11-Year-Old Bianca Ryan Belting "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" Changed AGT
Ryan became the first-ever winner of America's Got Talent in 2006, and retains the title as the youngest Act to take home the grand prize.
A young Bianca Ryan had the opportunity of a lifetime in the inaugural season of America's Got Talent in 2006. And she didn't just leave her mark, she set the bar extremely high for everyone else.
The 11-year-old singing prodigy steamrolled through the competition, winning AGT Season 1 and the hearts of everybody who tuned in — but it all started with one magical Audition. Today, we're turning back the clock and going back 19 years to when Ryan stepped onto the AGT stage for the first time. It's not often that a child marches onto the stage and reveals she'll be performing a song like Jennifer Holliday's 1982 hit "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," but that's exactly what happened shortly after viewers first met Ryan.
It was a moment that will live on forever and proof that a star can be born before our very eyes. From her stage presence to her swagger beyond-her-years and vocal skills, 11 year olds shouldn't be able to sing like that.
The way Ryan held that final high note for over 15 seconds was just the cherry on top of an unbelievable performance.
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After her well-deserved standing ovation died down, Ryan basked in the glow of some truly impressed Judges.
"That was un-be-lievable," Brandy Norwood confessed. "You are my favorite contestant in this competition."
It was high praise, but what David Hasselhoff said put Ryan's performance in perspective for everyone watching.
"You know what, kid?" he told her. "You're a star."
To this day, Ryan is still the youngest winner in AGT history.
What happened to Bianca Ryan after America's Got Talent?
Her success on AGT led to the release of her 2006 self-titled album, and she's even known for being responsible for one of the most underrated Christmas songs ever!
Ryan has stayed busy in her post-AGT career, but it hasn't always been smooth sailing. After undergoing multiple surgeries to correct vocal cord complications that threatened her health and singing career, the singer returned to the franchise that made her a household name, memorably competing in America's Got Talent: The Champions 12 years after her first fateful Audition. There, Ryan took the opportunity to give fans a much-needed update on her health.
These days, Ryan has been largely absent from the social media scene — until the release of Wicked, which prompted her to get back in the studio. Here's the now 30-year-old nailing "Defying Gravity".
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"Wicked was released the first year I ever started singing around 9 years old and the shows songs were some of the first 20 songs I ever learned to sing. Here is to Defying Gravity and never letting anything bring you down 🧹," Ryan captioned.
