Mandy Harvey

Amanda Lynn Harvey (born January 2, 1988) is an American jazz and pop singer and songwriter. Profoundly deaf following an illness at the age of 18, she is most notable as a former contestant in the 12th season of America's Got Talent, where she performed original songs during the competition.

Early life

Harvey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to St. Cloud, Florida. She had hearing problems and underwent several surgeries as a child to try to correct them. Her family moved to Colorado when she was a young child. She sang throughout her childhood and her talent was recognized at Longmont High School, where she graduated in 2006. Harvey gradually lost her hearing as a result of the connective tissues disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She lost her remaining hearing when she was eighteen, while she was majoring in vocal music education at Colorado State University; as a result she left the university.

Jazz career

After fully losing her hearing in 2007, Harvey became depressed and quit music. However, with the aid of "visual tuners" she learned how to find the correct pitches when singing. In 2008 she met jazz pianist Mark Sloniker at Jay's Bistro in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she began performing regularly. She later performed at Dazzle Jazz Lounge in Denver, Colorado and recorded three studio jazz albums. JazzTimes wrote of her 2009 debut album, Smile, "The vocals are rich and captivating." her second album After You've Gone was released in 2010. In 2011 Harvey won VSA's International Young Soloist Award. She later returned to perform at the Kennedy Center. Her third album All of Me followed in 2014

America's Got Talent

In 2017, Harvey appeared on America's Got Talent, season 12, where she took fourth place. She was given the Golden Buzzer by Simon Cowell, using her ukulele while performing original songs during the competition.

The same year as her America's Got Talent appearance, she published a memoir with co-author Mark Atteberry, Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound.

In a November 15, 2017 interview for the BBC, Harvey described how she was accused of promoting oralism when she first took to the stage and has received death threats from within the Deaf community for promoting a "hearing" activity.

Personal life and charitable work

She is an Ambassador for the nonprofit organization No Barriers to help disabled people overcome obstacles.