Judges Call First Winner Of ‘AGT’ A ‘Champion In Life’ After Her Incredible Return Following Two Vocal Surgeries

Jan 15, 2019 by apost team

Competition singing shows like "America's Got Talent" are wonderful for many reasons. Not only do we get to see incredible talent each week, but being able to witness talented individuals find success makes it so rewarding. What's more, often these performers get other chances at reintroducing themselves to a new set of fans and that is thrilling to see.

That's partly the premise of "America's Got Talent: The Champions," where former contestants of the show come back for a best-of-the-best showdown. Back in 2019, one former contestant shared her comeback story on the show and it's truly inspiring.

Bianca Ryan first graced the big stage as an 11-year-old during the premiere season of "America's Got Talent" in 2006. Audiences could not believe the big voice that came out of this small girl. Her hard work paid off and Ryan was crowned the winner of the first season.

It was clear that amazing things were in store for Ryan. Unfortunately, however, all of the vocal appearances and duties that came with winning the title began to wreak havoc on Ryan's vocal cords. 

An EMT had to deliver the crushing news that one of her vocal cords had been paralyzed and would require surgery to fix it. Ryan said that her world came crashing down when she learned the news. 

However, the brave girl persisted with her dream. After having two surgeries and more than 10 years of physical therapy, she was invited to appear on "America's Got Talent: The Champions." It was on the show that Ryan shared her comeback story with the world.

When Ryan appeared on "AGT: The Champions" in 2019, what delighted the audience the most is that they could finally hear her sing again. After more than a decade spent recovering from two vocal chord surgeries, the musician was back with a vengeance, and she sounded better than ever. She appropriately chose the song, "Say Something" by A Great Big World. The audience was shocked at how stunning her voice sounded, despite all of the challenges Ryan had faced.

Ryan was still able to demonstrate her impressive range while hitting all of the high notes with ease. The audience rewarded her performance and grit with a standing ovation. Even the judges were impressed. Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Mel B all heaped praise on Ryan for sticking with her dream and sounding better than ever.

Cowell told her he was "genuinely thrilled" to see her back singing and on the show. Meanwhile, Mandel told Ryan:

"I wasn't on the first season but I watched you and you were an adorable little girl with the most powerful voice I've ever seen and I was wondering, you know, what happened to you. And to have these barriers put up and then to have the wherewithal to, you know, overcome that you truly are a champion in life."

Mel B loved Ryan's performance and told her that she took the audience "beyond" a typical journey with her performance. Klum told the singer she was so "happy" for her that she had her voice back and called her performance "absolutely amazing."

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Following her big return that night, Ryan spoke to ET Canada about everything she had felt to get to that point. She opened up about learning she needed to have vocal chord surgery and said:

“Any time you go in for vocal surgery, that’s such a fragile muscle ... There’s always a really good chance that you’re not going to be able to sing again.”

In fact, Ryan actually gained range in her voice following the successful surgery, even though it's common to lose range. She said that after it was all over she remembers "feeling so incredibly happy, and so, so thankful, and so blessed. It was a crazy journey.” 

But that was only one part of her story, next she needed to stage her comeback. She said she "was extremely, extremely emotional" and "nervous" to perform on "AGT: The Champions." She added:

"I have actually only had this ‘new’ voice — I don’t know how else to describe it — for about a year and a half, almost two years, so it was nerve-racking … I worked so hard and practised (sic) so hard."

Although she didn't make it through to the finals of the competition, Ryan had proven herself already. Since her comeback, she's continued singing and acting and she even returned to perform on "America's Got Talent" Season 14. She's also performed on Broadway, which is no small feat, and released new music. At just 27 years of age, we're sure the world will be seeing a whole lot more of this talented musician in the years to come.

This is a performance that should not be missed. What did you think of Bianca Ryan's comeback performance on "AGT: The Champions"? After you have watched her mesmerizing performance, be sure to make sure that everyone that you know also has the chance to cheer this fighter on as she continues with her vocal journey.