Lists

The Untold Truth About Grant Imahara’s Tragic Death

Published

7 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Martha Clifford

In 2020, the news of Grant Imahara’s passing shook science enthusiasts around the world. A renowned roboticist, electrical engineer and a TV host, Grant gained popularity through the science TV show “MythBusters”, designing and building numerous robots which were meant to test out popular beliefs, while working on a number of passion projects on the side. Grant’s love for engineering shone through every aspect of his work. ‘When I was a kid, I never wanted to be James Bond. I wanted to be Q, because he was the guy who made all the gadgets’, he famously said in one his interviews.

Table of Contents

Who was Grant Imahara?

Grant Imahara was born on 23 October 1970, in Los Angeles, California into a Japanese-American family. He was an excellent student and upon matriculating high school, he was granted a scholarship at the University of Southern Carolina, from which he graduated in 1993, with a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He was also interested in working in the entertainment industry at the time, and had at one point considered switching majors to become a screenwriter. Finding out that the Cinematic Arts School at his university had restriction which prevented him changing his major, Grant briefly left college altogether, and it was only after his engineering professor took him under his wing that Imahara changed his decision.

Soon after graduating, Grant landed a job as an engineer for Lucasfilm’s THX division, before moving to their special effects division. During his time there, he worked on numerous high-budget blockbusters produced by the studio, including movies from “Star Wars”, “Jurassic Park” and “The Matrix” franchises. He was primarily involved as a model maker, and was credited for his work on updating the original R2-D2 robot in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy. Grant had also built a robot which later became a champion on Comedy Central’s robot fighting show “Battle Bots” in 2002. In the following year, he published a book about his experience, entitled “Kickin’ Bot: An Illustrated Guide to Building Combat Robots”.

Happy #MayTheFourth from me and #BabyYoda! I was lucky enough to work at @Lucasfilm_Ltd and @ILMVFX on #StarWars projects from 1993-2005. I look back on those years fondly and look forward to their plans for the future of the franchise. #MayThe4thBeWithYou #TheMandalorian pic.twitter.com/AphjVWjZy8

— Grant Imahara (@grantimahara) May 5, 2020

Grant joined the cast of Discovery Channel popular science show “MythBusters” in 2005, on an invitation from his former Lucasfilm colleague, Linda Wolkovitch, who was also an associate producer on the series. Filmed in San Francisco, California, the show focused on testing the validity of various rumors, myths and conventional wisdoms through the use of scientific methods. Over the course of 14 years, it became a cultural phenomenon, and was broadcast in over 50 countries.

Grant was initially cast to replace the former “MythBusters” welder, Scottie Chapman, joining Kari Bryon and Tory Belleci on the ‘Build Team’. The three of them worked independently from the main hosts, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, and had a separate segment on the show. In an interview from 2008, Grant talked about what a typical filming day looked like for him: ‘We could be jumping out of planes, learning to swing on a trapeze, swimming with sharks, and the list goes on and on. We usually find out what we’re doing for the week on Monday morning.’

After nearly nine years, in 2014 the trio left the show to develop their own series – “White Rabbit Project”, which was released on Netflix in spring 2016. Similarly to “MythBusters”, “White Rabbit Project” explored unusual scientific concepts prevalent in pop culture, history and science. The first season of the show was warmly received by the audience and critics alike, but sadly, it was never renewed despite the praise.

In 2018, Grant returned to “BattleBots”, this time as one of the judges. In the same year, it was announced that he had been working with Walt Disney Imagineering, and was included as an author on their research paper, “Stickman: Towards a Human Scale Acrobatic Robot”. The robot whose design was detailed in the paper used a gravity-driven pendulum launch to produce stunts, while utilizing a laser range-finder to estimate its position mid-flight. Soon thereafter, a limited number of Stickman prototypes have been built for usage in Disney World theme parks across the globe.

