She Wowed The Crowds In America’s Got Talent. But Behind The Scenes, Tragedy Struck

Hit reality TV show America’s Got Talent wows audiences each series. But in 2017 a particularly heart-wrenching event involving a 13-year-old America’s Got Talent star touched the hearts of everyone who heard about it.

Keen Performer

That teenager was Evie Clair, who from a very young age, was a keen singer and pianist. The Florence, Arizona, native first was just 2 years old when she started playing the piano, and just a few years later, she was performing in theater productions. As she grew older, she sang the American national anthem at a Diamondbacks game and even won several awards for her voice.

Destined for Greatness

Evie always had dreams to travel the world, to make it out of her small town and pursue her dreams of stardom. As a child she was committed to improving her singing, song-writing and musical abilities. She practiced the piano each day and spent hours in her room singing over tracks of her favorite stars. At the tender age of 13, she decided to take a chance and take up an opportunity of a lifetime.

Audition Awaits

In 2017, young Evie auditioned for America’s Got Talent. She first made it on to the air in episode four of series 12, with her cover version of Christina Perri’s “Arms” leaving a lasting impression on the judges. The performance earned her a standing ovation from the audience. The scene was watched by her parents in awe.

A Sad Backstory

All four of the judges – Mel B, the infamous Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel and world-famous model Heidi Klum – voted to send Evie through to the next round. But before she finished her audition she shared her story, a story that would touch the judges deeply.

The Show

America’s Got Talent has seen some amazing acts throughout the years, but the judges saw something in Evie that they had not seen before. Something about her innocence, her energy and her calm sweet nature. They were all secretly rooting for her. Yet little did they know what was to come…

Quiet Child

Evie was very shy, and didn’t know how to handle attention. She found it very hard at school with other children constantly making fun of her for trying out on the show and telling her she wasn’t going to make it. This nearly broke her down, but her dad was always there to give her a little nudge and tell her it was going to be ok.

Fighting For The Spotlight

Coming from a family of four other siblings, often Evie found it hard to get heard or her needs met. She used singing as an outlet, and a way to express her deepest, darkest emotions.

Auditioning For The Show

She made her decision to audition for the show without telling her parents at first. But when she got accepted, she couldn’t wait to share the news. Yet to her surprise, they were a little more skeptical than she had anticipated, for reasons that would later be revealed to her.

Daddy’s Girl

All families have their own stories of heartbreak, loss and love but the Clair family had been through an ordeal that would change their lives forever. Evie’s father had always been the rock of the family, the stable and loving dad that Evie and her siblings all looked up to. They had always thought their dad would be around forever, to watch them succeed and go on to have families of their own. Sometimes life has unexpected plans.

Heart Breaking

Evie told the judges: “About a year ago my dad was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. They gave him a five percent chance to live, and he’s still continued working and supporting our family, ” she revealed.

A Twist of Fate

Evie’s father was battling cancer while trying to still provide the emotional and financial support his family needed. Colon cancer can be a harrowing and often fatal illness. Radiation, chemotherapy and invasive surgery can often leave patients feeling weak and bedridden for days on end. With such a terrible diagnosis, the Clair family were praying for things to turn around.

A Great Man

Evie’s father Amos had always been a loving, positive and stable influence and presence in her life. Amos had a big heart. He taught at a local school for disabled teenagers. He was a wrestling coach, a dedicated counselor at the Florence prison as well as the Bishop of his church. He had four other beautiful children; Porter, Kirra, Ruth and Blakely.

True Support

Each time Evie performed, her family would watch proudly from the sidelines. Despite his health troubles, Evie’s father was adamant he would always be there to support his daughter, watching from the wings and cheering her on. Hearing Evie sing had always filled Amos with joy. He would never miss the chance to watch her audition, to take on the challenge and wow the crowds.

Another Audition

Evie performed her next song in the subsequent stage of the competition,’Try’ by Macy Gray. Before taking to the microphone, she took a deep breath and looked up to the heavens as if she was praying. Her performance was simply beautiful, undeniably touching, and perfectly on pitch. She had done it again. The heartfelt rendition earned her a spot in the next round.

Twin Souls

Each judge was truly touched by Evie’s performance, but there was one judge in particular who was left overcome with emotion. Former Spice Girl Mel B was in floods of tears once the little girl’s performance once over. “You just sing with such heart and soul, It makes me think of my dad, he’s not here with me anymore,” she told Evie. Mel B’s beloved father had recently lost his own five-year battle with cancer.

Dad was Watching

For her performance in the quarter-finals, Evie sang Birdy’s “Wings” she performed her rendition while beautifully playing the piano. Her dad, however, was missing from the crowds.

Sad Story Unfolds

Tragically, Amos had been sent to hospital but had made sure to watch his daughter’s performance from his bed. As Evie continued to progress through the contest, Amos’ condition was slowly getting worse and worse.

A Rising Star

Despite the hardship of knowing that her Dad’s condition was worsening, Evie’s star continued to shine. Showing maturity and grace far beyond her 13 years, Evie took to the stage, maintained her composure and sang her heart out. With another standing ovation following her performance, she was put through to the semi-finals.

High Praise

At the next stage of the competition, Evie sang Ella Henderson’s emotional track ‘Yours’ and was once again praised by the judges and the amazed audience. “Your voice was beautiful! Your tone, your pitch was stunning,” Simon Cowell told her. “And let me tell you, your dad is going to be so proud of you.”

Choked Up

Simon Cowell is notorious for being a harsh critic. But there was something about Evie’s story that had truly moved the mogul and manager. He had a knack for spotting a true talent among the crowds. He knew that this little girl was destined for bigger and brighter things. Simon, along with the rest of America, was rooting for her.

