What Has Happened to the Winners of America's Got Talent?

Did you ever wonder what happened to the four winners, as of the 2009 season, before Michael Grimm won this season, of America's Got Talent? In fact winning the show did help the winners to continue following the career path they hoped for, but some have been more successful than others. Only time will tell what future success they will have.

Remember season one winner, Bianca Ryan? Nobody, even sometimes cranky judge Pierce Morgan, could believe such a powerful voice could come from an 11-year-old girl. He said, according to wikipedia.org, "Bianca Ryan is potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life."

After winning the $1 million prize, paid in annual installments over a 40 year period, for winning the competition on the show, Bianca Ryan, now 16, has kept singing after America's Got Talent. She signed a five album deal with SYCOmusic, a part of Columbia Records. Her self-named first record had songs such as The Rose, I Believe I Can Fly, and new songs, such as I Wish That and Pray for a Better Day. The album peaked at number 57 in the United States but was released in many other countries and went to number one in Ireland. She has also released several Christmas albums, and in one of them she sang a duet, True Meaning of Christmas, with pop gospel star Brent Jones. Some have said another song in the album, If You Believe, will become a classic.

Ryan, has hosted two television Christmas specials. She is actively involved in film, television, and soundtrack projects. She has toured in the United States and other countries, including Switzerland and Austria.

Composer Anthony Marinelli said in an interview on prnewswire.com, "Bianca Ryan sings her songs with more heart and soul than any artist I have ever heard."

America's Got Talent season two winner Terry Fator has certainly seen additional success, besides winning the $1 million from the show. According to wikipedia.org, he later signed to do his act of comedy, ventriloquism, and impressions at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. When he came back to do a guest appearance after winning the talent show, the host announced that the contract was worth $100 million.

Fator does various impressions while using his dummies in his ventriloquist act, often singing and doing comedy at the same time. He uses 16 different puppets in his acts and mimics many famous people, including Garth Brooks, James Taylor, and Dean Martin. Before being on the talent show he had such highs in his career as opening for Reba McEntire, Styx, Garth Brooks, and Neal McCoy. A low, however, was performing in a 1,000 seat auditorium for only one person in the audience.

Fator has also been involved in charity work: partnering with the Operation Thrift Store, which was damaged by a fire, and planning to host the Voices for a Cure for one night for the Arthritis Foundation and in other ways.

Pop opera singer Neal Boyd won the third season of America's Got Talent in 2008 by singing opera and pop songs, such as Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers and Somewhere from West Side Story.

He signed with Decca Records, and his album, My American Dream, peaked at number 195 on the Billboard hot 200 but went all the way to number 3 on the Top Classical Albums Chart. In March 2010 he performed for President Obama and has performed for Republicans too. He is still performing before large crowds in Las Vegas and in various spots throughout the country, including Ohio, New York, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Last season's winner, country music singer Kevin Skinner, the former chicken catcher, released the album, Long Ride, in 2010 and a music video, Like it's the Last Ride. Although the album did not chart, it was scheduled to be released online September 14, 2010. By winning the show, he won the chance to headline a show in Las Vegas. Skinner has traveled across the country, sometimes headlining shows, sometimes opening for others, such as George Jones.

Citations:Bianca Ryan, America's Got Talent Season 1 Winner, Releases New Holiday Music Collection, no author listed, prnewswire.com
Bianca Ryan, no author listed, enwikipedia.org
Terry Fator, no author listed, enwikipedia.org
Latest Headlines, no author listed, terryfator.com
News at a Glance, no author listed, nealeboyd.com

Kevin Skinner, no author listed, enwikipedia.org