Chapel Hart Earns Gold Buzzer On ‘America’s Got Talent,’ Catches Dolly Parton’s Attention with ‘You Can Have Him Jolene’
Country trio Chapel Hart auditioned for America’s Got Talent with an original song written in response to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”…
Dolly Parton; Photo by Andrew Wendowski, Chapel Heart; Photo by Trae Patton/ NBC
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.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
