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Jourdan Blue always loved singing, but never imagined he’d pursue it as a career.
In eighth grade, a friend begged him to audition for The Little Mermaid, and he thought it sounded “terrible.” After some convincing, he gave it a try and landed the role of Prince Eric.
“That experience sparked a new passion,” Blue, 23, recalls to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “Being on stage in front of a packed crowd, holding their attention — it felt so powerful and exciting. That’s when I really discovered my love for performing.”
That spark led him to take on several musicals over the next few years, honing his voice and stage presence. During that time, a friend secretly submitted a video of him singing to American Idol, and by the next morning, he was scheduled for an audition.
Though his 2022 Idol journey didn’t go as planned, it opened the door to a new chapter. There, he met a street performer who inspired him to try street performing himself. So, he decided to give it a try on Bourbon Street in his hometown of New Orleans, La.
At first, Blue didn’t even have proper equipment. He hooked his speaker directly to his car battery and kept the car running while he sang. As videos of his car-powered street performances went viral, Blue realized he could reach even more people — and that’s when he turned to social media, especially TikTok.
As time went on, Blue quickly watched his following grow — first to 10,000, then 20,000, and eventually 40,000.
“I started going live, and that really became my thing,” Blue says. “At first, it wasn’t about building a brand — I just wanted to get better at my craft, practice, and get new song requests. Slowly, I started building a room of people who were there consistently.”
“I realized that on TikTok, I could reach thousands of people I’d never meet in person. It helped me refine my craft, build confidence, and connect with an audience in ways I hadn’t imagined,” he adds.
As his online presence grew, so did his in-person crowd.
One of his favorite performances on Bourbon Street happened during spring break a few years ago. Blue recalls standing on top of a lifted Tahoe, giving a full concert to 500–600 people packed into the street. At one point, he was grabbing people’s phones, taking photos with them, and giving them back while he sang.
Even from those early days, Blue realized something about himself: there are different types of music. Some music just sounds good to your ears, and some music feels good to your soul. His goal is to do both, but he focuses primarily on the “feel-good” part.
“To me, music is healing,” he says. “When I’m being healed by a song I’m singing, everyone who’s listening feels a little of that too. It’s like that energy is projected outward.”
Another moment that really stuck with him happened while singing on the street, hooked up to his car battery.
The crowd was small — maybe five or six people — but one man walked up and said, “Take it, take it!” He was literally giving Blue his energy, which Blue felt as a huge wave that powered his performance.
“It was this beautiful, constant cycle,” he explains. “He’s giving me energy, and I’m giving it back through the speakers. That moment gave me such a clear picture of what every performance is: energy isn’t created or destroyed — it’s transferred. And that energy flows between me and everyone I interact with, whether in conversation or on stage.”
Eventually Blue’s music caught the attention of producers of America’s Got Talent.
They reached out to him, and after some back-and-forth, he agreed to audition for the show.
On May 27, he took the stage and was shocked to receive the Golden Buzzer from judge Howie Mandel, turning what started as a side passion into the opportunity of a lifetime.
“The Golden Buzzer was just the start,” Blue says. “Howie told me to savor every moment and focus on where I’m at now, not just where I’ll be. That’s something I think about every day — living in the moment instead of always chasing the destination.”
Trae Patton/NBC
The path to this moment wasn’t easy for Blue, though.
At 16, while struggling with addiction, Blue found himself homeless — bouncing between friends’ houses and even sleeping in a bathroom at his job. After several months, his grandfather stepped in.
“He called me late at night, almost upset I hadn’t reached out sooner,” Blue recalls. “He drove an hour and a half, picked me up around 1 a.m., brought me back to his house, and just let me live there.”
“Even though my choices had led me there, having someone care about me taught me a lot,” he adds. “My grandfather would play songs he loved and share them with me. Even if they weren’t my favorite, I could see the light in his eyes. He wanted to share something special with me, and it became something special for me, too.”
Blue lived with his grandfather until he got his own job and apartment. But life continued to test him. At 18, still struggling with addiction, he faced a near-death moment.
“There was one night when I was in a really dark place and made some bad decisions,” he says. “I ended up overdosing. The people around me got scared and left. The next day, some of them came back and said, ‘Jourdan, you were dead.’ It was a miracle.”
“That moment put everything into perspective,” he continues. “It wasn’t intentional, but I realized my whole life could have been gone from one dumb decision. I quit cold turkey — stopped everything. It was hard, but the reward was so much bigger than the struggle.”
Surviving those moments gave Blue a new perspective — one he now brings to fatherhood.
With a son just over a year old, he’s learned to slow down, savor small joys, and appreciate the present.
“I feel like I’ve lived a few lives at this point,” Blue says. “Everything — being a dad, being homeless, breakups, love, and now this type of love I’ve never known with my son — it all adds up to so many experiences. It shapes who you are.”
That outlook became even more poignant after New Year’s Day, when a pickup truck plowed into the crowds on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street in the heart of the city’s French Quarter, leaving at least 14 innocent people dead and injuring dozens more.
Blue had planned to perform on Bourbon Street the night of the attacks in New Orleans — the very street where he often shares his music. By chance, he was sick that day and had to stay home.
“Looking back, it was such a God moment,” he says. “If I had been there, things could have gone very differently. It made me realize that I love performing in the street, but I can’t do this forever. I want to find a safer space where I can perform in peace, share my music, and spread my message without worrying about my safety or anyone else’s.”
Trae Patton/NBC
Moments like these — surviving hardship, embracing fatherhood, and recognizing life’s fragility — have also shaped his approach to music.
On AGT, Blue now has a platform to share more than just his voice. He plans to showcase original songs that reflect his experiences, emotions, and the stories he wants the world to hear.
“The struggles, the support, the music, the stage, the street performances, even the lessons from fatherhood — all of it has led me to this moment on AGT,” says Blue, who is set to compete in the first round of live shows on Aug. 19. “Performing on that stage isn’t just about me; it’s about showing my son that no matter how dark or dangerous things get, you can come through it and create something beautiful. That’s the message I hope he carries with him, and the one I’m living every day.”
“I want people to see me as me, not as someone else,” he adds. “Even when I sing covers, I make them my own. But with my original songs, I get to share my feelings and stories with my community — the people who’ve been with me since the beginning. That’s really special to me.”
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America’s Got Talent kicks off their season 20 live shows on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, and the results will air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Peacock.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
