« America’s Got Talent » aired an audition on Tuesday night of a rising star who was killed last month in a car crash.
« On June 11th one of our contestants, Brandon Rogers, tragically passed away in a car accident, » the statement read. « At the request of his family we would like to honor his memory by sharing his audition with you. »
The singing doctor explained he was drawn to medicine because of a near tragedy.
At the age of 6, he said, he came home from school to find his mother lying in a pool of blood.
« We rushed her to the hospital, the doctors were like heroes, » Rogers said. « They saved her life and it made me want to be the doctor that I am today. »
The family medicine doctor said music helped him deal with « tough days » at work.
« My way to cope with the stress has always been music, » he said. « If I could find a way to combine being a doctor and medicine with music and singing that would be a dream come true. »
Rogers became a viral singing sensation after he posted a video of himself last year, in his scrubs, singing the Boyz II Men hit « On Bended Knee. » The Instagram video has since amassed nearly 90 thousand likes.
The R & B group was so impressed that they invited Rogers to perform with them in Las Vegas for three nights.
After his death the group posted a tribute to Rogers.
« It hurts to know that the world will never have a chance to witness what his impact on the world could have been as a Doctor and even on the music world, » they wrote on their official Instagram account. « A great spirit and a great voice. »
On « America’s Got Talent » Rogers sang Stevie Wonder’s classic « Ribbon in The Sky » and earned rave reviews from the four judges, Mel B, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel.
« There is something so special about your voice, » Klum said.
Cowell declared Rogers’ vocals to be « stunning. »
« I’ve never said this to a doctor before, » Cowell said. « You’re sick. You are one of the best singers we’ve had in the competition so far. »
Rogers earned four yes votes to continue on in the competition.
