At-Risk Youth Turned Cop Takes God-Given Talent to AGT

Published: July 19, 2024

At-Risk Youth Turned Cop Takes God-Given Talent to AGT

By Movieguide® Contributor

Virginia police officer Mervin Mayo won hearts on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT with his rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” but his journey to the world’s biggest stage is nothing short of miraculous.

Mayo grew up in a housing project and was mentored by police officers who inspired his career choice.

“I wanted to work with the at-risk youth because I was an at-risk youth,” Mayo said during his audition. “I saw more murders as a child than I have as a police officer.”

“Mayo said he was befriended by two officers, Curtis Simmons and Gerald Tuck, when he was a kid and they helped put him on the right path. The officers worked with the nonprofit Police Athletic League, which aims to keep kids out of trouble through programming such as trips to amusement parks and sporting events,” TV Insider wrote.

“It was a miracle for me, the best thing that happened to me,” Mayo told Richmond Magazine. “Growing up in Creighton Court, we didn’t have a lot of money…[PAL] made me see things I would’ve never seen and be in places that I probably would’ve never gone. It made me a better person and made me realize there was more than what was around my block.”

“I wanted to basically do the same thing the [PAL program] did for me for other young men and women growing up in poverty-stricken areas,” he added.

Once befriended by the police officers, Mayo began to attend church where he found his love of singing through the Gospel choir.

“I just love to sing gospel music and I just get God praised through my voice,” he said.

He’s good at it, too. After his audition, the judges raved over Mayo’s performance.

“You sounded great up there, you felt right at home, I felt the love… it was beautiful,” AGT judge Heidi Klum said.

“Your voice is spectacular, super romantic, and I think people are going to love you,” Sophia Vergara added.

Simon Cowell echoed their sentiments, saying, “You really do have a good voice. And everything you did was sincere. I just think it was a great moment, and people are genuinely going to like you.”

Mayo received four yeses and will be moving on to the next stage of AMERICA’S GOT TALENT.

Movieguide® previously reported on another amazing AGT act:

AMERICA’S GOT TALENT Season 19 just kicked off, and it’s already been nothing short of amazing.

Richard Goodall, a janitor of 23 years in Indiana, possesses a special talent — one that earned him a Golden Buzzer from judge Heidi Klum.

“Golden Buzzer [winners] are an elite group of people. I never in a million years expected to be in that class,” Goodall told PEOPLE. “And I still can’t believe Heidi did that!”

Despite his need to pay the bills through his janitorial work, Goodall has always loved to sing.

“I was that kid up in my bedroom with the Radio Shack stereo,” he explained. “My favorite thing was just to sit up and listen to my music, and I just belt it out. Eventually, I was like, I gotta find me a job. So I become [sic] a janitor at Chauncey Rose Middle School, which is only three blocks away from my house.”