'America's Got Talent': Evie Clair Delivers 'Perfect Tribute' to Late Father With Emotional Finals Performance
Evie Clair's journey on America's Got Talent reached an emotional apex on the first night of the finals on Tuesday following the death of her father two weeks ago, with an emotional performance that paid tribute to her dad's memory.
Before coming out on stage, the 12-year-old singer reflected on her father's legacy in a pre-taped package, where she shared, "My dad was one of the bravest people I knew. He always taught us to follow our dreams."
Clair -- who has previously opened up about learning how to sing to comfort her father as he battled late-stage colon cancer -- also explained how she found the strength to continue to pursue her dreams on AGT following her painful loss.
"My dad taught me, after I started something, to always finish it," Clair recalled. "That's why I'm fighting to the end, just like he did."
For her final performance, the young songstresses opted to honor her father's memory with an emotional cover of Louis Armstrong's iconic "What a Wonderful World," and there was silence in the theater as her emotional rendition brought many in the audience to tears.
Clair received a standing ovation from the crowd and the judges, who were stunned by her perseverance and resilience in the face of her personal tragedy.
"Our hearts and our souls go out to you, Evie," Howie Mandel shared as Clair bravely fought back tears on stage. "I know that your father passed this week, and I cannot believe the strength that I'm seeing in such a beautiful young girl."
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Mel B -- who recently lost her own father and has spoken before about her emotional connection with Clair -- said she was sure her father was proud of everything she'd accomplished.
"I know you're dad's up there, looking down on you, and he must be so, so proud," Mel said. "Because what you just did was beautiful. It was so pure and so raw."
Simon Cowell was equally stunned by Clair's bravery, and said that her cover of the beloved tune was "a perfect tribute" to her dad.
"Your voice was beautiful, your song was beautiful and I'm very proud of you for what you've just done," Cowell shared.
To see if Clair's tearful performance earned her the victory, fans will have to tune in to the America's Got Talent finals results show on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
For more on Clair's emotional AGT journey throughout this season, check out the video below.
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