Just five months after landing in the finals of the last season of “America’s Got Talent,” Atlanta saxophonist Avery Dixon is in a very familiar place: the finals of NBC’s spin-off show “America’s Got Talent: All Stars.”
Though he didn’t win “AGT” last fall, Dixon said he hopes the second time is a charm next Monday Feb. 27. (This time, there is a modest $25,000 cash prize).
UPDATE: Magician Aidan Bryant won.
In this case, he’s competing against 10 other acts from all over the world. (The show has franchises in multiple countries.)
For his opening song a few weeks ago, he performed a sax version of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” a crowd-pleasing song that also made the “AGT” judges very happy indeed.
“You stepped it up!” raved Howie Mandel. “You went from an amazing talent to a show!”
“This is why we made this show all stars,” Simon Cowell said. “A competition like this brings out the very best in people and this was you at your very best. You’re giving yourself a shot at winning this.”
He was voted through by the fans into the finals.
Dixon, the first solo saxophonist to ever appear on “America’s Got Talent,” said he’s currently living with his family and that the winnings would enable him to go out on his own.
He is also going to be a featured guest for Dave Koz on a few dates in Morocco and Portugal in May. “I was over the moon when he offered that to me,” Dixon said.
He has booked a few other gigs here and there through his mom and manager Lisa Dixon but said he would be thrilled to fill out more of his calendar in the coming months. (he can be reached at crosslillea0@live.com or 404-939-5114.)
Dixon said, for his first “AGT: All Stars” performance, he chose “Happy” because of its positive vibes. “I wanted to bring an electric feeling of joy to the audience,” he said. “I wanted to give them a taste of what a full show would be like.”
He can’t say what he will perform Monday night for the finals but says he and his band have been practicing heavily and promises “to knock the audience out of their seats. I’m leaving nothing to chance!”
IF YOU WATCH
“America’s Got Talent,” 8 p.m. Monday, finals performances Feb. 20; winner announced on Monday, Feb. 27 on NBC, available on Peacock the next day
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