When NBC aired its reality series “America’s Got Talent” on Tuesday night, it may have also launched the career of 12-year-old Grace VanderWaal.If the last name sounds familiar, it should: dad Dave is marketing VP for LG Electronics USA, and his daughter, following her debut appearance on the TV show, has lit up the Internet, with 82 million viewings and counting.
What sparked the viral outbreak and earned ecstatic praise from the judge’s panel was her almost preternatural display of talent and poise during what was the child’s first public appearance.
Alone on stage, Grace sweetly performed an original song and accompanied herself on ukulele, while family members and host Nick Cannon held their breath in the wings.
Afterwards, amid a standing ovation from panel and audience, judge Howie Mandel described her as “a living, beautiful, walking miracle,” and the usually scowling Simon Cowell declared her “the next Taylor Swift.”
Judge for yourself, below. And congratulations, Dave.