In 2020, for one of his last projects Grant built a fully animatronic model of Baby Yoda from the TV series “The Mandalorian”, with which he had planned to tour children’s hospitals.

Personal life

Four years prior to his untimely death, Grant became engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Jennifer Newman, proposed during her birthday party in front of nearly 300 guests – according to “TMZ”, her antique engagement ring embellished with diamonds cost over $20,000 dollars. Jennifer works as an actress and a costume designer, on movies such as “Batgirl: Spoiled” and the sci-fi short “The Death and return of Superman”. Grant and Jennifer never married.

Outside of work, Grant was a passionate tabletop gamer, and frequently made appearances on the Greek & Sundry YouTube channel. He also enjoyed playing video games, with some of his favorite titles being “Age of Empires II” and “Kerbal Space Program”.

Cause of death

Grant passed away at 49 years old, on 13 July 2020, after suffering a rupture of an undiagnosed intracranial aneurysm. According to a “TMZ” report, in the days leading to his death, Imahara had been experiencing painful headaches which were attributed to migraines. After his pain significantly worsened, he was rushed to a hospital where he was correctly diagnosed. He underwent an emergency surgery the same day, but sadly never fully recovered. After another operation Grant’s condition didn’t improve, and he was pronounced dead.

Grant’s sudden death came as a shock to his friends and longtime co-workers. ‘Grant was a truly brilliant engineer, artist and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON. Working with Grant was so much fun. I’ll miss my friend.’ wrote Adam Savage, Grant’s former “MythBusters” co-star in a touching Instagram post.

In the days following Grant’s passing, his fiancée Jennifer tweeted ‘I haven’t found the words. I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I lost a part of my heart and soul today. He was so generous and kind, so endlessly sweet and so loved by his incredible friends. I feel so lucky to have known him, to have loved & been loved by him. I love you, honey.’

Grant Imahara’s legacy

On 23 October 2020 – the day which would have been Grant’s 50^th birthday, his family, friends and colleagues announced the establishment of Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation. The non-profit organization is set to honor the late engineer’s legacy by providing grants, scholarships and mentoring support to students pursuing an education in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) related fields.

‘There are many students, like my son Grant, who need the balance of the technical and the creative, and this is what STEAM is all about. I’m so proud of my son’s career, but I’m equally proud of the work he did mentoring students. He would be thrilled that we plan to continue this, plus much more, through The Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation.’, said Carolyn Imahara, Grant’s mother and foundation co-founder. To raise money for the foundation, more than 80 props which Grant had built during his time on “MythBusters” were sold at auction in August 2021.

Several months after Grant’s passing, the co-founder of “BattleBots”, Greg Munson, announced that the competition’s “Best Design Award” would be renamed to the “Grant Imahara Award for Best Design”.

https://www.facebook.com/grantimaharaofficial/photos/a.1853210011561131/2163661020516027/?type=3

Why did “MythBusters” end?

Grant Imahara left a big mark on “MythBusters” during his time on the show. The moment when he and the rest of the ‘Build Team’ left the series is often considered to be a breaking point of the long-running TV show, as its ratings quickly plummeted. The low viewership combined with the high cost of filming “MythBusters”, prompted the hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman to call quits on the series. According to one of their post-show interviews, they expected the show to be cancelled by the network in the following years, so they agreed to film a final season and finish it on their own terms. ‘The thing that really makes me happy, is most cable shows like ours just end. They get past their freshness date, you finish a season and then you hear you’ll never see another one. I truly thought that’s the way “MythBusters” would end. We’ve been filming the last season this year and we get to send it off, we get to pay homage to this thing that’s changed our lives.’, said Adam.

The final episode of the series aired in 2016. However, Discovery Channel was still on the lookout for more “MythBusters” content, so in the same year the network launched a spin-off series entitled “MythBusters: The Search” – a competition-style series which would determine the new hosts of the original show. The winners Brian Louden and Jon Lung went on to host the only season of the revival series in 2017.

