Irish singer-songwriter Stephanie Rainey says she has had a “phenomenal” response since she brought the America’s Got Talent crowd to tears.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after the Cork musician performed her song ‘Please Don’t Go’ in front of judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.
The RedFM presenter wrote the song following the tragic death of her one-year-old nephew from meningitis – and originally released it nearly 10 years ago in 2015.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, she said it is amazing to see people finding comfort in it once again.
Irish singer Stephanie Rainey. Image: Supplied“I wrote the song, I suppose, about my experience of loss and grief and what the feeling is like,” she said.
“I lost my nephew when I was a teenager.
“He was just about to turn one and we lost him suddenly and I think, just trying to get into words what it is that people experience when they lose somebody took me a long time – but ‘Please Don't Go’ seems to have been the one.
“It came a couple of years after, I will say, but it just seemed to kind of capture the whole thing as I saw it and I think as a lot of people see it.
“So, the reaction to it now, it's very nice as an artist for people to come and find your song and find some comfort or something in it, you know?
“It's been nice to see people connecting to it again.”
Judges
Stephanie’s America’s Got Talent (AGT) performance was recorded earlier this year – but was aired on Tuesday night.
She received the full backing of all four judges – particularly Simon Cowell who described ‘Please Don’t Go’ as the best new song he had heard this year “by a mile”.
“Even though it’s about something really sad, it is real – and your voice is beautiful,” he said.
“A lot of people are going to resonate with that song and you. I absolutely loved this.”
'Such a blur'
Stephanie said the response has been phenomenal since the show aired.
“The whole thing was such a blur, I think, after it happened, so seeing it back this week has been just amazing,” she said.
“I think I was kind of in a different headspace when it was all happening, but it has just been phenomenal, honestly, like I couldn't ask for more.”
America's Got Talent
The Cork singer said her audition has offered her huge new opportunities, regardless of what happens with the rest of the show.
“The way the show works is, you kind of get your ‘yes’ at the audition and then what they do is they kind of whittle down the numbers and then you go to live shows and then there's a finale,” she said.
“So hopefully we'll get the word in the next couple of weeks that we’re going forward, we don't know yet.
“Even if we don't, to be honest with you, at this stage, the audition has performed so well - it's the second most trending video on YouTube at the moment - the last 24 hours have been phenomenal for me as an artist.
“You know, I've announced my biggest shows in Ireland ever doing Vicar Street, I'm doing Cork City Hall this November, December.
“So, of weeks I've had, it's been amazing.”
Stephanie is due to play Dublin’s Vicar Street on Thursday November 24th and Cork City Hall on Wednesday December 18th.
Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster from tomorrow.
