Kodi Lee

Launching to national acclaim by winning of the 14th season of America's Got Talent in 2019, Kodi Lee followed the soulful covers of artists like Leon Russell and Simon & Garfunkel that he performed for the show with original material that incorporates adult pop, R&B, and classical piano music. He released his first original single, the inspirational pop ballad "Miracle," in 2022. Born in Temecula, California, on July 7, 1996, Kodi Taehyun Lee was soon diagnosed with a congenital nerve condition that caused legal blindness. As a toddler, he was further diagnosed with autism. Lee demonstrated an early faculty for music, perfectly imitating his father's performance of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the piano at the age of two. Mostly self-taught, he began performing publicly as a young child and only began taking formal piano lessons at age 18. He was 22 when he auditioned for America's Got Talent in May 2019 and received a standing ovation and Golden Buzzer (advancement to the live-TV rounds) from judge Gabrielle Union for his voice-and-piano performance of Leon Russell's "A Song for You." Lee advanced to the semifinals with his version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water," continuing through the competition with songs made famous by Calum Scott and Freya Ridings. He was declared the winner on September 18, 2019, making him the first contestant with diagnosed autism or developmental disability to win. Lee returned to America's Got Talent in early 2020 for a guest performance of Harry Styles' song "Sign of the Times," and he appeared at a number of autism awareness and fundraising events before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted concerts. Lee next visited the America's Got Talent studios to perform a duet with H.E.R. in 2021, reappearing for a performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" with Teddy Swims and Journey guitarist Neal Schon on an August 2022 episode of the program. Within days of that appearance, he released his first original song, "Miracle."
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