'America's Got Talent' host Terry Crews awards Detroit Youth Choir the golden buzzer

Detroit — The Detroit Youth Choir couldn't hold back tears Tuesday night after receiving the golden buzzer for its performance on NBC's "America's Got Talent."

The Detroit Youth Choir is a local nonprofit composed of youth ages 8-18 that teaches and develops students through music education and dance.

The group auditioned for the four judges and a live studio audience, and saw a friendly Michigan face, Terry Crews from Flint, who hosts the show.

Crews welcomed the group, drawing attention to choir director Anthony White. 

"Mr. White, people like you are the reason I am where I am right now and, let me tell you, all it takes is one person to believe that you can do it and you have that and that's more than so many people have on this earth," Crews said before the group's performance.

White, who has directed the choir for 21 years, said the mission is to show that "young people from Detroit can be somebody."

"We're here to let the world know we have some beautiful young people in the city of Detroit," White said to the judges. "They all have great grades and they're all talented."

A choir has never won the show, which has run for 14 seasons, but White said, "this could be the first."

The choir sang a rendition of Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us."

Its 90-second performance earned a standing ovation from the judges and a golden buzzer from Crews sending the choir straight into the next round, regardless of other judges' votes. Each judge may press the golden buzzer only once per season.

Crews was brought to tears. "Every young man and woman on this stage represents me and where I came from," he said. "I remember sitting at my window in Flint, Michigan, dreaming that I wanted to make it and wanted to be here and they're here and they did so well that I have to do this.

"Mr. White, all it takes is one person to believe in a young man or woman for them to reach their dreams and you are that man, sir," Crews said as he pushed the golden buzzer.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_