Country singer spreads his wings
Drake Milligan parlays ‘America’s Got Talent’ into a Rose Bowl gig Monday
Country music singer Drake Milligan admits it was nerve-wracking waiting his turn to go onstage for what would be the most significant performance of his young career.
After all, he had to follow an act made up of trained chickens with their own band, too.
But once the 24-yearold walked onstage with his guitar and band, the nerves disappeared and he wowed the judges on the newest season of “America’s Got Talent” with his classic honky-tonk music, his smooth baritone voice and Elvis-like swagger.
“Once I got onstage, I just wanted to bring as much energy as possible. Once the music started I was pretty calm — I was, like, this is show time; this is where I was meant to be,” said the musician, who has moved on to the next round of the show, which airs Tuesday nights on NBC.
“I’ve watched ‘America’s Got Talent’ since I was a kid, so I’ve dreamed about being on there since I was a kid, and this was such a great opportunity to share my music with the world,” he said.
But Milligan can also be seen locally off-screen Monday
when he comes to the Rose Bowl for the 96th annual AmericaFest Celebration.
The Independence Day gathering includes a 30-minute performance by TNT Freestyle Motocross and a headlining set by Milligan, who recently recorded his self-titled debut EP in Nashville, Tennessee.
“It’s going to be a huge celebration and we’re just going to have fun. I have a lot of uptempo party songs and we’re here to bring a ton of energy to that stage,” he said of the Pasadena show, where he’ll perform his new music.
Consisting of five original tunes, the EP is a nod to classic country music through the lens of Milligan’s youthful energy and talent.
“I wanted to make something old new again. I wanted to bring a little bit of energy to the traditional country sounds that I love,” Milligan said during a phone interview about three weeks after his “America’s Got Talent” audition episode aired.
“A lot of country music has gotten into the pop sounds or rock sounds. A lot of other genres are coming into country now and I wanted to freshen up some of the traditional country that I love and care for so much,” he said.
The ‘new Elvis’
After Milligan’s performance on the show, judge Howie Mandel told him, “You’re like the new Elvis of country.” And the singer does bear a resemblance to the “king of rock ’n’ roll,” which led to his first big break.
Milligan, who grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, showed an interest in music early on, thanks to his countryloving parents. When he was around 7, he saw an Elvis impersonator and was floored.
“That’s when everything changed for me and I decided I wanted to be an entertainer. I wanted to get onstage and be Elvis,” he said.
A year later, his parents took him on an Elvisthemed cruise where he jumped on the stage and performed some of the legendary rocker’s songs during a break from an Elvis competition that was taking place.
He kept performing as an Elvis tribute artist throughout high school, which landed him a role on the 2016 CMT series “Sun Records,” where he played a teenage Elvis after scoring the role in an open audition.
“It was an intimidating thing playing Elvis like that,” Milligan said.
But it was worth it because the role opened a lot of doors when he decided to move to Nashville in 2018; he got the attention of producers who had seen him on the show and helped him record his debut EP.
“I figured I’ve done this Elvis thing and now it was time to forge my own path and try to create a name for myself,” he said.
He’s landed some big gigs, too, since recording the EP in 2021, most notably a set on the Horseshoe Stage at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival this year.
But “America’s Got Talent,” which draws millions of viewers each night, has been his best gig so far.
“With this ‘America’s Got Talent’ stuff, now we’re starting to see more people show up at the smaller honky-tonk clubs. I’m still out there running and gunning and trying to make it happen, and it’s cool to see more people showing up and singing along to the songs,” he said.
And while he’s moved on to the next round of the show, Milligan does face some competition, since those musical chickens, known as the Bock and Roll Band, also moved on to the next round.
Singer Drake Milligan impressed the judges on “America’s Got Talent” with his swagger and classic country style. The 24-year-old will headline the AmericaFest Celebration on Monday at the Rose Bowl.
AMERICAFEST CELEBRATION
When: 5:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena Tickets: $20-$150
Information: rosebowlstadium.com