A Terrible Turn of Events

After weeks of competition and awe-inspiring performances, Evie eventually made it to the final stage of the competition. But by the time she received the judges’ verdict, her mind was on more important things. Following her performance in the semi-finals, Evie’s mother had delivered some terrible news.

What Would She Find Out?

Her mother told her that as his condition became more dire, Amos had been placed on life support. His organs were starting to pack in and things had taken a turn for the worst. The little girl was heart-broken and devastated. Her father was her guardian angel.

An Ever Scarier Turn

Evie had dazzled the judges and wowed millions of viewers. While, at home, her father was losing his battle with cancer. Evie’s mother started a blog, when her husband got sick, familymann.org, with pages titled “Team Amos.” She posted on July 27th that through all their heartbreak and stress, the FBI and police had come across a man who was in the process of driving from West Virginia to Arizona to kidnap Evie.

What Would Happen?

He had seen Evie’s performances on TV ad created an elaborate plan.The kids now had to have their own guards to protect them. The family learned that the man’s plan was to come the hospital. Amos was trying desperately to be strong enough to be discharged from the hospital to see his daughter live her dream, while there was a man who wanted to take her.

You Never Think It Would Happen To You

The man who clearly wasn’t all there, had convinced himself that Evie and her mother were his friends. Law enforcement agencies intercepted him and were able to get him help. They found him in Flagstaff and admitted him to a mental facility. It could have been a lot scarier.

A Tragic End

Tragically, Amos passed away on September 7, 2017. His family made an agonizing decision to take him off life support. “We gave [the children] each time alone with dad before turning off life-sustaining machines,” Evie’s mother Hillary wrote on her blog. “The children burst into tears but are now at home laughing at old home movies of daddy and remembering our great love for the most wonderful man any of us have ever known.”

America’s Support

Hillary also mentioned how supportive and kind the America’s Got Talent team had been to both her and her family. Simon Cowell compassionately offered Evie a choice; she could either leave the show to recover and be with her family and come back the following year or continue to compete.

A Choice

The choice was a difficult one for young Evie. She was in the process of grieving, and now, more than ever, she needed the support of her family and friends. But she thought about what her loving dad would want and made her decision.

Simon Reaches Out

Simon Cowell visited the family and offered all he could through their difficult time. He made sure that Evie got the support she needed, and told her that if she wanted to leave the competition, she still could, to be with her family. But is that what her dad would have wanted?

Finals Came, Would She Be Able To Hold It Together?

Evie knew that she must go on, she would continue to perform in honor of her guardian angel. For her very last performance in the finals, Evie sang “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The song had special significance for Evie – it was her father’s favorite.

A Final Farewell

There was not a dry eye in the house. As a final tribute to her father, she had honored him in the best way she knew how. “I know your dad’s up there, looking down on you, and he must be so, so proud,” Mel B said after Evie’s performance had ended. “Because what you just did was beautiful. It was so pure and so raw.”

A Special Connection

Mel B had always felt a special connection to Evie, especially after losing her own father to cancer. “When you lose somebody, you don’t really expect to be in the same situation as somebody else when you’re on live TV, and they’re going through the same thing,” she told Entertainment Tonight, a few weeks before Amos died.

A Grand Finish

For the America’s Got Talent finale and results show, Evie sang a song that she had co-written along with a group of talented contributors. It was entitled “Okay Day,” the other credited writers were her sister, her brother, and British singer James Arthur. “James Arthur’s willingness to sing her song, and the kind way he did it and his genuine concern for her over the loss of her father were astounding,” Evie’s mom shared on her blog.

Brimming with Pride

In a disappointing twist, Evie lost the competition to her competitor Darci Lynne. At the end of the day, the win no longer mattered. She had done her dad proud. Her mother thought so, too. “The America’s Got Talent final show is over and we want to congratulate Darci on her win,” Hillary said on the blog. “The pressure of being the front-runner was enormous for her. I’m glad it wasn’t something Evelyn had to carry right now.”

A Rising Star

Once the show had wrapped, Evie’s star continued to rise. She even nabbed her first gig just a day after the show had ended. “It was the day after the show, we got on a plane to New York. So that was really fun,” she said. She also shared personal details about her decision to stay on the show instead of returning home.

A Personal Decision

She went on to explain that at first she thought about leaving the show but then had a change of heart. “I thought about it a little bit more and we all prayed about it and I just felt like it was the right thing to do.” Evie said of her decision to stay on the show, “My dad always taught me that he didn’t raise a quitter, so I knew I couldn’t quit this and I had to keep going.”

Living Her Life

According to her Instagram, Evie is now taking a little time off and spending quality time with her family. After the craziness of being on the show, Evie wanted to return to being a normal kid. But that doesn’t mean she has laid her dreams of stardom to rest. In October 2017, she appeared alongside Arizona improv group JesterZ much to the delight of the audience.

The Best of Friends

She’s also remained good friends with Darci Lynne, the 12-year-old who won America’s Got Talent with her spectacular ventriloquist act. “Happy Birthday to the greatest!!! I loved spending time with you and getting to know you. You are such a sweet person and made long days on set 10xs more fun!” she wrote in an Instagram post for Darci’s last birthday.

A Fond Farewell

Throughout the ordeal, the producers and cast of America’s Got Talent were incredibly supportive throughout Evie’s run, with the show’s director even handing over a zip drive that turned out to be a “message to Evelyn from her dad.” “It has been a bridge over troubled waters for us,” wrote Hillary in another blog post, “and I will always be grateful and marvel the magnitude of these blessings.” We can’t wait to see what this talented star does next.