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Blind autistic singer's church performance attracts America's Got Talent | Blind autistic singer's church performance attracts America's Got Talent |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Meet Lavender, she is blind, autistic and has such an incredible singing voice that a video of her performance has been shared thousands of times. | Meet Lavender, she is blind, autistic and has such an incredible singing voice that a video of her performance has been shared thousands of times. |
On Sunday, while attending a church service in Fitchburg Massechusetts, Lavender asked if she could sing Part of your world, from The Little Mermaid, for LGBT Pride month. | On Sunday, while attending a church service in Fitchburg Massechusetts, Lavender asked if she could sing Part of your world, from The Little Mermaid, for LGBT Pride month. |
"I could sing before I could talk," Lavender said. | "I could sing before I could talk," Lavender said. |
"I've always dreamed of being a singer but I didn't expect this reaction. | "I've always dreamed of being a singer but I didn't expect this reaction. |
Her performance of the song was so moving the man who filmed it said he had felt compelled to share it on social media. | Her performance of the song was so moving the man who filmed it said he had felt compelled to share it on social media. |
Rufus Gifford, who was the US ambassador to Denmark, had been invited to speak at First Parish Church by Lavender's adoptive father Will Darcangelo, a Unitarian-Universalist minister at the church. | Rufus Gifford, who was the US ambassador to Denmark, had been invited to speak at First Parish Church by Lavender's adoptive father Will Darcangelo, a Unitarian-Universalist minister at the church. |
"Will said my daughter is going to go up and sing and at that moment I just thought, 'OK, young people often sing at church events and you just wait for it to be over,'" he said. | "Will said my daughter is going to go up and sing and at that moment I just thought, 'OK, young people often sing at church events and you just wait for it to be over,'" he said. |
"But then Lavender took the mic and introduced herself, 'Hi, I'm Lavender and I'm blind and autistic and I want to sing for LGBTQ month.' | "But then Lavender took the mic and introduced herself, 'Hi, I'm Lavender and I'm blind and autistic and I want to sing for LGBTQ month.' |
"As she started singing, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. | "As she started singing, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. |
"I took out my phone to record her and I texted my sister. | "I took out my phone to record her and I texted my sister. |
"I was like, 'Am I crazy or is she amazing?' | "I was like, 'Am I crazy or is she amazing?' |
"She replied saying she had tears streaming down her face." | "She replied saying she had tears streaming down her face." |
Lavender said she wanted her music to touch people. | Lavender said she wanted her music to touch people. |
"I want it to speak to people like me who have autism, are blind, or are marginalised or different," she said. | "I want it to speak to people like me who have autism, are blind, or are marginalised or different," she said. |
She said she had dedicated her performance to LGBT people for Pride month because she was "an ally for the LGBTQ community" and because she had "two gay dads". | She said she had dedicated her performance to LGBT people for Pride month because she was "an ally for the LGBTQ community" and because she had "two gay dads". |
Will Darcangelo, a singer himself, said Lavender had asked him and his husband, Jamie, to adopt her on Father's Day in 2016. | Will Darcangelo, a singer himself, said Lavender had asked him and his husband, Jamie, to adopt her on Father's Day in 2016. |
"I first met Lavender when she was 15, at an after-school singing programme," he said. | "I first met Lavender when she was 15, at an after-school singing programme," he said. |
"She told me she had always wanted to be a singer and she became a defining figure for the group. | "She told me she had always wanted to be a singer and she became a defining figure for the group. |
"She was so talented and I knew she needed mentoring. She needed someone who could help nurture her in a way I myself needed once as a young aspiring singer. | "She was so talented and I knew she needed mentoring. She needed someone who could help nurture her in a way I myself needed once as a young aspiring singer. |
"When she was 19, she threw some of her belongings into a plastic bag and came to live with Jamie and I when we got back from our honeymoon." | "When she was 19, she threw some of her belongings into a plastic bag and came to live with Jamie and I when we got back from our honeymoon." |
You may also like | You may also like |
Lavender's performance has had a huge response on social media, with more than 6,000 retweets on Twitter. | Lavender's performance has had a huge response on social media, with more than 6,000 retweets on Twitter. |
One Twitter user posted: "My favourite Disney song - and now my favourite performance of it - thank you for sharing." | One Twitter user posted: "My favourite Disney song - and now my favourite performance of it - thank you for sharing." |
Others called for her to be signed to a record label and to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. | Others called for her to be signed to a record label and to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. |
Lavender's singing has even caught the attention of producers of America's Got Talent, who want her to appear on the next series. | Lavender's singing has even caught the attention of producers of America's Got Talent, who want her to appear on the next series. |
Lavender said singing on TV was something she had "dreamed of since she was a little girl". | Lavender said singing on TV was something she had "dreamed of since she was a little girl". |
Will said he was not surprised by the overwhelming reaction. | Will said he was not surprised by the overwhelming reaction. |
"We've always imagined she would get noticed," he said. | "We've always imagined she would get noticed," he said. |
"She is a joy and she is so kind. So many on the autism spectrum find it difficult to respond to people but she is so attuned to people." |
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