From the moment Dee Dee Simon delivered her first note on America’s Got Talent, everyone watching was stunned. Even hard-to-please Simon Cowell’s jaw dropped in surprise as the contestant performed her rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going. When she kicked off her heels and belted out the finale, audience members rose to their feet for a standing ovation. Needless to say, all four judges voted to keep her on the show!
Although Dee Dee Simon is clearly an incredibly talented singer, that’s not her day job. During her introduction, she informed viewers that she’s actually a nurse at San Quentin State Prison! Here are a few more things you should know about this mind-blowing vocalist.
1. Dee Dee Simon has been a prison nurse for almost 20 years.
As the contestant explained before her audition, she’s been treating patients at San Quentin State Prison for 19 years. When asked if any of the inmates had heard her voice, Dee Dee recounted a disastrous performance that ended in a riot! However, she tried again more recently with much better results.
2. She started singing when she was four years old.
In a 2016 interview with KPIX, Dee Dee Simon revealed that she began to sing from a very young age. However, it was at her Baptist church that she really began to cultivate her talents. In fact, when she delivered her first solo at the Oakland Museum, that was the moment she realized how much she wanted to pursue a career in music.
3. This singer is an accomplished writer, as well.
It seems like Dee Dee Simon really can do it all! According to her bio for Berkeley’s Music in the Park, she’s written two successful plays: Misery Loves Company and Coretta: the One-Woman Stage Play. She also penned a novel titled When a Man Loves a Woman!
4. It’s not the first time Dee Dee Simon has performed this song in a talent show.
And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going seems to be quite a crowd-pleaser when Dee Dee Simon is behind the microphone! She won well-known California talent show Amateur Night at the Apollo with her performance of this song. In the past, this event has helped some major stars get their footing in the entertainment industry. Lauryn Hill, H.E.R., and Machine Gun Kelly are just a few names you might recognize!
We couldn’t be more thrilled for Dee Dee Simon as she continues her America’s Got Talent journey. A voice like hers deserves to be heard by the world!
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