In 2018, Adam Savage made his return to the franchise in another spin-off, “MythBusters Jr.”, in which we saw him mentoring a group of six aspiring young scientists. Much like the revival series, “MythBusters Jr.” unfortunately lasted for only one season.

As of right now, it seems highly unlikely that we would see Savage and Hyneman working together on any “MythBusters” related projects in the future. Although the two are known as one of the most iconic duos on TV, behind the scenes there seems to have been a lot of tension between them, which may have also contributed to their decision to quit working on “MythBusters”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf-v_jOOznE/

More about “MythBusters”

“MythBusters”, one of Discovery’s most successful series, was initially developed by the Australian writer and producer Peter Rees in 2002, under the title “Tall Tales or True”. The network initially rejected the proposal since they’d just commissioned a similar show, however, a refined proposal convinced them to give “MythBusters” a shot, and film a three-episode pilot. The first name who was set to host the show was Jamie Hyneman, who had previously worked as a special-effects artist on shows such as “Robot Wars” and “BattleBots”. Although Jamie was excited about the opportunity, he didn’t want to be the sole host, so he brought in his colleague, Adam Savage.

The two were the sole presenters during the first season, working from Jamie’s special effects workshop dubbed M5 Industries, while his staff initially worked behind the scenes. As the show progressed, they became more prevalent in the episodes, and three of them – Scottie Chapman, Kary Bryon and Tory Belleci, went on to form the ‘Build Team’, working from their own workshop called M7 – Grant Imahara replaced Chapman during the third season. “MythBusters” had also had a team of two ‘interns’ dubbed ‘Myththerns’, consisting of Jess Nelson and Christine Chamberlain.

Image source

“MythBusters” typically test out misconceptions though a two-step process – ‘replicate the circumstances, then duplicate the results’. If this approach fails, they sometimes try to push the boundaries by expanding the circumstances of the experiments so that the results are sure to be replicated, exposing the ridiculousness of certain myths.

Over the course of 12 years, the series’ hosts have explored some quite outlandish myths, including the possibility of riding a motorcycle on water, building a parachute made only out of materials found in a typical hotel room, and making explosives from coffee creamer. However, there are some popular myths that never made it onto the show for various reasons – most notably, Adam and Jamie wanted to steer clear of paranormal concepts, as they believed these cannot be tested through scientific means. Sometimes, certain myths do not make it on the show due to objections from the network and its advertisers. The team also hasn’t tested any conspiracy theories regarding sensitive topics, such as 9/11 terrorist attacks and the assassination of JF Kennedy.

Due to the nature of experiments conducted on the show, many didn’t go as planned. In some cases, they have simply produced unexpected results, while some have even caused injuries to people involved or property damage. One such case happened in 2009, during filming of an episode in Esparto, California; apparently the entire town was shaken by a blast, causing broken windows and general chaos among residents.

Two years later, while conducting a cannonball related experiment in Dublin, California, the crew ended up accidentally shooting a cannonball at residents’ houses. The errant projectile missed its intended target at the local bomb range, and instead soared up into the neighboring community, hitting two houses and a minivan. Fortunately, nobody was harmed, and the “MythBusters” crew promptly apologized and offered to cover the restoration expenses.

Reruns of the show are still being aired on Science Channel, while the entire series is also available for streaming on Discovery+.

Martha Clifford

As an Author at Net Worth Post, I guide a dedicated team in the art of revealing the stories behind the world's most influential personalities. Fueled by a relentless curiosity and a knack for uncovering hidden stories, I immerse myself in the intricacies of our subjects' lives, weaving together accurate data and compelling narratives. My involvement spans the entire editorial process, from the seed of research to the final flourish of publication, ensuring that every article not only educates but also captivates and motivates our audience. At Net Worth Post, we are committed to providing thorough investigations into the net worth and life achievements of innovators across diverse sectors such as technology, culture, and social entrepreneurship. My method merges meticulous research with eloquent storytelling, designed to bridge the gap between our readers and the remarkable individuals who redefine our tomorrow. Through spotlighting their journeys to success, the hurdles they've surmounted, and their contributions to society, we aim to give our readers a deep and inspiring insight into the luminaries who are paving the way for progress and ingenuity in the modern era.

