Back ![Juneau's Anna Graceman is a singing sensation on the TV show "America's Got Talent." Courtesy of the Capital City Weekly](http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/538959958.jpg "Juneau's Anna Graceman is a singing sensation on the TV show "America's Got Talent." Courtesy of the Capital City Weekly")
![In this screen shot taken from a YouTube video, Anna Graceman sings in Hollywood on season six of "America's Got Talent."](http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/Screen shot 2011-07-14 at 2.04.04 PM.png "In this screen shot taken from a YouTube video, Anna Graceman sings in Hollywood on season six of "America's Got Talent."")
Juneau’s own Anna Graceman progressed to the semi finals of NBC’s America’s Got Talent last night, after flooring judges with her performance of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” in Hollywood.
The three judges — Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne — were effusive in their praise after Graceman’s performance, in which she accompanied herself on a grand piano.
“You’re just this little tiny peanut with this huge voice,” Osbourne said. “You’re just incredible.”
After Osbourne commented that the song choice was unusual one for a young girl, a visibly excited Mandel followed up with: “It is a wonderful world because we get in this world to listen to you and to get to know you."
“You are a phenomenon,” he said. “I have never seen or heard anything quite like you before. Now the acronym AGT goes for ‘Anna’s Got Talent.’”
Last to weigh in was Morgan.
“A 4-foot 4-inch, 11-year-old girl singing Louis Armstrong and singing it beautifully, that is America’s Got Talent.”
Graceman’s stellar performance in Hollywood came after a mixed review in Las Vegas. Though the audience seemed to love her rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” the judges were distracted by a few wrong notes, and stressed that she’d have to distinguish herself in Hollywood to continue to the semi-finals. That she did.
Graceman became a national sensation after her first performance on the show, in which she performed Alicia Keyes’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” Her act stunned both the audience and the judges, who seemed completely unprepared for the power and soulfulness of her voice.
Graceman, who has performed locally at the Alaska Folk Festival, began playing piano at age four and composed her first song at age six. She appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show when she was 9, after representatives from the show saw her on YouTube. Her original song “Paradise” has had more than 880,000 views on the site.
“America’s Got Talent,” now in the seventh week of its sixth season, airs on Tuesday and Wednesdays on NBC. Previous episodes can be viewed online at www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/categories/season-6/1330908.
To see Graceman’s “America’s Got Talent” performances on You Tube visit:
Atlanta: www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4CnuAJejbU
Vegas: www.youtube.com/watch?v=abfnCu2exUU
Hollywood: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U74G1PZLMtI.
The winner of the show will receive a prize of $1 million.
Comments (25)
Add commentGo Anna! Juneau is proud of
Go Anna! Juneau is proud of you!
Congrats!
Congratulations to Anna and her family!
Utterly delightful!
What an amazing talent ... and how utterly delightful and polite she is. I'm an unashamed Anna fan.
I just listened to her for the first time...
Anna, you are amazing!!!! I really enjoyed the Juneau shots at the beginning of the show...you are putting us on the map in a good way! Maybe soon the news and weather stations will know where we fit on the world maps!! Good luck Juneau Girl!
wtg
AWESOME ANNA>.. keep singing those sweet songs and .. remember..
alaska girls kick butt...
We're incredibly proud of
We're incredibly proud of you, Anna! Such great performances.
Anna!!!!
I was sitting here reading the juneau empire, and oh my gosh Anna!! You are simply AMAZING!! I have been showing everyone! J town is very proud of you, and wish you the best of luck in all your adventures!! GO ANNA!! YOU ROCK!! And remember, a couple of comments before mine..... Alaska girls DO kick butt!!
Nice shout out....
...to Juneau in the beginning with great pics! It really did give me a little thrill! And your voice is so incredible - you're hometown is rooting for you Anna!!
Re Stage Name a Sham
Who cares if she has a stage name? Most of us on this blog have a pseudonym ... including you parishilton! I don't know where Anna and her family live now, but she was certainly brought up in Juneau. I think it's churlish of you to say the family is 'playing up the Alaska card'. It's not the 'Alaska card' that's gotten her to this point in the competition ... it's her amazing talent, pure and simple. Go Anna!
The Voice!
I don't care what her name is or where she is from. She has the best voice I've ever heard. She could sing the phone book and I would buy it. Keep it up and see if you can throw in one or two of your originals like Superstar or Broken Hearted, acoustic version. The studio version is off and needs to be redone by a better producer.
Why say you live somewhere yo don't live?
