Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. may have been the last person to audition for Season 6 of NBC’s talent show “America’s Got Talent” in New York City, but he came out as the man on top after being named the season finale winner Wednesday. Murphy’s solo singing act beat out competitive performances by dance teams Silhouettes and Team iLuminate and singing group PopLyfe to win the talent show.
Murphy, a resident and former car washer from Logan, W Va., will no longer be singing at the car wash; he will now have a much bigger stage to perform on. With this win, Murphy will not only take home the top prize of $1 million but will also headline a show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
From his very first performance of Sinatra’s “Under My Skin” at the start of the talent show, Murphy has been mesmerizing audiences with his soft but powerful voice. America might even say Frank Sinatra has been revived and is heading to Las Vegas in the form of Murphy. His right-on renditions of some classic Sinatra songs, including his final performance Tuesday of the signature “My Way,” ultimately won him the show’s top title.
Murphy never lost his momentum while singing his way into the hearts of America and the “America’s Got Talent” judges: Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan, and Howie Mandel. Morgan, who has been one of the toughest judges throughout the season, definitely got it right when he called Murphy’s Tuesday final showcase a “$1 million performance.”
Not only has Murphy had America supporting him throughout his journey, but his family has stood by him from the very beginning. His wife Jennifer Carter Murphy was a constant fixture at all of his performances. Landau has also made it known at his performances that he was performing to provide for his kids’ futures.
Winning “America’s Got Talent” was not the only highlight of Murphy’s day. He also got to wrap up his extraordinary season on the show performing “You’re All I Need” with his musical idol, legendary singer Patti LaBelle.