Autistic Boy Sings Classic Michael Jackson Song But When The Judges Respond He Breaks Down

Jan 06, 2021 by apost team

There are many different types of acts on televised talent shows. Some of them leave the studio audience and television viewers speechless. This was the case with a 10-year-old boy from Essex, UK named Calum Courtney. He is a young boy with autism. Calum struggles to make friends as well as connect with people. The music he sings has provided him with a special connection to the audience watching him. It was during Britain's Got Talent in 2018 that Calum had the opportunity to provide the show's judges, as well as the audience, with the performance of a lifetime.

Autism is a condition that affects one in 54 children in the United States according to the CDC. It is a spectrum disorder that affects a wide range of characteristics and is diagnosed early on in childhood, reports Autism Speaks. Some of the challenges people with autism face are related to repetitive behaviors, social skills, speech, and nonverbal communication. However, since it is a spectrum disorder, it presents in people very differently. Some people may need extensive support through life, some need minimal support, and some others live fully independent lives. Each person faces different challenges and has different strengths. 

One of the biggest challenges actually lies in how society perceives and treats those with autism. Due to the deficits in social behavior, children with autism have a more difficult time at school and home. Among other challenges, dealing with change, suffering from elevated anxiety, and avoidance behaviors are prominent. 

Calum Courtney is a boy that has also dealt with autism all his life. Even though he has a milder form of autism, Calum's mother, Tupney Courtney, tells people how autism has not been easy for her son. She also told The Sun in 2018, "Calum has high functioning autism. For Calum, this means blurred social boundaries, struggles with school and difficulties with friendships, but also that enables him to have no fear to get up and belt out a song." She also added, "We describe his autism to him as a superpower, it may take a little from other areas of life but it's given him the superpower of music."

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Performing in public is not a new experience for Calum. There is footage of him on the internet singing his heart out in a local ASDA store. Once it surfaced, the video went viral with more than two million YouTube views. His warm and clear voice got Calum recognition by national newspapers in the United Kingdom. Moreover, he had also performed with Emeli Sandé and JP Cooper at the NSPCC Winter Charity Ball in aid of the National Autistic Society according to The Sun. 

Calum's mother explains how special it feels for her to hear her son's singing voice. According to her, "He is always singing around the house and performing in public has never been a problem. The more people, the better for Calum when he is performing." This is quite amazing for a 10-year-old, as most children may have some trepidation when it comes to singing or even presenting publicly. Not Calum, however, as he loves to be heard, and he has an incredible talent that deserves to be heard. "He loves how it feels and hearing the sound of his voice when he sings." Tupney Courtney added. 

Speaking to The Independent in 2017, Tupney Courtney said of Calum, "He has no nerves, if there's an audience, if there's anybody from one to 100 people to sing in front of he loves it, he just loves to sing." This certainly proved to be very helpful when Calum auditioned for Britain's Got Talent in 2018. In fact, Calum seems to be gifted with music, as his mother also added, "He taught himself to play the drums when he was 18 months old and he's just incredible with music, it's in his blood." Both of Calum's maternal grandparents were on the West End stage, and Tupney Courtney believes he takes after them. 

When he came on stage the judges asked Calum if he was nervous in the video below. Calum appeared to be shy and said no in a sweet and soft voice, and it looked like the judges were not convinced. The minute the young boy started singing, however, they began to believe he was definitely not nervous. Calum provided those watching him with an impressive, iconic performance of a song by the Jackson 5 called Who's Loving You.

Many people have commented that he has the voice of an angel, and the audience certainly seemed to agree with that observation. Calum's voice is beautiful and crisp and he hits every note. There were many friends and family members of Calum's in the audience to support him. When Calum began performing, they all appeared to be very emotional.

After Calum finished singing, he was met with loud and energetic applause as well as all four of the judges giving him a standing ovation. Simon Cowell easily gave two thumbs up. Judge David Williams explained how Calum sang a big song for a little guy, adding that Calum did a brilliant job and should be very proud of himself.

This is when the little boy was overcome with emotion and began crying. His little brother quickly came on the stage and hugged Calum. Everyone who saw this felt it was a truly beautiful moment; the audience as well as viewers on Youtube. Judge Amanda Holden was hoping Calum's crying was tears of happiness, and said, "That was one of the biggest reactions we've had for anybody, it was fantastic."

Afterward, Simon Cowell was also anxious to share his thoughts. He told Calum how he has got soul and that he had an authentic voice and elaborated by saying that Calum had a great tone to his voice as well as completely controlling the song. These words were truly encouraging, and it looked like Calum shed tears because he was overcome with joy. 

Speaking to LADBible in 2018, Tupney Courtney said of his Britain's Got Talent performance, "I've been so overwhelmed by how nice people have been and that he has inspired so many people. Calum is so unfazed by the attention as long as he is happy, we are happy."

She also said, "Because Calum has autism he takes so much positivity from singing and, where he often struggled in social situations and at school, singing makes him so happy."

It is truly wonderful to see Calum use his talent so beautifully. When speaking to the Independent in 2017, Tupney Courtney was asked about singing becoming a career for Calum, to which she responded, "The only way he will know if he wants to do it as a career is if he tries it because it is not easy. He thinks he's gonna be able to buy a mansion, he has a bit of an obsession with building them on Minecraft." We wish him all the best for his future should he choose to follow the path of making music! 

This inspiring story about a boy with autism having an opportunity to showcase his singing talent with a national audience is just the thing someone needs to watch to brighten their day. Spread the inspiration by sharing this with your friends and family!