Who won ‘America’s Got Talent’? Kevin Skinner or Barbara Padilla?
I was grappling with 20 other things this week, plus I had some computer issues to boot. And now I’m taking a few days off (theoretically). So I was remiss this week in covering “America’s Got Talent.”
And I wasn’t even around last night to watch the “AGT” finale. But I hear that chicken farmer and heartfelt Kentucky country crooner Kevin Skinner beat the other heartwarming story, the operatic cancer survivor Barbara Padilla.
Loading ...Those were the two I figured were most likely to win. AGT fans love singers (the first three winners sang) and they love both opera and great back stories. Padilla had all three. Skinner only had two but clearly, Skinner moved more people to vote for him.
I absolutely loved his first audition. But on a bigger stage, I felt like his voice got swallowed up. He didn’t rise to the occasion during the finale, doing merely an okay job with a treacly Aerosmith tune sung a million times by other reality show contestants. At the same time, his humble, Southern boy charm was hard to deny.
Whether he will be able to translate his skills and the $1 million into a successful career like Terry Fator, I have my doubts. (What ever happened to that season one winner Bianca Ryan I tried hard to forget?)
For now, he’s guaranteed to headline a Vegas show next month with other AGT contestants and hosted by Jerry Springer.
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22 comments Add your comment
Splish Splash
September 17th, 2009
9:25 am
Who was the season 1 winner?
I thought...
September 17th, 2009
9:58 am
…Terry Fator won season one!?!?!?!??!
Rickster
September 17th, 2009
12:58 pm
I was looking at the “mice type” credits at the end of the show – and noticed that the $1,000,0000 is actually paid out over 40 years!
That means Kevin Skinner may very well be drawing his first Social Security check before he receives his last check from AGT!
Caroline
September 17th, 2009
2:57 pm
Bianca Ryan was winner of season 1. She was about 12 years of age and had a tremendous voice. She had an album come out last year but I don’t know how it did. I love Kevin Skinner, Barbara Padilla, but my heart really swooned over the Texas Tenors. They were awesome!! I really wish AGT would give monetary awards to second and third place winners because they work so hard to get to the finale. Does anyone know if all 10 will be in the show in Vegas in October?
IdolWatcher80
September 17th, 2009
3:01 pm
Barbara was robbed! (Just like Adam Lambert.) Although I liked Kevin’s voice, and all, how he could have won over Barbara I’ll never know.
kidding?
September 17th, 2009
3:42 pm
I’m all for a good story, but Kevin Skinner was terrible on the finale show. I don’t even think he deserved to be in the top 10. How could he have beaten Barbara Padilla, who has an AWESOME voice?
Yvonne
September 17th, 2009
6:00 pm
Enter your comments here
Yvonne
September 17th, 2009
6:02 pm
Enter your comments here I agree that Barbara Padilla should have won; however, I didn’t vote. Did you? I guess I cannot complain if I didn’t vote. She is clearly a better singer than Kevin Skinner; however, Kevin was an endearing person – so down to earth and humble. Kevin was unemployed and this will make such a wonderful difference in his life. I wish him – and Barbara all the best.
Not Going To Use My Usual Name
September 17th, 2009
7:55 pm
Yvonne, there’s a proud American tradition of not voting and still complaining about the results, so don’t worry.
Kevin didn’t do it for me musically, but even when I was sitting there hoping that someone (anyone?) else won, I saw the tears in his eyes and got all choked up… darn you, AGT, and your emotional manipulation.
I loved the Fab Five. I’ve seen clogging before, and I would have laughed if anyone had suggested that I would think a clogging group should win a glorified talent show, but those ladies were in *perfect* step. Their precision was amazing. Not everything difficult has to be dangerous.
atlBOY
September 17th, 2009
9:57 pm
kevin skinner was NOT the best singer in the competition according to two out of three judges on the show, but he had the best story, just like the winner of american idol, what’s-his-name. its supposed to be about talent, yes, but likability plays a big role when you have voting.
Phredd
September 18th, 2009
5:52 am
Bianca Ryan won season one. She pops up on TBN ever so often, so I assume she is a Christian singer or Gospel singer now.
