{"id":7904,"date":"2024-07-20T16:47:56","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T13:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/istori.website\/?p=7904"},"modified":"2025-10-18T02:11:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T23:11:08","slug":"15-yr-old-gives-new-twist-to-a-1965-classic-and-becomes-an-instant-pop-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/istori.website\/?p=7904","title":{"rendered":"15-Year-Old Gives a \u201cNew Twist\u201d to a 1965 Classic \u2014 and Instantly Becomes a Pop Star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When 15-year-old James Smith stepped onto the <em>Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> stage in 2014, no one expected what would happen next. With nothing but his guitar and a calm confidence, James delivered a soulful, stripped-down version of \u201cFeeling Good\u201d, the 1965 classic made famous by Nina Simone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His performance was simple but electric \u2014 raw, emotional, and pure. Within seconds, the judges and audience were captivated. By the end, everyone in the theater was smiling and cheering as Simon Cowell called him \u201ca little star.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The song <em>\u201cFeeling Good\u201d<\/em> was originally written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1964 musical <em>The Roar of the Greasepaint \u2013 The Smell of the Crowd<\/em>. Over the years, it\u2019s been covered by legends like Nina Simone and Michael Bubl\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But James Smith gave it something new \u2014 a youthful acoustic twist that made the song feel fresh again. His smooth voice and emotional phrasing transformed the classic into something uniquely his own. It wasn\u2019t just another cover; it was a reimagining that showed real artistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Judges\u2019 Reaction Says It All<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/istori.website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/14-14.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10145\" srcset=\"https:\/\/istori.website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/14-14.png 800w, https:\/\/istori.website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/14-14-300x244.png 300w, https:\/\/istori.website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/14-14-768x624.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As he sang, the entire room seemed to go quiet \u2014 just his voice, his guitar, and the emotion behind every note. The judges were clearly impressed.<br>After he finished, David Walliams praised his tone and control, while Simon Cowell said he saw \u201csomething special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James walked away with four yeses, earning a spot in the next round and a standing ovation from the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Came After <em>Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Although James didn\u2019t win the competition, his audition became one of the standout moments of the season. The video has since been watched millions of times online, and many fans still revisit it as one of the show\u2019s most genuine performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following his BGT journey, James continued pursuing music full-time. He released original songs like \u201cLittle Love\u201d, \u201cTell Me That You Love Me\u201d, and \u201cT-Shirts\u201d, gaining recognition for his heartfelt lyrics and soulful sound. His music now reflects a mature pop style with touches of soul and acoustic influence \u2014 a true evolution from his teenage audition days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Voice That Feels Real<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>James Smith\u2019s performance reminded everyone why <em>Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> exists: to uncover real artists with heart and originality. His version of <em>\u201cFeeling Good\u201d<\/em> wasn\u2019t about vocal fireworks \u2014 it was about connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, James continues to write, perform, and inspire, proving that one unforgettable moment on stage can truly launch a career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8YQcIQpWKwU\" title=\"This 15-year-old is a POPSTAR in the making! | Audition | BGT Series 8\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When 15-year-old James Smith stepped onto the Britain\u2019s Got Talent stage in 2014, no one expected what would happen next. With nothing but his guitar and a calm confidence, James&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category--english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7904"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10146,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7904\/revisions\/10146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/istori.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}