On May 22, the administrators of the America’s Got Talent contest uploaded the submission of competitor Archie Charles Williams (born 1960), a former American prisoner, to YouTube.

His singing talent and contradictory life story drew the attention of several online forums.

Archie Charles Williams appeared on the show and stated that he had recently spent 36 years in jail wrongfully after being convicted of raping and killing a lady in Louisiana in 1982. Police could not uncover Archie Charles Williams’ fingerprints or other indications of a crime at the location. Nevertheless, Angola sentenced him to 80 years in jail, where he has been since January 1983.

The Innocence Project New Orleans group’s efforts led to Williams’ exoneration and freedom from jail in March 2019. They used advanced tech to confirm the fingerprints at the crime scene belonged to a serial rapist.

Williams played Elton John’s song Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me during the audition. Prior to the competition, Williams moved all four judges and the crowd to tears.

“I watched ‘America’s Got Talent’ while in prison and pictured myself there. I’ve always wanted to be on a stage like this, and here I am. Thank God! Williams whispered, “I know this is a lifetime opportunity.”

Judge Simon Cowell conveyed his views on his page, saying, “I believe the judges and more than 3,500 viewers will agree to allow Williams to go to the next round. The performance was truly remarkable. From now on, the song “This” takes on a new meaning and narrative.