‘Still a star in our eyes’: 11-year-old Louisville native eliminated from America’s Got Talent

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - An 11-year-old Louisville native competing on America’s Got Talent has been eliminated.

D’Corey Johnson returned to Louisville late Thursday night from Los Angeles.

Johnson, who goes by DC, told WAVE News he was surprised when he heard he wasn’t moving on to the finals.

“I was holding back my tears,” he said. “OK. It’s OK, you just got eliminated. But it’s fine. You’re going to do bigger and better things.”

In his last performance, DC received a standing ovation after he sang Wishing on a Star.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get enough votes to make it to the next round.

“He was robbed,” DC’s mother, Nakia, said. “He was robbed, I can say that. I just knew he was going to be one of the two to make it, and he didn’t. So that was a big shocker to me. Big shocker to all of us. There were 30 of us that traveled to California to support him.”

Despite the elimination, DC remains optimistic.

“But they have a wild card to bring an act who was eliminated from the lives, so hopefully I’m that act,” he said. “So I can go back to compete.”

DC said after he walked off-stage following his final performance, he and his family were about to leave when they were told to wait because Simon Cowell wanted to talk to him after the show.

“I can’t say what he said,” DC said. “I can’t say what he said, it’s between me and Simon. What I can tell you is he was very upset I was leaving. So hopefully I’ll be that wild card and win America’s Got Talent.”

DC said he already knows which song he would sing if he were picked.

“Can’t say because what if I make it and I already exposed it to the world,” he said.

However, if you drive by his mother’s salon in Louisville, Beautiful Hair, you might get a hint.

DC often practices outside and grew up singing to her clients.

With a big local fan base, he’s planning on a local tour with his band called DC and the Mix.

“Even though he didn’t make it, he’s still a star in our eyes,” DC’s mother said.

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