With gravity-defying dance teams and musical talent that is out of this world, “America’s Got Talent” is an exciting exposé of wonder and talent that never ceases to disappoint and the finals of this competition was no different.

The finals of this year’s competition featured two choirs, three solo singers, two dance groups, a violinist and a comedian. The show was action packed with an additional performance from each of the contestants with their heroes. Musical artists such as Leona Lewis, Macklemore, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more celebrities collaborated with their chosen contestant in an all-out finale to end the year. When the performance was over, the results came in and the winner was the solo singer Kodi Lee.

Lee is a 22-year-old man from Lake Elsinore, Calif. Lee’s blindness and autism distinguished him throughout the competition, but he is more than his disabilities. Not only is he an extraordinary singer and pianist but, according to his website, Lee is one of only 25 people in the world who have both perfect pitch and an echoic memory. This effectively allows him to perfectly recall any song after only hearing it once, without any need for sight.

Despite daily struggles, Lee becomes an entirely different person when he begins to sing. His usual wandering eyes seem to focus when plays, and his vocal movements steady from his very high pitched voice into a smooth tenor sound. All of the social graces that Lee lacks when he interacts with people can be found in his music, and it  transforms him into an entirely different person.This man is a star, and there was no doubt that he was one of the best choices to win this competition.

But with every competition like this, there will always be those who doubt the overall choice of winners. Many people say that Lee only won based on disability and used this point to bring up how the best way to win is with some sort of a sob story. The reality is that even if Lee did not have these setbacks in his life, his talent still would have shown through. The only thing that his disability does is show how much harder he has worked and how much more talented he is.

Lee is truly an inspiration for everyone, showing that, despite our circumstances in life, we can all achieve success.