The Story Of 'AGT' Contestant Archie Williams

May 27, 2020 by apost team

Many people have a storied background when they appear as contestants on America's Got Talent, but Archie Williams' life is more incredible than all of them combined. Williams was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit for nearly 37 years and bravely took to the AGT stage in March 2020, a year after he was released. Here's a look into Archie's story and life.

Back in 1982 when Williams was 22 years old, Williams was wrongfully convicted of a violent crime in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was sentenced to life without parole. He maintains he was home asleep at the time, CNN reports but was still brought in by police for questioning and identification. He knew from the beginning that he didn't do it and explained on AGT:

"I knew I was innocent, I didn't commit a crime. But being a poor black kid, I didn't have the ability to fight the state of Louisiana," he said. "They wanted somebody to pay."

Despite his innocence, he was identified as the perpetrator and went on to spend 36 years in Louisiana's famed Angola prison.

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In March 2019, fingerprint evidence came to light that recused him and he was freed the same month. It was all with the help of the organization, The Innocence Project, that works towards ending wrongful convictions. They had started the hard work 12 years into his sentence but it wasn't until two decades later when a judge finally agreed to look into the fingerprints found at the scene. NPR reports that it was discovered that the fingerprints matched another serial criminal in the area and finally, Williams was to be freed.

A year later, he stepped on the AGT stage and made a dream come true. Throughout his ordeal, he had not stopped singing and was a big fan of the show while he was in prison. He performed on the stage after warming himself up with an amateur night at the Apollo gig at the end of 2019, according to The Innocence Project. Williams blew the audience and the judges away with his version of Elton John's Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," which took on a very deep meaning coming from a man who spent most of his life in prison. Williams passed AGT's audition stage and will go on to compete in the show.

Now Archie is embracing the technology he has to re-learn after leaving prison and has his own Instagram account. Be sure to follow him and his journey throughout this season of America's Got Talent.

Isn't the story of Archie Williams an incredible one of perseverance and redemption? Please tell others about this incredible man and his journey.