CAIRO – 13 June 2017: The current season of America's Got Talent had a very unique audition earlier this month: a deaf woman came on stage and sang so flawlessly that Simon Cowell pressed the golden buzzer and guaranteed her a spot in the live finale.
Mandy Harvey, 29, is a deaf American singer and songwriter. She started singing at the age of four, yet due to a medical condition she lost her hearing at the age of 18. She pursued several career options, including education, however returned to music in 2008.
She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio before her family moved to Florida at the age of two. She is one of four children in the family. She is also the daughter to a minister and a public school teacher.
From an early age she displayed natural talent in singing, prompting her to join choirs and high school music competitions. Her talents also earned her a spot in a high school group who was sent to sing in Australia. Harvey eventually became the top female vocalist at her high school graduation ceremony.
Harvey applied to Colorado State University (CSU) and was accepted as one of 15 vocal major students. However during her freshman year she lost her hearing. Her hearing loss was due to a result of genetic connective tissue disorder exacerbated by medications used during knee surgeries. Harvey left CSU and returned home where she took American Sign Language classes.
In 2011 she won VSA’s International Young Soloist award and in 2014 returned to perform a full concert at the Kennedy Center,
Her performance in America’s Got Talent was an original piece she had written.
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