Click to comment

Lists

Is “Yellowstone” based on a true story?

Published

3 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Martha Clifford

Wondering if “Yellowstone” is based on a true story? What inspired the writers to produce the Dutton family drama? When part one of the “Yellowstone” season 5 was launched, viewers have been concerned about finding out whether the series is based on a true story. Fans have also been interested in learning about the Dutton family story, which some believe to be real. Read on to learn if “Yellowstone” is based on a true story, and what inspired it.

Image source

Table of Contents

Background

“Yellowstone” is a Western drama series about the Dutton family, which owns the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the biggest in Montana. The drama series premiered in June 2018 and revolves around the Dutton family at the ranch, bordering a national park, the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, and developers in need of the family’s piece of land.

“Yellowstone” is centered on John Dutton III, a character acted by Kevin Costner, a sixth-generation patriarch and widowed member of the Dutton family who owns and runs the ranch. He fights to protect the ranch from those seeking to repossess his family’s land for other developments that do not align with the interests of the family.

The producer of “Yellowstone,” Taylor Sheridan believes that the drama series has been a success with the audiences, although critics have different views and reservations. He makes it clear that the series is for people who experience the life it portrays. The writer also states that the audience is expanding, because many people love westerns; they provide entertainment and different perspectives about life in the west.

People who resonate with the plot depicted in the drama series will certainly love it. “Yellowstone” flows through different genres, where it sets the stage for being campy, then becomes dramatic, and violent. It’s a blend of the old western, new western, and soap opera. While it infuriates other people, it appeals to the interests of individuals who love storytelling.

“Yellowstone” is a hit partly because its location is fantastic, it’s acted in a wicked way, and explores a world that is unknown to many people. It consists of powerhouse actors who put on an outstanding performance.

https://www.facebook.com/yellowstoneparamount/posts/4268604499878381

Is “Yellowstone” Based on a True Story?

The answer is ‘no’, because “Yellowstone” is not based on true people or events that have happened in real life. However, Taylor Sheridan revealed in an interview with The Los Angeles Times in 2018 that the series explores issues that he’s witnessed, and the problems that still exist in US’s western mountain states.

For instance, “Yellowstone” explores issues related to land development, oppression, resource mismanagement, extreme poverty and inequality. These challenges still exist in other parts of the US, and the consequences are dire, especially when they happen in small rural areas with fewer people.

Taylor also added that once construction companies start encroaching on landscapes in farms and ranches, the effects are more dramatic. He reiterated that the show is based on the “gentrification” that has occurred in the western states, a process where wealthier people move to poor or less developed areas and begin to improve them by building new houses and launching other developments.

While gentrification attracts new businesses and improves the overall appearance of the place, it often displaces the current inhabitants in the process. The creator of the “Yellowstone” drama series has witnessed some of these changes in mountain states, such as Wyoming and Montana where he stays.

Gentrification mainly benefits wealthy people at the expense of the less privileged. When the place is developed, only the rich can afford the modern properties, and natives will be pushed off their land. In other words, this process creates inequality among people living in a certain area. The rich can use their influence to determine the state of affairs in a particular area, which will put other people at a disadvantage.

The creator of the drama series places the white rancher in a position of Native Americans, which was different 100-plus years before the onset of gentrification. What is taking place now in the west puts the natives at a disadvantage; for example, once the land developers move in and make improvements, they often sell that fantasy to wealthy people.

In most cases, the rich people who become the new occupants often come from affluent areas such as Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Florida. As a result, the poorer natives end up landless because they cannot afford properties constructed on their indigenous land.