Caroline
September 18th, 2009
11:51 am
I love Kevin Skinner and all the other contestants. There were many great talents this year. I especially liked the Texas Tenors. Bianca Ryan won the first season contest with her awesome singing and she was only about 12 or 13 years old. She had an album out sometime last year but I don’t know how it did. Terry Fator was absolutely fantastic last year!!
bulldamma
September 18th, 2009
2:04 pm
i voted and Kevin Skinner was not the best ACT, nor the Best story for AGT. But with American doing the voting, I called it perfect between the final 2….Kevin nor Barbara are/would be able to hold a Vegas crowd longer than 1-2 tunes…..the real talent – - Grandma Lee and Acro Dunk were robbed. now those 2 acts could have held a Vegas crowd !!!
Dorie
September 18th, 2009
7:21 pm
I was soooo happy for Kevin, I can’t imagine how happy his family is, he was so greatful, and I was.
joan silowitz
September 19th, 2009
3:26 am
Enter your comments here
What ever happened to last years winner, the italian opera singer with the sad eyes- everyone seems to have forgotten about him.
Curly
September 19th, 2009
11:11 am
Terry Fator won season 2, and he’s the best so far. This was season 4 that just ended. Just for the record.
Rocky Runyon
September 19th, 2009
12:11 pm
This season had a lot of great talent. Will all ten final contestants perform in the Vegas shows like the American Idol contestants did in their tours???
carlos
September 20th, 2009
9:22 am
Barbara is the same to Susan Boyle and last year piano man. Kevin Skinner was terrible on the finale show, NOT the best singer in the competition according to two out of three judges on the show and they supose to look for TALENT, not history about the chickens.
I am sure Barbara is goin to be a big star, She is perfect in her TALENT.
The future will show who is who.
shane
September 20th, 2009
11:53 am
Enter your comments hereI will never watch AGT again because I can no longer take it as a serious competition in search of talent. Its a likability competition. This wasnt a ‘good ‘ol boy contest. If was a talent competition. He fullfill the ‘underdog getting a big break’ desire for everyone. But how about the years these other contestants put into perfecting their talent? And they think they are going on this legitimate show that finds truely talented people and gives them the opportunity they and their talent deserves. They must have been so disapointed.As soon as this guy had said ‘I was a chicken catcher’, he had already won.
Fake name
September 21st, 2009
12:29 pm
You know he may have been a “Chicken Catcher’ But he won from Votes, from people just like us. There are a lot of people out there that sometimes think maybe the underdog should win. Have a chance that otherwise they wouldn’t have. Look at the 2nd show of American Idol…The Winner! Ruben Studdard, now he had talent for sure, but he won due to his size, not his voice! (Even thought he has a voice!). So about the ones NOT happy with Kevin winning is the ones that voted for Barbara. I didn’t vote, but I was glad to hear Kevin got it! In my opinion, he deserved it! Barbara will get a contract with her natural ability; she will get a contract hands down. But now Kevin doesn’t have to chase those scampery chickens anymore! Congratulations Kevin!
Andres Saenz
October 2nd, 2009
1:53 pm
This is a competition for ONE MILLION DOLLARS, the winner of America’s Got Talent is supposed to epitomize American talent. Kevin Skinner is definitely not worthy of this distinction, his audition was good but his voice sounded very shallow in the following performances. Kevin’s fans say that he sings with a lot of feeling. But Barbara sung her heart out every time she got up there, and she gave a flawless, amazing performance every single time…not bad considering the fact that she had a huge risk of never being able to sing again because of the lymphoma. How can you top perfection? Kevin was not on the same level as the other competitors, even Drew Stevyns has a stronger voice than Kevin.
My 2 favorites were Barbara Padilla and Recycled Percussion, in my opinion they should have been the top 2 because on 1 hand you have the greatest singer in AGT history and on the other you have a very exciting percussion group.
Just like Paul Potts won the 1st season of BGT so should Barbara Padilla have won THIS season of AGT.
Andres Saenz
October 2nd, 2009
1:55 pm
I agree with Shane…the name of this show is America’s Got TALENT not America’s Got SYMPATHY.