- Good luck. - Thank you.
- High five. - High five.
- Boop! - Yeah.
- You're an excellent singer.
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
- We know what's at stake. We know we can do it.
- It's our only chance to show what we can do.
- Just get out there and live your dream.
- If you really suck, they won't vote for you.
- The best advice is don't suck.
- Yeah. - Good luck.
- Good luck? Did you just say "good luck"?
Aww, thank you.
Mwah.
[applause]
- Hello, nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- Use your mic. - Check one, two.
Oh, there it is, okay.
- Okay. And what's your name, please?
- My name is Matt Mauser. - Where are you from, Matt?
- I'm from Huntington Beach, California.
- How old are you? - I'm 51.
- You look good. - Hey.
- Great. - I appreciate it, thank you.
- Okay, Matt, so why "AGT"? What are you gonna do today?
- I'm a singer.
And I'm here because my wife and I,
we were both schoolteachers,
and we retired from teaching
so that I could do the music full-time.
And she got the opportunity
to coach girls' basketball with Kobe Bryant.
- Wow.
- But on...
on January 26th of 2020,
I lost my wife... - Oh, no.
- In the same helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.
- Oh, no. - Aww.
- Wow, I'm so sorry.
- Before January 26th, me and Christina
lived this dreamy kind of life.
We met in 2004.
She came and saw me playing at this dive bar,
and I asked her out, and we sat in my car,
and we talked about music.
- Would you say she was your greatest supporter?
- Oh, yeah.
She was just this very humble, powerful,
beautiful human being.
My mom said, "If you don't marry that girl,
you're--you're stupid." [laughs]
We were married for 15 years.
We had three beautiful children.
It was filled with love.
When she left that day, she kissed me,
and she said, "I love you."
And that was the last thing my wife ever said to me.
[sniffles]
Your whole life changes in a second.
There was pain.
[sniffles]
My focus immediately went to my children.
[delicate music]
You start to say, "All right,
she would want me to carry on."
- A rainbow car. - Yeah.
She would want our kids to have happy lives,
which I don't know it's possible...
but I'm--I'm gonna try.
♪
You know, if I had it my way, I would have my wife,
and I would be supporting her.
But that's-- that's not what happened.
You know, it's been a rough year.
- Yeah. - But...
here I am.
- Good for you.
[cheers and applause]
And your kids. Are they here?
- Yeah, they're right here.
- Hello. - Hi, everyone.
- Hello.
[cheers and applause]
- Okay, well, I'm not gonna ask anything else, Matt.
All I can say is best of luck.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- I want him to be great.
- I do, too. - That's unbelievable.
- [whispering] I can't wait to hear Dad sing.
[Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" playing]
- ♪ How can I just let you walk away? ♪
♪ Let you leave without a trace ♪
♪ When I stand here taking every breath for you ♪
♪ Mm
♪ You're the only one who really knew me at all ♪
♪ So take a look at me now
♪
♪ There's just this empty space ♪
♪ There's nothing left here to remind me ♪
♪ Just the memory of your face ♪
♪ Take a look at me now
♪
♪ I'll still be standing here
♪ And you coming back to me is against all odds ♪
♪ And that's what I've got to face ♪
♪ There's so much I need to say to you ♪
♪ So many reasons why
♪ You're the only one
♪ Who really knew me at all
♪ Just take a look at me now
♪ 'Cause there's just this empty space ♪
♪ There's nothing left here to remind me ♪
♪ Just the memory of your face ♪
♪ Take a look at me now
♪ 'Cause I'll still be standing here ♪
♪ And you coming back to me is against all odds ♪
♪ And that's what I've got to face ♪
♪ Take a look at me now
♪
♪ Take a look at me
[sighs]
[wild cheering]
[melancholy music]
♪
- Oh, my God.
[cheers and applause]
Um...
we felt your emotion,
and regardless of what anybody does on that stage,
if you're able to move strangers
and move--and we can feel it in our hearts--
and I'm not only speaking about everybody at this table,
but everybody at home that heard that--
I mean, I don't--there aren't words to describe it.
- I don't know, there was just a different kind of vibe
in your voice, and when you were singing it,
it definitely-- it went inside of me.
You know? It was beautiful. It was sad.
And as a man, as a strong man standing there,
it--I don't know, it was very special.
[cheers and applause]
- It was very emotional, very touching.
Thank you. Thank you for being here.
- Thank you. Thank you.
[applause]
- Matt, sir, let me ask you a question.
So what would you like to happen
if you did well on this show?
♪
- I would like to...
That's a good question. I haven't gotten that far.
[chuckles]
I would like to make sure that my children see that,
in spite of the grief that we've been through
this year and--that that grief is not gonna define
who we are as a family
and that my children see that you have to find joy in life
and you have to continue.
And if this can any way help my children to chase their dreams,
then I'll take it.
- ♪ If I knew
♪ It would be the last time
- Well, you know something, your wife is always here,
and that is her legacy.
You are her legacy. This moment is her legacy.
And on behalf of your wife and everybody in America,
I'd like to give you your first yes.
- Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
- Heidi?
- It's a definite yes for me.
- Thank you.
- Sofía?
- Yes.
- You know what, Matt? This I am 100% certain.
The audience, along with me,
want to give you your fourth yes.
Well done.
- ♪ Don't want to give my heart away ♪
♪ To another stranger
♪
♪ Or let another day begin
♪ Won't even let the sunlight in ♪
♪ No, I'll never love again
- Wow. - Yeah.
- I just want to tell you,
you guys have the best example of courage I have ever seen.
♪
- When I was out there tonight,
I was singing to her.
And I wanted to make her proud, so that's--I think I did that.
- ♪ Never love again
- I felt her in my heart, which was--it was nice.
I felt her. [sniffles]
We did it.
Thank goodness, we did it. Let's go get some ice cream.
- ♪ When we first met