What's your name? - Drake Milligan.
- And I see you're going to be singing?
- Yes, sir, I will be.
♪
I'm Drake Milligan.
I'm from Fort Worth, Texas, and I'm a country music singer.
I was a pretty normal Texas kid.
I grew up a lot of hunting and a lot of fishing.
My dad runs a scrap yard, and my mom's a veterinarian.
Pretty country household.
When I was about seven,
I was out eating with my family,
and there was an Elvis impersonator
at the restaurant, and I was enthralled.
I think that's where I decided
that I wanted to be like Elvis.
- ♪ Shake, rattle, and roll
- Well, it was cute at first. I'd go put on the jumpsuits.
I was dying my hair black,
but it probably wasn't until one of the first times
I got on stage and sang some of my old songs.
I figured, man, this is something I can do.
You know, I can pave my own way.
- Sofía! Whoo!
[cheers and applause]
- I get nervous getting in front of a big crowd,
but I've got my band with me, and those guys are awesome.
I've been watching "America's Got Talent" since I was a kid,
and I really just dreamed as a kid
of being up on that stage.
[cheers and applause]
Hey, y'all.
- Why is he so cute?
- Hello, how are you?
- I'm doing very well. How are you?
- Well, very nice to meet you. And who are you?
- I'm Drake Milligan from Fort Worth, Texas.
- Okay.
How old are you, Drake? - I'm 23.
- I'm guessing you're gonna be singing today.
- Yes, sir. I will be singing.
- How do I know? - You're amazing.
I don't know how you do it, Simon.
- Don't ask. - [chuckles]
Now, I'm presuming that you gig around,
I mean, the state or the country.
- Well, I'm based out of Nashville now.
I've been recording my own songs here lately
and been out with my band.
We've been on the road and making stories
and telling lies and-- - Yep.
Out of interest, how many, roughly, new artists
get signed in Nashville per year do you think?
- There's not very many. - It's not, is it?
So you think this is the platform
to showcase your talent best? - Absolutely.
I mean, back in the day,
Elvis had "The Ed Sullivan Show," right?
- Yep. - And the Beatles did too.
And I-- - Yep.
- And I see this kind of on the same scale of that.
Almost bigger. Way bigger.
- Wow.
[cheers and applause]
And you have a lot of people behind us
to tell if you're any good or not.
[cheers and applause]
And they know a lot more
than record companies do. - Absolutely, absolutely.
- We always say three minutes hopefully
will change your life. Let's see what happens.
Good luck. - Thank you very much.
Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
Ready, boys?
[upbeat country music]
- ♪ Stayin' too long at the honky-tonk ♪
♪ Spendin' too much just to tie one on ♪
♪ Little less right and a lot more wrong ♪
♪ Sounds like somethin' I'd do ♪
♪ Callin' in sick when the fish are bitin' ♪
♪ Takin' those curves with the gravel flyin' ♪
♪ Keepin' one eye on the next horizon ♪
♪ Sounds like somethin' I'd do ♪
♪
♪ I never had a reason, girl
♪ To go 'round lookin' for a fire to walk through ♪
♪ It ain't like me to want somebody ♪
♪ Rearrangin' all my want-to's ♪
♪ I ain't the kind to settle down ♪
♪ Or let myself get wrapped around ♪
♪ Somebody's finger, but if I had you ♪
♪ Baby, sounds like somethin' I'd do ♪
♪
♪ Cleanin' my truck, get it pushin' eighty ♪
♪ Pickin' you up and later, maybe ♪
♪ Gettin' one kiss and goin' half-crazy ♪
♪ Sounds like somethin' I'd do ♪
♪ I never had a reason, girl
♪ To go 'round lookin' for a fire to walk through ♪
♪ It ain't like me to want somebody ♪
♪ Rearrangin' all my want-to's ♪
♪ I ain't the kind to settle down ♪
♪ Or let myself get wrapped around ♪
♪ Somebody's finger, but if I had you ♪
♪ Baby, sounds like somethin'
♪ Baby, sounds like somethin' ♪
♪ Baby, sounds like somethin' I'd do. ♪
♪
[cheers and applause]
- Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
- [laughs] That's pretty good.
- That's an original, right? - Yes, sir, it is.
- I think that songs that hit. - Thank you.
- And I think that you're a hit.
You're like the new Elvis of Country.
I think you're gonna break out
from this particular song, this particular moment
on this particular night.
[cheers and applause]
- Thank you very much.
- I loved it.
I also love that you guys are a band.
We don't have a lot of bands yet, you know, this season,
so I think you are perfect for "America's Got Talent."
[cheers and applause]
- The perfect combination.
The song was amazing. You are amazing.
And I think America's gonna go crazy.
The girls are going crazy.
[cheers and applause]
- Sometimes when we get bands on the show,
for whatever reason,
it just really honestly does sound like a mess
from the minute it starts. With you, it was the opposite.
I think this performance should make a difference
to what you're doing 'cause people are gonna like you.
The song was really, really good as well.
It was really authentic. That's what I liked about it.
Because I know so much about country music.
[laughter]
Well, listen, for me, a good song is a good song,
and everything works for you today.
And you're very likable.
We haven't got to know the rest of you yet,
but I'm sure you are. - They are.
- Okay. All right, we've got to vote.
Howie. - Yes.
- Heidi. - It's a yes for me.
- Sofía. - Yes.
[cheers and applause]
- That means you got four yeses.
- Yeah!
[cheers and applause]
- Thank you guys so much.
Oh, my gosh. It's crazy.
- Bravo!
- He's a star.
And that song is gonna to be a hit.
- I bet they're gonna go to the finale.
- What does this mean to you right now?
- Man, this is all.
This is, like, everything I've been dreaming
since I was a kid, man.
I've been dreaming to stand on that stage.
I got four yeses, man. I'm--I'm shocked right now.
I can't believe it.