When wealthy people buy pieces of land in the western states, they often use them for weekend getaways, and in the process, the way of life of the indigenous people is impacted. Land values and other aspects such as inheritance taxes are bound to increase, which will affect the welfare and lifestyle of the people living in the gentrified places.

Sheridan revealed in an interview with CBS news in 2022, that “Yellowstone” derived its inspiration from his experience as a rancher – most of the horses used in the filming of the drama series are his. He said that the horses are not very safe, and this is why the actors are not always riding on them – the horses were specifically bought for the drama series, and the creator taught the actors how to ride them.

Called one of the most important western writers in decades, Taylor Sheridan created the hit TV series "Yellowstone" and its prequel, "1883" (along with the prequel's upcoming sequel, "1932") https://t.co/l0PtHrTZfS pic.twitter.com/xkqZTP0UtA

— CBS Sunday Morning ? (@CBSSunday) June 11, 2022

Are the Duttons a Real Family?

The Duttons are not a real family. According to the equestrian website Horsey Hooves, the family’s patriarch John Dutton could have been inspired by famous ranchers such as Bill Galt and W.T. Waggoner. Waggoner owned the 525,000-acre Waggoner Ranch in North Texas, which was founded in 1849, was once the largest ranch in the US, and was passed down through several generations.

The Waggoner family owned the ranch until 2015, when it was sold to businessman Stan Kroenke for $725 million. Bill Galt is the owner of the 248,000-acre ranch in Montana, the same ranch where “Yellowstone” is set. Horsey Hooves said Galt is also known as “The Last American Cowboy.”

Cowboy life is still common in North Texas, although it’s facing some challenges from gentrification. As a result, “Yellowstone” sought to portray a western life unknown to many people. The drama series draws its audience from people who love the cowboy lifestyle, since the practice is no longer widespread across the US.

Is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch Real?

Although “Yellowstone” is not based on a true story, the ranch where the drama series takes place is real – Chief Joseph Ranch is found in Darby, Montana, and consists of several cabins used by guests as accommodation when they visit, and several have appeared in the show. The key areas that appear in the drama series include Rip’s Cabin also called the Ben Cook Cabin in real life, the Armory, the Trapper cabin, and Lee’s cabin also called the Fisherman Cabin.

Shane Libel and his family own Chief Joseph Ranch – when the property was chosen as the filming location for “Yellowstone”, the Libels family and the filmmakers signed a five-season contract. Apart from the 5,000-square-foot mansion and cabins, other film locations include the armory, barns, arena and corrals.

The Chief Joseph Ranch consists of a real family home, also used for vacations. When not being used for film production, the cabins around the home are available for rental for a minimum of three nights. The guests are treated to a memorable Yellowstone experience.

In “Yellowstone” Season 5, Texas’ Four Sixes Ranch featured is a real ranch, and it will be the filming venue for “Yellowstone”’s upcoming spin-off of the 6666 show. The 350,000-acre 6666 Ranch has a rich history, as it was founded in the 19^th century when West Texas was still ruled by Comanches.

The 6666 Ranch appeared in “Yellowstone” Season 4, and featured Jimmy, who was sent to Texas to become a real cowboy. In May 2021, Taylor Sheridan and a group of investors bought the ranch for use as one filming location for “Yellowstone” and will feature in future episodes.

The 6666 Ranch is real and still functioning as it has over the last two centuries, encompasses the history of the country. At this ranch, the laws of nature and the rule of law merge in a typical fashion where some of the most dangerous events take place. The 6666 is a place where world-class cowboys are made, and is synonymous with an attempt to raise the finest livestock and horses in the world, still produce high-quality Quarter Horses and Angus cattle.

Is There Going to be a Yellowstone Season 6?

