Kodi Lee’s audition on America’s Got Talent made him an internet legend. Despite being legally blind and diagnosed with autism, Kodi’s extraordinary musical talent proved him to be a savant; a rare phenomenon of spectacular talent contrasted by intellectual impairment. After winning a Golden Buzzer at his viral audition, Kodi’s performance at the AGT Finals saw him duet with none other than legendary X Factor winner, Leona Lewis.
For his series-winning performance, Kodi Lee and Leona Lewis performed a tender, powerful cover of Calum Scott’s “You Are The Reason,” a song on which Leona featured in an official duet with Calum only one year prior. This wholesome duet has already gained over 16.7 million views on YouTube, with viewers praising pop goddess Leona for not once overpowering Kodi’s incredible voice but giving him the opportunity to shine.
All four AGT judges gave the duo a standing ovation, while the live audience chanted Kodi’s name. His viral performances won Kodi the entire 14th season of AGT, landmarkedly recognized as the first disabled person to do so in the show’s history.
Kodi was born in Temecula, California with optic nerve hypoplasia. After a life-saving surgery at only 5 days old, Kodi grew into a musical prodigy, uniquely blessed with both perfect pitch and an audio photographic memory. According to his website, Kodi can “recall music he hears after just one listen […] He literally has a library of songs in his mind that would rival any jukebox,” ranging from R&B to Mozart, rock and jazz to Chopin.
Kodi’s YouTube channel is popping; alongside his music, 27-year-old Kodi uploads covers, live performances, and vlogs, including a seven-episode series entitled “Kodi Tries” which sees him take on challenges such as sculpting with clay, finger painting, and a blindfolded game of Jenga with his family. In April 2024, Kodi even released signature series shoes with Billy Footwear. “Kodify.”
Despite not yet breaking the pop charts, Kodi’s become a bit of an internet legend, boasting 528K followers on Instagram and 438K subscribers on his YouTube channel to date! His America’s Got Talent performances have racked up over 73 million views across various uploads.
