This Young Singer WOWED The Judges On 'AGT' AND 'American Idol' [VIDEO]

Jill O'Rourke Jill O'Rourke
Jill O'Rourke

Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit


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| November 24, 2020 NBC

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If you’re a fan of talent shows like AGT and American Idol, you’re bound to see a familiar face auditioning at some point. Many singers try out for more than one show to try and make it big.

Take, for example, Mara Justine. She auditioned for AGT at just 11 years old. A few years later, she took her talent to the American Idol stage. Check out her auditions below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuK_FGMwcPQ

Mara Justine auditions for “AGT.”

Mara Justine Auditions For ‘AGT’

In 2014, at the age of 11, Mara auditioned for Season 9 of AGT. She shared that she and her family love singing during their everyday chores. She told the judges she was nervous to audition, but you’d never know it from her performance.

RELATED: HEIDI KLUM COULDN’T WAIT TO HIT THE ‘AGT’ GOLDEN BUZZER FOR THIS SINGER

Mara performed “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls. The audience stood up and cheered for her powerhouse voice as she sang. All four judges gave her a standing ovation.

Howard Stern called it a “wow moment.” When Mara mentioned that she liked to sing with her mom, the judges encouraged Mara’s mother to come out on stage. Heidi Klum said Mara seemed “humble” when she first came out, but she turned into another person when she performed.

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Mara Justine auditions for “American Idol.”

Mara Justine Auditions For ‘American Idol’

Mara received four “yes” votes from the judges to move on to the next round. She made it all the way to the finals of AGT Season 9, where she was eliminated. However, she didn’t stop pursuing her dream.

RELATED: BLIND SINGER BRINGS ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ JUDGES TO TEARS WITH HER MOVING AUDITION

In 2018, at age 15, Mara auditioned for American Idol Season 16. Before appearing before the judges, Mara was starstruck by host Ryan Seacrest. She said it was her “dream” to audition for the show.

Mara sang “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna. Much like on AGT, the judges loved it, giving her a golden ticket to Hollywood. Katy Perry predicted that Mara could make it to the Top 10. She made it all the way to the Top 14, but was unfortunately eliminated.

Mara, who is now 18, recently graduated high school. You can follow Mara on YouTube or Instagram to listen to her covers.

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