“They proved that human beings could fly,” he told a limited group of reporters on a conference call. “I have to say, it was like standing in a sawmill so much wood was flying everywhere. I was like, ‘What is happening?’ And it didn’t stop. It kept getting better, and better, and better.” Since season 10 when America’s Got Talent introduced the Golden Buzzer, five of the six people who have won the $1 million prize have been a Golden Buzzer with magician Shin Lim being the only exception. So that means that the World Taekwondo Demonstration Team are in a good position as they head directly to the live shows for season 16. “I’ll say out of everybody, Simon Cowell is the judge of talent,” Crews tells Parade.com. “He’s seen so much. He knows what’s not going to work and he knows what is often going to be a slam dunk. This is one reason why he’s one of the most successful people ever.” For his part, Crews says he may not be the judge that Simon is, but he is an astute observer, along with Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel, which helps him get it right. “Our job is to put through who we think are the best of the best of the best, and then America, week to week, once we get to the live show, it’s out of our hands,” he continues. “That’s the beautiful part of it. Half of it is us and then the rest is America which, to me, is how it should be.” But more than just talent, Crews’ choices for his Golden Buzzer are also wrapped up in emotion, so it is often a combination of head and heart, like with last season’s homeless choir, the Voices of our City Choir, and the previous season’s Detroit Youth Choir. “Man, it’s just blendable,” he says. “To me, the story is courage and when I saw the Voices of our City Choir of San Diego made up of people who were living in shelters, who decided, of their own volition, to do something creative and get together and come down and perform—and not expecting anything, not knowing how the world would react. I said, ‘How much courage did that take?’ And I just said, ‘Man, because they took that step, I have to give them the next step.’ They have to come to the lives." And it was the same feeling for him with World Taekwondo, who he felt took a risk. “The risks that were involved in getting here and making that happen… they don’t make any money, these people are just doing it for the love of what it is," he says. “And what can you say? People have to work three jobs and then go to practice to learn their taekwondo. So, you’re like, ‘Hey, man, you deserve this.’” When America’s Got Talent returns tonight, only Heidi and Sofia have their Golden Buzzers remaining. Who will they choose? America’s Got Talent airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