Many viewers often wonder if there will be a “Yellowstone” Season 6. However, the good news is that one of the actors – Cole Hauser who plays Rip Wheeler – confirmed in November 2022 that there will be one more season. He said there’s a lot of work going on to fully utilize the talent to fulfill the needs of the audience.

According to the executive producer Taylor Sheridan, “Yellowstone” comprises a diverse crew that is concerned about producing the best result. However, he confirmed in 2021 to “The New York Times” that he doesn’t want Yellowstone to run for nine seasons, so has actually already written the ending – taking too long without preparing the end can lead to stagnation of the show, so he’s still confident that the show will not run out of steam as it nears the end. So season 6, could well be the final

Yellowstone is not based on real life or fiction, but on world events. The creator has hinted that there has to be movement and evolution toward the conclusion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmuMqHKJ37B/

Sheridan has already decided on the ending of “Yellowstone,” but has hinted at opening up more spin-offs after “1883,” “1923,” and “6666”; he doesn’t want to limit his creativity. More importantly, the creator has also expressed his connection to the sparseness of the west, since this is where he spent most of his lifetime.

Sheridan lived in New York briefly and enjoyed his stay, but clearly states that he cannot write about this place. Instead, he’s fascinated by outdoor events, which motivated him to write “Yellowstone”, saying that the outdoor world helps him get a clear picture of the vastness of the US.

Sheridan says that life in New York is different from living in western states, which still have many places in their natural state. It’s easier for him to observe the things that happen in these open places than in build-up areas like cities. Although Sheridan’s hinted that “Yellowstone” will come to an end, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of future episodes based on unfolding events.

Lists

How is Sara James from “America’s Got Talent” Doing Now?

Published

3 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Martha Clifford

Table of Contents

Rise to Fame

When Sara walked onto the stage for her audition for the 17^th season of “America’s Got Talent,” everything about her screamed “star!” Unlike most contestants whose nerves show as soon as they appear, Sara was composed and had an aura of calmness around her. She owned the stage, and wasn’t intimidated by the fully packed auditorium, as she shared some lighthearted exchanges with Simon, revealing that she was just 13 years old, which shocked the judges and the audience, since she spoke and conversed with a level of maturity way above her age.

The crowd went quiet as Sara took a deep breath and calmly launched into her performance of “Lovely” by Billie Eilish. The performance embodied the classic calmness and maturity that Sara’s fans have now come to love, showing-off her excellent vocal control, as she hit and held high notes, raised and lowered her voice to capture the deeply emotional meaning the song has to her, and held the attention of her audience with her ability to pass on her emotions to them through her voice.

Image source

Sara’s trance-like hold on the crowd was broken when she sang the last note, sending Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara to their feet with the audience, to applaud the 13-year-old musical prodigy, as a still seated Simon Cowell clapped. When the crowd calmed down, Simon talked about how coming to the US changed his life, adding that he would like to make Sara’s first time in the country memorable before crowning her musical prowess and outstanding performance with the Golden Buzzer. With one press of the button, Simon Cowell set Sara on the path that AGT musical prodigies before her have followed to stardom.

Now, every person who watches Sara’s audition on YouTube asks the question, “How is Sara James doing now?”

Early Life and Musical Foundation

Born on 10 June 2008, Sara Zofia Egwu-James isn’t yet 15 years old. She has three siblings, Michelle James, John Junior, and Jakub Dancewicz. Sara was born to a Polish mother while her father is of Nigerian descent, but grew up in the US. At her age, Sara is just in high school, holds a first degree in music from Slubice, plays the piano and the guitar. Despite gaining global success for a raw, powerful voice that she’s learned to control allowing her to hit high and low notes without straining, Sara is continuing her music education by taking vocal lessons with Edyta Kregiel, and practicing her singing and performing at the Municipal Cultural Center.

Sara gets her musical talent and interest in singing, playing instruments and performing from her parents. Her father John is a singer and performer, who has participated in some talent competitions. In 2011, he was one of the “X-factor” contestants, appeared in the “Bitwa na voices” choir singing competition as part of a choir, and half of the Polish singing duet “Loui & John”, under contract with Sony Music Poland.

