Young Singer Fights For Spot On ‘America’s Got Talent’ With Dazzling Elvis Cover

America's Got Talent / YouTube

Although Elvis Presley passed away in 1977, his musical legacy will never die. Today, there’s a whole generation of Elvis fans who weren’t even born yet when “The King” was still alive.

One of those fans is a young singer named Dakota Striplin. For eight years, Dakota has been sharing his talent with the world by uploading cover videos of popular songs.

Back in 2014, Dakota shared his rendition of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The song was originally recorded by Elvis, and was included in his 1961 film Blue Hawaii. It became a number one hit in the UK following its release and was also a Top 10 hit in various other countries.

Since then, a number of other artists have stepped up to offer different takes on “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” One of the most notable renditions was recorded by reggae group UB40, whose recording was a number one hit in both the U.S. and the UK.

After he shared his cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Dakota joined that long list of artists that came before him. As he wrote in the description to the video, he considers Elvis to be his “hero.” While the video didn’t generate much attention at first, we have a feeling that will change after Dakota’s appearance on America’s Got Talent.

On Tuesday night (July 25), viewers tuned in to America’s Got Talent to see who the judges would select to move to the next phase of the competition. Only seven contestants could continue through, so the pressure was on.

Dakota fought for his spot in the competition by relying on his hero’s classic hit. America’s Got Talent uploaded a short video of his performance, which also shows how his fellow contestants reacted to it. To say that they were blown away would be an understatement, because they were in absolute awe!

It’s understandable why the other contestants reacted in such a way. Dakota’s performance was the definition of enchanting, especially when he hit the final note in a whisper-like way.

Unfortunately, Dakota’ charms didn’t seem to have the same effect on the judges. Although guest judge DJ Khaled seemed intriguied by the performance, the judges collectively decided not to send Dakota on in the competition. 

You can watch Dakota’s America’s Got Talent performance of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in first video below. While you’re at it, listen to him sing the full version of the song in the second video. 

Even though Dakota is no longer on America’s Got Talent, we know he’s destined for big things. With a voice like that, he’s sure to be a star someday!