Matt Mauser Brings AGT Crowd To Tears With Audition After Losing Wife in Crash That Killed Kobe Bryant
There was not one dry eye in the audience or for viewers watching at home following Matt Mauser’s “America’s Got Talent” audition.
The 51-year-old musician lost his wife Christina Mauser in the same helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe and Gianna Bryant in January 2020. Christina was a coach at the NBA legend’s Mamba Sports Academy.
Prior to his cover of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds,” Matt spoke about his wife’s and his family’s grief to judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofía Vergara and Howie Mandel.
“I’m a singer. And I’m here because my wife and I…we were both schoolteachers, and we retired from teaching so that I could do the music full-time,” he said to the crowd. “And she got the opportunity to coach girls’ basketball with Kobe Bryant. But on January 26th of 2020, I lost my wife in the same helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.”
During pre-taping, Mauser reflected on losing his wife,
“When she left that day, she kissed me and she said, ‘I love you,” Matt added. “And that was the last thing my wife ever said to me. Your whole life changes in a second.”
“There was pain,” he said, “My focus immediately went to my children. You start to say, ‘All right, she would want me to carry on.’ She would want our kids to have happy lives, which I don’t know it’s possible, But I’m gonna try. You know, if I had it my way, I would have my wife, and I would be supporting her. But that’s not what happened. You know, it’s been a rough year. But…here I am.”
Matt’s audition won the crowd and the emotion and pain could be felt through his singing. All three judges were impressed and moved him to the next round.