HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Danyl Johnson is following in the footsteps of Susan Boyle as the latest singer to take the world by storm on a British reality show.
The 27-year-old singer’s performance on Saturday night’s telecast of the talent competition, “The X Factor,” drew a standing a ovation from the normally reserved Simon Cowell and a video of his audition has since gone viral on YouTube.
Johnson, an art teacher in Reading, England, won over the judge with a rousing rendition of the Beatles’ hit song “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
“I have been doing this for eight or nine years. Danyl, that was single-handedly the best first audition I have ever heard,” said Cowell, who offered a “wow” to his fellow judges after the performance.
On Thursday, Johnson made his first appearance in the U.S., where he told the “Today Show” that if it wasn’t for his encouraging students, he would have given up his musical dream.
“I’ve been singing for about 10 years now, and I didn’t really get much interest,” explained Johnson. “I thought that dream had gone past. “The kids have been so supportive and they said I should go into the competition. I just thought, ‘OK, I’ll send an application, and if I hear back I will see what happens from there.’ I’m so glad they got me to do it now, I have to say.”
Johnson also said that he’s still getting accustomed to his newfound fame.
“I’m just having a really good time and enjoying it, but it’s really humbling,” he said. “Everyone has been really nice to me; everyone has said really nice things.”
Click here to watch the Danyl Johnson audition video for “The X Factor.”
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