Sara’s mother, Arleta Dancewicz, is equally musically talented, but didn’t pursue music professionally, although sang in church when Sara was growing up. Inspired by her mother’s passionate performances and her father’s professional musical acts, Sara joined a local children’s choir, and staged several performances across the city. She honed her vocal and performing skills through seasonal performances such as in a local Christmas Carols Festival, and entered some singing competitions for children. Although Sara’s parents are now separated, they both support Sara in her aspiration for a career in music, and have shared her confidence that she will rise to become a global music icon, since she started singing at four years and staged performances individually and as part of a group at just six years of age.

“The Voice Kids-Poland”

Sara joined her first major singing competition, “World Talent Show” in 2020, when she was just 12 years old, placing third in the competition, and was the proud recipient of the coveted Silver Microphone, and honored to receive the award at the closing performance of the Lubuski Song Festival Pro Arte. Although she didn’t win, emerging third emboldened Sara, and encouraged her to sign up for larger competitions.

In 2021, Sara entered her name for consideration for a slot on “The Voice Kids” Poland. For her blind audition, Sara chose to perform Demi Lovato’s “Anyone.” Her performance, which has gathered over 4.45 million views on YouTube, enthralled the audience, and had all coaches pressing their buttons and turning within seconds to indicate they wanted her on their teams. She chose Tomson and Baron, and embarked on a journey of musical discovery as she learned from the two rockstars.

Tomson and Baron’s mentorship was evident in Sara’s first battle on “The Voice Kids.” She battled two fellow contestants Amelia and Matylda, performing Mariah Carey’s “Hero.” Although the two girls were talented, Sara beat them easily and earned the favor of all judges as well as the admiration of the live audience. With her new status as fan favorite, Sara put on impressive performances, particularly in the finals when a whistle note in her performance of Will Ferrel and Molly Sanden’s “Husavik (My Hometown)” had the crowd on its feet clapping and screaming for minutes after she finished singing.

Sara’s ability to impress the crowd with the raw power of her voice, the passion she put into her performances, and her ability to improve on past performances under the guidance of her coaches, earned her first place in the competition. With the title of the winner of the 4^th season of “The Voice Kids Poland,” Sara set her eyes on competitions outside her native Poland, as part of a strategy to take her voice and music career global.

“Szansa na Sukces” and “Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021”

One year after winning “The Voice Kids Poland,” Sara entered “Szansa na Suckes,” a Polish talent show that offered an opportunity for its winners to participate in a European junior singing competition. For the competition’s finale, Sara sang her way into the audience’s hearts with her cover of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, which won her the competition, receiving the most votes from both audience and judges, installing her as Poland’s representative in the “Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021.”

?? Sara James
? Somebody
? https://t.co/HiLUOtE2hJ pic.twitter.com/wxiGTv2pmO

— Junior Eurovision (@EurovisionJr) October 18, 2021

In December that year, Sara, who had never performed outside Poland, went to Paris for the “Junior Eurovision Song Contest.” Unlike her past performances where she sang covers of her favorite songs, Sara made the bold and risky decision to perform her own original song “Somebody.” Her gamble paid off, as she received a standing ovation from the audience. She emerged second in the competition, to Armenia. Although she didn’t win the competition, the audience and jury’s reaction to her song and performance gave her the boost of confidence she needed to try for a spot on “America’s Got Talent.”

“America’s Got Talent” and “All Stars”

“The Voice Kids Poland” laid a foundation for Sara’s success in her music career, while the “Junior Eurovision Song Contest” gave her a platform to take her music to the rest of Europe. She remained relatively unknown to the rest of the world until 2022, when she earned her spot on “America’s Got Talent” or “AGT” as the competition is commonly known. At “AGT,” Sara carved a spot out as a fan favorite with her first performance, which earned her a Golden Buzzer from the fastidious and fellow European record Executive Simon Cowell.

