Cork's Stephanie Rainey’s Emotional Audition: The Best Original Song on 'AGT'
Irish singer-songwriter Stephanie Rainey has described the overwhelming reaction to her emotional America's Got Talent audition, which moved judges to tears and brought the audience to its feet, as "incredible."
Head judge Simon Cowell praised her song, "Please Don’t Go," which Stephanie composed inspired by the tragic death of her nephew, Fionn, from meningitis the day before his first birthday. He declared it the best original song he had heard this year.
“And even though it’s about something really sad, it’s real,” Cowell said. “And your voice is beautiful. A lot of people are going to resonate with that song, and you. I absolutely love this.”
After all four judges voted her through to the next round, Stephanie expressed her gratitude, saying, “The love already pouring in is overwhelming. I literally have no words.”
Stephanie, 36, shared with Cowell and his fellow judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara, that she has been performing since she was 18, describing her career as “a rollercoaster.”
She explained that she wrote her audition song, "Please Don’t Go," during her teenage years, in memory of her late nephew.
“It took me a long time to write a song about it. Honestly, I was about to give up music. So I wanted to make something for me, that I believe in. So this song means more to me than I can describe,” she said.
Accompanied on piano by her best friend, Sarah Power, Stephanie Rainey delivered a stunning rendition of the tender and emotional song, bringing Sofia Vergara to tears on America's Got Talent.
Stephanie released "Please Don’t Go" online in 2015, and it quickly gained traction, amassing one million views in less than a day.
“I then signed a deal after the song came out,” she said. “I think I probably didn’t know who I fully was back when I signed the deal. The journey from then until now has been hard. It’s a tough industry, and you have to be resilient, and when the downs come, you have to be willing to pick yourself up. And here I am.”
Cowell acknowledged the challenges of the music industry and emphasized the importance of platforms like America's Got Talent.
With her best friend Sarah Power accompanying her on piano, Stephanie's performance received a standing ovation from the 4,000-capacity audience, led by Cowell and Mandel.
Vergara, wiping away tears, called Stephanie’s audition “perfect,” Klum described it as “a real special moment,” and Mandel noted how rare it is for acts to move people so profoundly.
He said, “That was one of the most relatable, emotional moments we’ve had on season 19.”
Cowell added, “Of all the new songs I’ve heard this year, this is the best by a mile.” He approached Stephanie on stage afterwards, telling her, “That was what I call a moment. That song is so beautiful.”
Nearly a decade after its initial release, "Please Don’t Go" has reached new audiences, with over eight million Spotify plays and 40 million combined views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Stephanie has also announced two headline shows: one at Vicar Street on November 14 and another at Cork City Hall on December 18.
