If you haven’t watched Atikokan’s Alex Sampson perform on America’s Got Talent, stop reading this article immediately, google Alex on YouTube and treat yourself to something special. Whether it’s Alex’s rendition of “Pretty Baby”, “If You Were My Girl” or “Wallflower” you’re going to get caught up in his performance and start humming his catchy tunes and lyrics for the rest of the day.
Everyone in Atikokan, and for that matter, the rest of the world, still is.
Alex has been singing all his life but it wasn’t until he was fifteen that he started putting himself out there, doing covers and creating his own videos.
With his boyish good looks and Canadian charm that comes from growing up in a small town, Alex’s popularity grows and grows. Not to mention the fact that he has a vocal range and style comparable to Shawn Mendes and Chris Isaak, and has been compared to them by Howie Mandel, the Canadian comedian who sits as one of the judges on the AGT panel.
When asked about performing on AGT, Alex has nothing but praise for the whole experience. “I loved every second,” he says with a huge grin. “I didn’t want to leave. The cast and the crew were excellent and I was given a lot of creative control during the competition. It’ll be something I’ll never forget.”
But the most magical of all moments during the show was when Simon Cowell, AGT’s producer and judge who is well known for telling it as it is, gave Alex a standing ovation and said, “That was very, very good.”
Alex was thrilled. “If I was going to impress anyone, I wanted it to be Simon.”
And he did. Simon continued to have high praise for Alex’s performances, even offering him advice backstage after the show. He compared Alex’s style to that of the music that came out of the 50’s and 60’s, something “that could have come out of a Martin Scorsese movie. If this is the lane you want to go down,” Simon advised, “I think it is very smart.” Alex was speechless.
Alex made it to the semi-finals and, much to the dismay of all of his fans, he didn’t receive enough votes to proceed to the finals.
But that has not held him back.
Signing a recording contract with Warner Records in Los Angeles, Alex has already released his second EP, Hopeless Romantic, and is performing for ecstatic fans in Canada and the U.S. The exposure AGT gave to him and his talent has gone a long way.
When asked what he plans to do next, Alex says he’s going to release a Christmas song in November, put out an album with a little more pop vibe in it, and then, well, take over the world.
“I want people to get sick of seeing my face,” he says with a laugh. With his welcoming smile and the-boy-next-door good looks, mixed with his silky and captivating style, it will take a long, long time for people to tire of Alex and his voice. It’s a refreshing and lovely combination.