I agree with the Palin comparison. The family used to go to the same church as me and I have not seen them for a year or 2. Why say you are from Juneau when you clearly live somewhere else unless you are trying to capitalize on the Alaska mystique.
The kid aint from Juneau.Why not show some desert shots instead of glaciers.
Kids need protection!
To parishilton, first of all, Anna's real name is NOT Chrissy and the stage name is partially to PROTECT her as she is a child and there are lots of strange and dangerous people who might try to stalk her, in fact someone in Juneau already has!
Please do not go on printing her name in public, even though you have her first name wrong....thank goodness. Who cares if she moved, she was born & raised here for 11 years and considers Alaska her home. It's also another way to protect a young girl which her responsible parents are trying to do....please do not endanger her safety by using her name, delete your post, Please!
P.S. She is as awesome, kind and polite as everyone sees her on national TV and she deserves to win!
Maybe she's down there to
Maybe she's down there to further her career and the family plans on moving back to Juneau?
http://thesaltmine.com/2011/06/62111-saltmine-studios-gracemans-appearan...
Saltmine Studios Looks Forward to Graceman’s Appearance on America’s Got Talent!
Tonight marks a special night for Arizona-based Saltmine Studios, as its very own Anna Graceman will be featured on the popular television show, America’s Got Talent.
@dmadden
Thank god someone had the sense to mention that she is a child! Look at her blog and her facebook page and there are all kinds of frankly "creepers" commenting. That child has an unbelievable talent. If mine had that talent I would think about sharing it too, but definitely not under her name. I love that her parents had the foresight to give her a stage name and shame on anyone for trying to give her real name away! Juneau should be very proud of her and in true Juneau fashion we should also be taking care of our own by protecting her and her identity from the creepers out there. Anna - keep doing what you are doing! You make us proud and you have a gift that deserves to be shared with the world.
good job
now this girl can sing! and from juneau....this is our hero for now...goooooooood job ANNA.........
J-Town's Got Your Back!
WAY TO GO ANNA!!! WE ALL SUPPORT YOU AND WILL BE WAITING WHEN YOU GET HOME!!! :)
J-Town's Got Your Back!
WAY TO GO ANNA!!! WE ALL SUPPORT YOU AND WILL BE WAITING WHEN YOU GET HOME!!! :)
A Juneau girl -
- IS a JUNEAU girl forever!! I am honored that she gave her hometown a shout out!! Juneau got more publicity out of that than she did.... Those complaining are probably just jealous! THANK YOU Anna, for remembering where you came from! Your hometown loves you and supports you!
Carlos Boozer hasn't lived here for YEARS - but he's still our hometown boy!
Anna Graceman
Anna Graceman is an incredible talent. She could potentially be the most well known person to ever come from Juneau - born and raised here. I have had the privilege of watching her play several times at the Folk Festival and have all her CD's including the ones she sold at Folk Fest. I know her great grand parents who have lived in Alaska since the 1960's - she is as Alaskan as they come. Third generation. Because the population is so small here everyone needs to vote for her on the show. I for one, thank her for claiming our small humble town as her own.
one in a million!
Anna Girl you make us all proud! You know you have arrived when you start getting haters and trolls posting on your news articles!
I can't believe how many millions of views you have on your own original songs on Youtube! Will you sing one of them on AGT? Almost 14 million views on just your own songs. I don't see a single cover song. Show me another 11 year old girl doing that on YouTube let alone Juneau, Alaska.
She will be traveling the World soon! I hope you will always call Alaska home. Most incredible!
parishilton comments are creeping me out
to the screen name ParisHilton - uhh it's good thing she is out of town right now for this big show. Otherwise perverts like you would be trying to track her down to her home. It is obvious you have been searching too much on this young underage girl. Why would you even be searching out her real name vs just enjoying her amazing talent. The police needs to investigate your intentions. You are a case in point as to why those close to her have made these decisions to protect her from predators like you.
Great voice
I would really, really like to hear her do "Desperado" THAT would be a hit!
parishilton
I agree with the other poster - you are a creeper!! WHO CARES if she takes a stage name?!?! What's the big deal? Carlos wasn't a little kid, neither was Hilary. She can use any name she wants. And to say her parents are "cashing in"?!?! What are you smoking? She clearly WANTS to do this. She has been writing and performing her own songs since she was 6. Seriously, what is your problem? I imagine the only way you can get anyone to hear you sing is karaoke night at the Viking. Don't be hating on a kid.