COLORADO: John Hetlinger, a beloved 'America's Got Talent' participant, has died at the age of 89. In 2016, the Colorado native stunned the judges with his singing audition.
John was a vocalist on 'AGT' Season 11. In the Judge Cuts, he was eliminated. John's audition consisted of him performing Drowning Pool's 'Bodies'. Despite the fact that Heidi Klum voted "No," Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Simon Cowell all voted "Yes," sending John to Judge Cuts.
RIP John Hetlingerby u/FluidSurprise696 in agt
How did John Hetlinger die?
John was born on January 1, 1934, in South Dakota, according to his obituary. He worked as a Lutheran preacher, the Hubble Space Telescope's program manager, with space-based infrared systems defense, on the Apollo Saturn program, and as a US Navy pilot during his career. The AGT competitor has two marriages, four children, and two adopted children.
"John was known for his love of karaoke. His sheer passion for singing was unmatched. His rendition of Bodies by Drowning Pool on America’s Got Talent will forever be legendary. John's fans eagerly anticipated his performances and were never disappointed," according to his obituary.
According to his relatives, his "pacemaker was turned off" and he died of heart failure. "Surprisingly, it was not caused by karaoke-related screaming," they conclude.
John performed onstage with Drowning Pool at the Ink in the Clink Festival
A Reddit user just learned that John died on May 14, 2023. "Idk if this is old news for all of you but it’s brand new to me…I just learned that John Hetlinger passed away in May :( he was a legend and I never forgot how pleasantly surprised I was when he sang Bodies. RIP," they wrote. "Oh, I just found this out right now :(," one admirer said. His obituary was added by the Reddit user.
Unfortunately for John, he was eliminated in the Judge Cuts round of 'AGT,' and he did not move to the Quarterfinals. Following his participation in 'AGT,' John had the opportunity to perform Bodies with Drowning Pool at the 2016 Chicago Open Air Festival. Following the show, he was given a Drowning Pool "prison tatt."