RL Bell, a 50-year-old massage therapist from Houston, Texas, introduced himself to the judges of America’s Got Talent with an energetic and confident demeanor. Before singing, he engaged in a humorous and flirtatious exchange, bragging about his physique as an ex-bodybuilder . He proudly mentioned that women often wanted to feel his biceps, even while he was shopping, setting a flamboyant tone for his performance .
He chose to perform the classic soul song, “Me and Mrs. Jones,” telling the judges he was going to sing for the ladies and showcase his R&B style . He revealed a playful story about his day job: clients would ask him to sing while he massaged them, but because it was hard to focus on both tasks, he started playing a CD of his own music instead .
RL Bell’s performance began with a dramatic flair and powerful vocals . He sang with a raw, soulful voice, but he quickly amped up the showmanship, dramatically removing his hat and adding enthusiastic ad-libs and dramatic gestures . The performance was energetic and loud, filled with the kind of over-the-top theatrics he had promised.
The judges had a highly divided response to the act. Heidi Klum was the most positive, admitting that the performance was very entertaining and that he had a “great voice” . She also said she actually liked the entire showmanship and felt he had a chance in the competition.
Conversely, the male judges were more critical of his excessive theatrics. Howie Mandel compared the performance to “a whole bag of sugar” because it was too corny and felt it detracted from his voice . Howard Stern agreed with the criticism, saying RL Bell took away from his voice by behaving like a child of “Rick James, Sammy Davis Jr., and Hulk Hogan” .
Despite the strong disagreement on his approach, the outcome was favorable for RL Bell. After receiving a “yes” from Heidi, both Howie and Simon Cowell took a chance on his potential. Simon ultimately gave him a “yes,” stating that based purely on the audition, it would have been a “million percent no,” but based on where he thought RL Bell “could go,” he was willing to take a shot .
Video Link: RL Bell cantando Me And Mrs Jones – Sarah Jane Morr
