‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 12: Christian Guardino Shares How Music Helped With Loss Of Vision

“America’s Got Talent” Season 12 contestant Christian Guardino tugged at the heartstrings of the judges and audiences during his audition on Tuesday night.

The 16-year-old New York native got up on stage looking very nervous, and he did not shy away from admitting that his nerves were all over the place. The unassuming yet very talented singer revealed that his mom accompanied him to his audition. But what made him stand out from the other auditionees aside from his impressive voice is his life story.

Read: Howie Mandel gives his golden buzzer to blind singer Christian Guardino

After suffering from a certain type of condition, Guardino’s parents were told that their son would eventually go completely blind. But everything changed for him when he turned 12 years old. They decided to subject him to a revolutionary treatment that helped improve his eyesight. During his auditions, Guardino was able to see everything by then, but he still needs to wear eyeglasses.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the teenage singer opened up about his audition, saying, “I wanted to cry. I was really nervous before I got on stage. I was just thinking, ‘I can’t mess up, I can’t mess up, I can’t mess up.’ But when I saw everything that was going on with the judges, all my nerves turned into strong energy and excitement. I started going off on the song and getting comfortable.”

Guardino performed an impressive rendition of Jackson 5’s hit song, “Who’s Lovin’ You,” and received a standing ovation from all of the judges. Simon Cowell even gave him two thumbs up, while Howie Mandel made his dream come true by giving him the prestigious golden buzzer.

Meanwhile, Guardino also shared how music helped him cope with the loss of his vision. “Music was always my escape. When I was dealing with my condition, it was a way to forget everything that was happening. My hearing was strengthened because of my eyesight. I hear music in a strong way. It’s always been there for me,” he said.

But despite his condition, Guardino’s mom said that her son never changed. Even when he was blind, he was still very positive and goofy around the house.

Guardino will automatically advance to the live shows together with Cowell’s golden buzzer pick, 29-year-old deaf singer Mandy Harvey, and Mel B’s choice, 12-year-old ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer.

“America’s Got Talent” Season 12 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on NBC.