If Simon Cowell hadn't already used his "Golden Buzzer" on parkour performer Rubén Roldán, Pynk Beard would have walked off the "America's Got Talent" stage covered in gold confetti.
Instead, the bearded singer-songwriter from Alabama collected four yeses and a standing ovation. He was one of three country acts with ties to Nashville to advance during the July 21 episode, joined by powerhouse vocalist Sarah Hardwig, who is visually impaired, and family trio The Sound.
Pynk Beard, a full-time songwriter, told the judges he wrote Alessia Cara's hit "Scars to Your Beautiful," prompting Cowell to call it "seriously good."
"They didn't quite understand Black people doing country at the time," the singer with fuchsia facial hair said. "So I gave up on
the idea of putting out an album of my own. I just really pursued being a songwriter."
Years spent helping other artists find their voices eventually left him searching for his own.
"My main question I always ask any artist is, 'Who are you?'" Beard said. "Over time, I think I just kind of forgot who I was and I became just a songwriter."
By last year, he said he was ready to quit music altogether. Rather than perform someone else's hit, Beard introduced the judges to "Mine, Lord Willing," an original song he said he'd been waiting to sing himself. The soulful country performance brought the audience and all four judges to their feet.
"I think that's a hit song," Howie Mandel said. Cowell agreed.
Sarah Hardwig earns four yeses
Nashville singer Sarah Hardwig, who is blind, told the judges she was diagnosed with a genetic eye condition as a baby.
"I want to prove to the world that regardless of whether you have a disability or not, you can do absolutely anything that you set your mind to," she said before strumming the guitar and diving into Lainey Wilson's "Heart Like a Truck."
The performance earned a standing ovation as Hardwig wiped away tears. Her parents— including The Tennessean's assistant director of sports planning Greg Hardwig— watched from the wings.
Howie Mandel called her "the epitome of resilience," while Sofía Vergara predicted "everybody is going to fall in love with you."
Cowell praised her "natural gift," and Mel B encouraged her to choose an even bigger song in a future round.
The Sound brings family harmonies
The Sound completed country's strong showing on the episode.
The Nashville-based trio is made up of brothers Levi and Jacob Mills and their father, Rob. The family built an online following after posting harmony videos from a hotel stairwell, garnering 100 million views.
For their audition, they performed John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," inviting the audience to sing along.
Mel B said the performance made her "so happy," despite country not usually being her favorite genre. Cowell called the audition "safe" but good, encouraging the trio to take more risks if they advance by putting a country spin on a non-country song.
Like Beard and Hardwig, The Sound received four yeses and moved on to the next round.
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 3 country acts tied to Nashville advance on 'America's Got Talent'
