Being a performer, especially a singer, can be a very emotional experience for some. This emotion is sometimes disruptive, sometimes it is the push a performance needs to really shine, and at rare moments the emotion is the culmination of a lifetime of effort. That is why on the America’s Got Talent stage there are often tears of joy, sadness, and overwhelming gratitude for the singers that amaze TV viewers on a regular basis. None of this is truer than it is for a young teen named Campbell Walker-Fields.
This young man was the fourth child of a mother who couldn’t afford to care for more children. Lucky for Campbell he never ended up in the adoption system since he was adopted at birth. He was taken in by two men who were both his father and nurtured him in every way, supporting him in his music, and giving him the love he deserved. While Campbell was very thankful for his father’s love, it wasn’t always easy for him. Sometimes in school, he would be bullied or teased for his atypical family situation. Commonly he was asked about where his mother was and why he had two fathers. That didn’t stop him from being thankful for his family and seizing all of the opportunities when they presented themselves, leading him to appear on the America’s Got Talent the main stage at the age of 14 to sing for the world.
Before singing a rendition of Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’ , Campbell indicated that he is thankful his mother put him up for adoption so he’d never have to struggle and that he wants her to be proud of her choice to do so. Most of all the young teen wants his mother to be proud of him and it shows in every verse of ‘A Thousand Years’ while he’s singing it. By the end of the performance, Campbell was teary eyed, but the judges were floored. Many of the audience members could also be seen wiping tears away from their faces as well. Really it is the emotional connection in every performer’s singing that gives it power and weight which is why an adopted 14-year-old young man was able to strike a cord with the audience. His emotional journey from adoption to a confident young man seeking a mother’s love poured into the performance and then into the audience.
While the judges did indicate his performance had some errors and was not perfect, they were quick to point out that the feel of the song was spot on. Many of them explained that they could see the heart behind every lyric and that for being a young man his age, Campbell had a bright future ahead of himself. One of the judges imparticular was a former X Factor contestant that auditioned for the show at the age of 18. He pointed out that for Campbell to be where he is now is a tremendous achievement and that he thinks the young man’s mother would be proud of him today.