With a stunning performance that demonstrated clearly how much she had developed since winning America’s Got Talent, Darci Lynne returned to her Oklahoma City origins. With Petunia, her cherished rabbit doll, the young ventriloquist and vocalist took to the stage and gave an entrancing performance of Billie Holiday’s “Summertime”.
As Lynne expertly combined ventriloquism with astounding vocal control, the audience was enthralled; she demonstrated once more why she is still among the most unusual and gifted acts to come from AGT. The show was more a display of Lynne’s transformation as a singer than just a homage to a jazz great. The same powerful, low notes and bumps of sludgy tunes that every other yield contained landed her first, her anticipated standing ovation.
Darci Lynne & Petunia: Summertime, Oklahoma City Homecoming show, 12/16/2017
With a performance of “Summertime” by Petunia, Lynne started her unforgettable audition for America’s Got Talent at just 12 years old, getting the Golden Buzzer and launching her career. Years later, she has now revisited the song much more masterly, hence demonstrating that her achievement is not only the product of skill but also of hard work and creative growth.
Originally written by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess, “Summertime” has since become a jazz standard noted for its hauntingly beautiful melody and depth of emotions. When Billie Holiday recorded her famous version in 1936, the song became widely known, opening the door for many of singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Norah Jones, and Janis Joplin to apply their own touch to the standard.
Ella Fitzgerald – Summertime (1968)
More than just a concert, Lynne’s sincere performance of “Summertime” at her homecoming show was testament of her love for classic music and her capacity to breathe new life into well-loved standards. One thing is absolutely valid Darci Lynne’s star will only shine brighter as her voice grows and her artistry develops more.