: AllMusic