Grace VanderWaal and an 82-Year-Old Shock America's Got Talent Judges 2 Very Different Ways

John Hetlinger is a heavy metal rocker?

By Chris Harnick Jun 08, 2016 1:40 PMTags

It takes a lot to shock the America's Got Talent judges, but that's just what 82-year-old John Hetlinger did. The retired aerospace engineer (he helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope!) started doing karaoke about 15 years ago when he retired.

"This would probably be a high point of my life and many careers," Hetlinger told Simon Cowell when the judge asked why he's on America's Got Talent today. And then Hetlinger started rocking out.

Yes, the 82-year-old man started singing "Bodies," a heavy metal song by Drowning Pools. His performance got a standing ovation from the audience and judge Howie Mandel.

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The same episode featured 12-year-old Grace VanderWaal singing an original song, "I Don't Know My Name," shocking the judges in a much different way. The ukulele player got through the emotional song and received a standing ovation from Cowell, Mandel and Heidi Klum.


"I think you are living, beautiful, walking miracle," Mandel said before giving her the golden buzzer and sending her through to the live shows. "You're original…I think the world is going to know your name."

"Grace, you know what I predict for you? I think you are the next Taylor Swift," Cowell said.

America's Got Talent airs Tuesday, 8 p.m. on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Watch: "America's Got Talent" Judges Gush Over Simon Cowell
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