This week’s broadcast of America’s Got Talent (AGT) featured singer-songwriter Lily Meola’s audition. The California-based performer impressed the jury and the live audience on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 with her outstanding performance and stage presence. The performer was one of several contestants who demonstrated their abilities in the episode to advance in the competition.
When Lily was barely 20 years old, country music great Willie Nelson recognized the genius of her singing and invited her to perform a duet with him for his album To All The Girls. Although country music and Americana are two of her favorite music genres, she considers dream pop and folk to be her favorite. She impressed judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum with her impassioned presence.
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Lily Meola, an AGT competitor, lost her mother to cancer and turned to music to cope.
Lily Meola grew up in Maui, Hawaii, and currently lives in California. Nancy Meola, her mother, was a well-known public figure in the music industry as an assistant to talent manager Shep Gordon. Lily became one of her mother’s primary caregivers after hearing her mother’s cancer diagnosis. Sadly, her mother passed away in June 2020. After the loss of her mother, the AGT candidate suffered from grief and melancholy. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she admitted that she dealt with bits and pieces. According to the singer:
“I still have difficult days, but things are getting better. Now I’m moving into the next phase of my life where I’m trying to accomplish what I’ve started and make my mom proud wherever she is.”
To cope with the most devastating loss of her life, she took part in self-care activities such as baking, traveling to the beach and visiting one of her best friends, Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson.
Lily Music Journey
She was engaged in music and singing, which helped her in the right direction. When her mother forced her to listen to vintage classical and jazz music at a young age, the AGT competitor fell in love with music. Her inspirations were Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Cat Stevens and James Taylor. After a weekly concert at Café des Amis in Paia, Hawaii, where she sang performances by her favorite musicians, she quickly took the stage.
In addition to performing a duet with Willie Nelson, the singer has also joined him at his annual Farm Aid event since 2013. Willie and his musical children, Lukas and Micah, have also toured with her. Lily spent a lot of time in the studio with producer Bob Rock and grew up with his daughters. The Canadian record producer also helped her negotiate a development deal with Verve Records, which impressed the label’s then president, David Foster. However, the deal fell through because she was unprepared.
The AGT competitor is now an outstanding composer who has worked with several co-writers in the studio to create songs. Her famous hits include Don’t Stop (2020), Daydream (2021) and Sunshine (2022). Lily has over 21K Instagram followers, to whom she regularly posts updates about her music, performances and daily activities. Over the past 17 years, America’s Got Talent (AGT) has seen a tremendous amount of talent, with some of the performers becoming household names and garnering international fame. The winners of the golden buzzer this season are Avery Dixon, Madison Baez, Sara James and Mayyas.
