Street Performer Jourdan Blue Stuns on AGT Months After New Orleans Truck Attack
The singer's performance of The Script's "Breakeven" earned him Howie Mandel's first Golden Buzzer of the season.
The America's Got Talent audience was utterly enraptured by 23-year-old singer Jourdan Blue, whose story of perseverance — and stunning vocal delivery — were equally emotional.
The New Orleans native spends his evenings singing on a street corner, and explained backstage, "I’ve had a lot of really cool experience through it, but it’s also a struggle. I go out and I sing from probably around 8 p.m. to 2 or 3 a.m., or until the cops kick me out of the street."
"It’s what I do to provide for my girlfriend and my son Jax," he said, adding, "It’s hard but I want to lead by example and show my son you should chase your dreams." But once on stage, Blue admitted that his home base had recently been rocked by a tragedy.
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"At the beginning of the year there was an attack on New Orleans right on the exact block where I perform…" he recalled, overcome. After taking a moment to collect himself, he continued, "It made me realize that there’s so much more to live for. That’s what made me choose AGT. I feel like this is the best way to level up."
What happened during the New Orleans truck attack?
During the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2025, an American Army veteran named Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented truck from Houston to New Orleans, where he ran the vehicle into a crowd on the city's famed Bourbon Street and killed more than a dozen people, ultimately dying himself in a shootout with the police. Dozens more were injured, and hundreds could have been killed had the attacker's homemade bombs, planted elsewhere in the French Quarter, detonated, per NBC News.
According to the FBI, Jabbar acted alone.
What song did Jourdan Blue sing?
For his big moment, Blue chose "Breakeven" by The Script, a popular song that, Mel B. noted, he made his own. Blue recalled how after getting into trouble as a teenager, he moved in with his grandfather, who is a big music fan. Ultimately, that's what set him on his current path.
"Grandpappy John" was able to watch the moment live via FaceTime, as Host Terry Crews held Blue's phone from the wing of the stage.
How he got Howie’s Golden Buzzer
With his distinctive style and incredible range, it didn't take long for Blue's voice to win over the audience, many of whom watched him with their mouths agape. When Blue finished, all four Judges immediately stood up to applaud.
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"I’m in love with you. Your hair, your voice, your energy. You’re a rockstar," said Sofía Vergara. Simon Cowell praised his ability to "feed off the audience" and called his talent "amazing."
Howie Mandel was eager to change Blue's life, explaining that after 20 seasons, he knows a "dream come true" moment when he sees one, and as he stood up, the whole auditorium roared because they knew what was coming. Blue immediately burst into tears and was joined on stage by his girlfriend and baby Jax.
"I think you’re a star," Mandel told him. "I think your name is gonna be on the lips of everybody watching this."
