Middle schooler Eastley, South Carolina native Ansley Burns is an ambitious young woman. Even before she sings a note, her enthusiasm as she steps onto the platform is contagious, and you can’t help but adore her.
You might not expect someone so young to choose that particular tune. “Aretha Franklin is going to be your song?” Twelve o’clock? Is that so? Incredulous, Simon Cowell inquires.
Performing “Think,” a song by a legendary artist, would be intimidating for even the most seasoned professional singers, yet Ansley appears unfazed. But Simon abruptly ends her audition before it even begins, so it doesn’t get off to a good start. To save her vocals from being overpowered by the instrumental accompaniment, he suggests that she sing the song alone. Ansley’s self-assurance remains unshaken, and the subsequent audition is hypnotic.
Especially when covering a song by the great Aretha Franklin, it is astonishing that such a young kid can sound so mature for her age. Amazing stage presence is just one of Ansley’s many talents. Her voice is second to none. Amid her confident strides across the America’s Got Talent stage, the crowd goes wild, cheering her on in no time. So it’s no wonder the judges are so taken with her!
Justice Gabrielle Union gushes, “Your degree of competence at twelve…Seriously, I’ve worked with folks three, four, or five times your age who just don’t possess the minuscule amount of talent that you do. There is no one quite like you. You have shown me that personality is as vital as technical competence,’ Simon said in an equally effusive remark. It’s the individual from my past. The vocal prowess that Ansley displayed on America’s Got Talent was not her first rodeo.