When Simon gave Sara a permanent spot in the live shows in Las Vegas, Nevada, the then 13-year-old secured a platform to showcase her voice and performing prowess to an American audience. However, the guaranteed spot didn’t lessen her resolve to continue delivering unforgettable performances that would earn her fans among the show’s global audience. In the semi-finals, her first performance after the audition, Sara sang Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” earning herself another standing ovation from the audience. The performance has over four million views on YouTube, and has attracted 4,665 comments, each expressing awe over her ability to hit, hold, and switch notes effortlessly, while maintaining control of her vocals.

In the finals, Sara impressed the audience with a cover of “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. Her performance had all four judges on their feet celebrating with the crowd, and hoping that the emotional, well-paced, and captivating rendition of the song earned the 13-year-old the ultimate prize. However, she was not named among the top five, finishing in the bottom six of the top 11 contestants in the show. Although she didn’t win the competition, she left with a large group of loyal fans who flocked to the comment section of the video of her performance in the finals to express their surprise and disappointment that she wasn’t named the winner of “AGT” season 17.

https://www.facebook.com/johnjamesofficial/posts/pfbid02ys948Uo1RVTcwKMB52pkuPr69KW1X8hCtK8P6Mg5rvaMgK5VH2EKr8sHzgr6RVw7l

However, Sara was chosen as one of the contestants for “America’s Got Talent: All Stars” early in 2023, against musical prodigies and groups from past seasons such as the Bello Sisters, the Light Balance Kids, Aidan Bryant, and the Detroit Youth Choir. For her performance at “All Stars,” Sara chose “As It Was” by recent Grammy Award winner Harry Styles. Before her performance, Sara engaged in a conversation with Simon Cowell, discussing her performance in the previous competition and aspirations for the future. Her characteristic confidence and promise that she will become the first “AGT” prodigy to win a Grammy had the crowd eagerly waiting to be blown away by her performance.

Sara didn’t disappoint the judges and her audience, producing her classic powerful, moving and captivating performance, which gained 2.8 million views on YouTube in just four weeks. Her rendition of the original song included most of the notes from the original, but Sara had altered some notes, transforming the song into a masterpiece. Unfortunately, she was up against fan favorites and prodigies from other seasons of “AGT”, who staged equally remarkable performances, and once again she was eliminated, although the audience, judges and Sara’s fans are convinced that she’s on her way to becoming a global icon in the music industry.

Record Deal, Album, and Original Music

In 2017, Sara released an Extended Playlist entitled “Just Like Me” containing four songs – “Blind,” “Boys Like You,” “Just Like Me,” and “If I Ever.” She wrote and released three other original songs in 2021, including “Czarny mlyn,” “Jak co roku,” and the song she performed at her first regional competition, “Somebody.”

After a successful stint at “AGT,” Sara James was signed by Universal Music Polska. She’s since written and released six original songs, including “My Wave” and “Take Sama.” In addition, Sara has released several covers as part of her record deal, most notably Harry Styles’ “As it Was”, and Elton John’s “Rocket Man.”

Her raw, powerful, and well-controlled voice, ability to bring out the emotion in her originals and covers, and to hold long notes has earned Sara millions of listeners across all music streaming platforms. In 2022, she became the most streamed artist on Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist, with over 10 million streams on the platform. She was honored to become the first Polish artist to earn the coveted ambassadorial role on the music streaming platform.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cows4QRJEkj/

The Future

Sara hopes to win a Grammy someday. In 2023, she’s planning a tour for her new album, during which she hopes to unveil a more mature sound, and present herself to the world as a seasoned artist. Sara also hopes to become a role model for young people and women from all over the world, encouraging them to pursue their dreams.

The future is full of possibilities and opportunities for Sara to stage performances all over the world, share her voice and new sound with her fans, and release more original music.