Unity's Victory Brinker, 9, ready to sing in 'America's Got Talent' quarterfinal round
Victory Brinker could see the iconic “Hollywood” sign from her hotel window.
The 9-year-old singing sensation from Westmoreland County was in California prepping for her appearance in Tuesday’s quarterfinal round of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”
Victory was taking the sights and the situation in stride, said her mother, Christine, in an interview with the Tribune-Review.
The pair arrived in California on Aug. 7 and will return home Thursday, following the announcement of quarterfinal results on Wednesday night.
“She’s focusing on her music and staying calm,” Christine said. “She does wake up and count down the days until the show.”
For her part, Victory said, “I feel OK. I am excited.”
It helps that she’s used to the limelight.
The little girl with the big voice started singing when she was 2. At 6, she turned her attention to opera and began learning arias in different languages.
From church, local talent shows, fairs and festivals, she moved to bigger stages: singing the national anthem for the Pittsburgh Pirates, participating in Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Pittsburgh Lights and Legends show and appearing in New York City at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater.
Golden Buzzer
In April 2020, she sang a German-language aria from the opera “The Magic Flute” on NBC’s “Little Big Shots.” Her performance got the attention of “AGT” producers.
In July, she made “AGT” history, becoming the first contestant to earn a Golden Buzzer from all four judges, thereby advancing from her audition to this summer’s live shows.
What made it more amazing, Christine said, was that Victory was singing with a cold.
Victory is supported in her musical journey by her large family, including her 10 siblings and pastor father, Eric Brinker, who is holding down the fort at home.
“We FaceTime many times a day,” Christine said.
“The whole family is so supportive. They’re just as excited as Victory,” she added. “(Eric) is Mr. Dad running the show, and we’re blessed that he has a schedule that allows him to do that.”
The Brinkers are helping Victory follow her passion, just as they’ve done for their other children, Christine said.
“We try to help them find their talents and gifts and interests,” she said. “Everybody does their own thing, and each one has had their season.”
When some of their older kids played basketball and participated in gymnastics, she said, the focus was on getting them to practice, attending games and meets and otherwise helping them succeed.
Not everyone is interested in being on national television, she noted.
“When the show came out to the house in July and filmed for 11 hours, one of the kids said, ‘No way do I want to have any part of this,’ ” she said.
Parallel stories
Victory’s story has parallels with that of another Western Pennsylvania vocal prodigy.
Pittsburgh-area native Jackie Evancho was 10 when she placed second in 2010 in the fifth season of “America’s Got Talent.”
Her father, Mike Evancho, related an incident that happened shortly afterward, as Jackie waved to a group of fans.
“She looked up at me and said, ‘Look, Daddy, I’m famous,’ ” Evancho said. “I just gave her a hug and said, ‘Yes, you are.’ ”
Like the Brinkers, Evancho and his former wife, Lisa, made sure their other three children played a part in Jackie’s journey.
“We all flew out to L.A. once she got to the finals, and they were included in whatever activity was going on,” he said. “If you saw any of the interviews we did at home, they were all there. Jackie was the star, but they all appreciated that they were included.
“You don’t want them to feel any less special than the one who’s on TV, because they’re all very special,” said Evancho, who is now based with Jackie in New York and is involved in managing her career.
Though Jackie’s rocket ride to fame was exciting, he said, it was nerve-wracking, too.
“Once they’re on stage, they’re on their own. You can’t help them. You can’t save them,” he said.
Enjoy the ride
For the Brinkers or other parents in similar situations, Evancho shared a couple of things he learned.
“One of the main things is to enjoy the ride. A lot of times, for people on these reality shows, it could disappear like that,” he said. “It was rare for Jackie to turn it into a career.
“Give them time to be a kid,” he added. “If (parents) do it right, if they don’t push too hard or let them burn out, they’ll maintain that passion.”
As for Victory, she has another goal after her time on “AGT” is over.
“I want to sing in Paris, because I love France,” she said, though she hasn’t been there yet. “I love the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, and I love the French language.
“I want to sing and act all over the world.”
First things first, her mother said.
Victory’s fans can vote for her after her Tuesday appearance on the “America’s Got Talent” app or at nbc.com.
“You can vote up to 10 times,” Christine said. “Those votes are so needed, and the support we’ve gotten from local people has just been so amazing. We’ve really been blessed by it.”
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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