She wowed the judges and stole the hearts of millions of American television viewers of “America’s Got Talent” when she was only 12.
Four years later, Darci Lynne has put multiple checks on her bucket list.
“I’ve been traveling. I’ve been to 46 states in three years. I’ve done live TV, had a Christmas special, been on Nickelodeon and gotten to be in two movies,” said the Oklahoman who is the voice behind four puppets and who will bring her ventriloquism act Sept. 11 to the Bell Auditorium. “I’m living the dream. It’s been amazing.”
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Darci Lynne will bring the puppets that fans of “America’s Got Talent” are familiar with. Petunia is a rabbit and a diva; Oscar is a shy mouse; Edna Doorknocker is an octogenarian and her newest addition is Ivan.
“Ivan is a one-eyed purple guy with an Australian accent,” she said.
One of the coolest things for the 16-year-old has been hearing from others who’ve been inspired by her to study ventriloquism.
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“Initially, that was one of my goals to bring light to ventriloquism,” she said. “It’s a dying art.”
Other items off her bucket-list include performing with a couple of the ventriloquists she’s looked up to – Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator.
Darci Lynne said her puppet Edna Doorknocker hasn’t met Dunham’s Walter yet. She thinks they should at least meet, but she’s not sure what would happen.
“They’d either love each other or hate each other,” she said.
Darci Lynne’s puppets have a lot of humor, but unlike Dunham’s act, Darci Lynne relies on her own singing talents to bring her performances home.
Audiences have witnessed the singer’s wide vocal range through her on-air performances. With Edna Doorknocker, she sang “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman in “America’s Got Talent.” With her two puppets, Oscar and Petunia, she sang a duet of “With A Little Help From My Friends” to win “America’s Got Talent,” and with Petunia, the puppet she considers her lucky charm, she sang from the opera “O Mio Babbino Caro” on the “America’s Got Talent” champions event.
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While she usually sings through her puppets, audiences in Augusta will have the opportunity to hear her sing as herself. The young Oklahoman has written some of her own songs and has eventual plans for an EP or an album. For now, the only way to hear her sing her own material is to be in the audience.
Darci Lynne’s “My Lips Are Sealed (Except When They’re Not)” will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Bell. Tickets are $29.75 to $99.75. For tickets, visit aectix.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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