10-Year-Old Guitar Prodigy Bay Melnick Virgolino Shredded “I Love Rock n Roll” on AGT
The youngster impressed America and earned enough votes to advance to the Semifinal.
He loves Rock ‘n’ Roll. And rock loves him right back.
For his performance in round two of the Quarterfinals on America’s Got Talent Season 20, 10-year-old guitar prodigy Bay Melnick Virgolino absolutely shredded his way through “I Love Rock n Roll,” impressing the Judges, thrilling the audience and scoring enough of America’s votes to nab a spot in the Top 3, sending him through to the Semifinal.
It was a total star-making moment, complete with lights, smoke machines, a backup band and more. And at the center of it all was Bay, pint-sized in stature but huge in personality.
“Listen!” said Judge Simon Cowell afterward, referring to the roar of the crowd behind him. “Thank you so much, everybody,” Bay told the audience. Added Cowell, “Honestly, you’re so young but you came out here with this real attitude.”
Online, fans were equally amazed. On YouTube, one of the top comments on his performance says, “This kid literally rocks! How he is capable of playing the guitar at his age is unimaginable and not only his vocals I actually think are pretty good but his stage presence is off the charts that it feels like he is already a professional! He is just unbelievably talented and I just hope this is the start of his career post the show.”
How Bay Melnick Virgolino got into guitar at such a young age
“I was 5 years old, and I was obsessed with [Guns n Roses guitarist] Slash,” the New York native explained during Night 6 of Auditions. “I wanted to learn how to play, so I asked my mom for lessons.”
“My mom and my dad, they’re my biggest supporters, they’re kind of like…they’re my roadies,” Bay joked before launching into an expert cover of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
“I Love Rock n Roll” was written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker in 1975 for their band The Arrows, but their version didn’t make much impact upon release. A cover by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 1982 became a massive hit and remains the most famous version of the song.
You’ll see Bay Melnick Virgolino in the Live Semifinal
The kid will pick up his guitar again on Tuesday, September 16. During that episode, the brand-new Semifinal Golden Buzzer will be awarded, exempting one special Act from voting and sending them automatically to the Final. The rest of the Acts will be subject to voting, and the results will be revealed the next night, Wednesday, September 17.
