His brother made it far on ‘The Voice.’ Now this singer is trying to win ‘America’s Got Talent’

Reid Wilson stood to the side of the stage as he watched his older brother, Ryley Tate Wilson, audition for “The Voice.” Within seconds of singing Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” Ryley had the attention of “Voice” coaches Kelly Clarkson and Niall Horan. By the time he finished the song, all four “Voice” coaches were fighting over him. Horan even told the 15-year-old singer from Montgomery, Alabama, that it “was the best audition we’ve seen here by a long shot.”
As Reid saw and heard the coaches’ reactions, he brought his hands to his mouth in shock and excitement, and clapped enthusiastically. His brother would go on to become a Season 23 semifinalist on “The Voice” before being eliminated.
Now, roughly two years later, Reid Wilson is standing center stage. The 15-year-old singer is one of the standout contestants on this season of “America’s Got Talent.” He’s getting closer to the show’s $1 million prize and competes in the semifinals Wednesday night.
Reid was visibly nervous as he took the “America’s Got Talent” stage for the first time. He told the show’s judges that it was his dream to pursue a singing career, and took a few deep breaths before launching into Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.”
The teenager’s nerves belied his ability. As he started the ballad with a whisper and then transformed into soulful belting, the audience erupted in cheers. By the end of the performance, the show’s judges were on their feet.
“We weren’t expecting that,” Simon Cowell said following the performance, which has more than 4 million views on YouTube. After “AGT” judge Howie Mandel commented on Reid’s nerves and how surprised he was by his performance, he opted to hit the golden buzzer for Reid, immediately sending him through to the quarterfinals.
Reid was overcome with emotion as gold confetti fell around him, and told host Terry Crews in a shaky voice that he was “a little starstruck” by it all.
During the quarterfinal round of the competition, Wilson sang Ariana Grande’s “Almost is Never Enough” and again had the judges on their feet.
“The fact that you’re 15 years old, you have so much poise, so much control, your voice is so clear and crisp,” Mandel said.
“I really do believe, Reid, that singing is going to be your career, Cowell added. “You’ve got real soul in your voice, genuinely.”
Now, Wilson performs in the semifinals and will learn on Thursday if he is one of 10 acts advancing to the final. In an interview with the Montgomery-based TV station WFSA, Ryley Tate Wilson, who recently released his first single, spoke with pride about his younger brother.
“I think he’s been working toward things like this for a long time. He’s just progressed a lot in the past year,” he said. “I’m really, really really proud of him.”