Country trio Chapel Hart auditioned for America’s Got Talent with an original song written in response to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and earned a “Golden Buzzer” for their standout performance. Parton even reacted to the song after their audition aired.
The group, comprised of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle, performed “You Can Have Him Jolene” in front of judges Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel and host Terry Crews. It’s safe to say their audition left a lasting impression.
“So, we’re going to sing an original song, it’s called ‘You Can Have Him Jolene.’ We’ve always been country music fans and Dolly [Parton] by far is our favorite,” Danica explained ahead of their performance. “We were so inspired by the song ‘Jolene’ and we just love the storyline and we figured from 1973 to 2022 we can not still be fighting over the same man. So, we decided to tell her you can just have him Jolene.”
Within seconds, Chapel Hart got the audience clapping and dancing along, capturing their attention with their infectious stage presence. They earned a standing ovation from the judges panel as well as the packed theater.
What happened next shocked the trio.
As the judges took their seats, the crowd began chanting “Golden Buzzer, Golden Buzzer.”
Emotions ran high and Danica couldn’t help but let the tears flow.
“Oh my God!” Cowell shouted. “Trust me, I needed you today! I mean, that was fantastic! I love you and love the choreography you have going on around you. It was just brilliant.”
When Cowell inquired about the trio’s career path, Danica admitted, “We’ve been trying to break into Nashville for the last couple of years and It’s been kind of hard when I think country music doesn’t always look like us.”
“You know what you got to do sometimes? You just got to break down that door and you may have just broken down the door with that performance. Trust me,” Cowell proclaimed.
The other judges agreed.
“First of all, I believe you broke down the door. I love song, I love the energy, I love the look. You say country music doesn’t look like you, that is your win because you are going to be the original,” Mandel told Chapel Hart.
Klum complimented the group’s positive energy and said she “loved” their performance, while Vergara told them, “Everything was perfect, the song, the energy, you guys look like you’ve been doing this for a long time and I’m so proud of you guys.
Cowell and Klum revealed that they already used their golden buzzers and told them that they would have used it for them if he had the chance. But, they said that on AGT, rules can be broken.
After the judges and host joined together for a quick huddle, they simultaneously hit the golden buzzer.
As gold confetti poured down on them, Danica, Devynn, and Trea burst into tears and embraced the judges.
Chapel Hart will now advance to the live rounds of the show.
“Follow your dreams, it doesn’t matter how crazy they are, how outlandish it is, if they say that’s not a real job you just show them that it is. Like there are little girls in Poplarville, Mississippi who think that this isn’t possible, but we’re doing it,” the group emotionally shared.
After their performance aired, Dolly Parton reacted on social media.
“What a fun new take on my song, @ChapelHartBand! Carl’s birthday is today so I think I’ll hang on to him, and I’m not notifying Jolene that today is his birthday,” she wrote alongside a winking face emoji.
Fans can follow Chapel Hart on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
