Over 100 sold out concerts across three continents, from Caesars Palace to the Apollo Theater and all points in between. A debut CD from a Grammy winning producer that hit the top of the Billboard charts. More than a million dollars raised for children’s and homeless charities via his holiday CD and personal appearances. Performing duets with childhood heroes Patti Labelle and Glenn Leonard, the former lead vocalist from The Temptations. An international television audience of over 100 million touched by his amazing life story. And it all started in a very small town with a man who possessed a big dream and an even bigger voice.
When Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. showed up to audition for NBC TV’s America’s Got Talent in 2010, he was singing to pass the time while grinding out a living washing cars in his hometown of Logan, WV (population 3,000) and the only “nice” clothes he owned were the ones on his back: a pair of jeans, a modest button down striped shirt and jacket.
Fortunately, you don’t need a slick wardrobe to win America’s heart. You need talent and personality, and Landau has a great deal of both. Wowing the judges with his back story of homelessness and determination to succeed for his family, coupled with interpretations of classics from Cole Porter, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and others, Landau walked away with the million dollar grand prize in front of 14 million weekly viewers. According to show insiders, when all was said and done, Landau had won America’s Got Talent by the biggest vote total in the show’s history.
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