The road to America’s Got Talent has been a winding one for Olivia Calderon. The Tempe detention officer has been through divorce, career changes and the death of her father—who was her musical mentor. Calderon says through it all, the music is what’s kept her going.
"It all started with my love to sing," Calderon said. "Dad and I always dreamed of me being on a big stage. Dad passed away four years ago. He’s my guardian angel and he’s been lighting the road on this journey I’ve been on with AGT."
Calderon has already advanced through the first round of cuts. She sings traditional Mexican Tejano music with unforgettable passion. Calderon says when she’s on stage, she’s singing for everyone who’s gotten her to this point.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, nervousness, stress, but it’s an experience I don’t regret for a moment to have taken," she said. "It’s been an opportunity to be on the world’s life-changing stage. To be able to represent not only my family, the department of Tempe but the entire state of Arizona."
As for Tuesday night’s show—she says she’ll be with close friends in Casa Grande at the Thirsty Donkey—anxiously waiting to see if she’ll advance to the next round.
“We’re approaching now the second audition, which is the judge's cuts," she said. "This is another very important audition. This will determine if I will move to live shows. So, we are praying and hoping that happens."
Calderon says no matter what happens tonight, she feels like getting this far has been a major accomplishment. She has a message for anyone who may be thinking about putting their dreams on hold or even giving up altogether.
"My advice is: Follow your dreams. There were times I had a situation I didn’t know if those dreams would be fulfilled," Calderon said. "There’s a lot of obstacles that come into our life as we move forward. The thing is the tenacity that I had, and wanting it so bad to not only represent Arizona but to sing and share my passion with everyone that’s willing to listen. Never give up on your dreams because I thought it may not happen."