A golden buzz
Budding ventriloquism talent and Deer Creek Middle School seventh-grader Darci Lynne Farmer reflects on return to TV, touring and fresh home-state honor. BAM shares her interview.
Darci Lynne Farmer is going back to the beginning in some ways.
More than a year before she started her winning run on “America’s Got Talent,” the Oklahoma City performer made her national television debut in March 2016 as a precocious, pig-tailed 11-yearold on NBC’s children’s talent showcase, “Little Big Shots,” where she wowed with her skills as a singing ventriloquist and giggled along as host Steve Harvey tried his hand at ventriloquism, too.
Now a 13-year-old performing on her first national tour, the Oklahoma native recently made her return to “Little Big Shots” for the new episode airing Sunday night on NBC.
“That was great because ‘Little Big Shots’ kind of gave me my start. It was the first TV show I’ve ever been on, which was so crazy and nerve-wracking but so exciting. Coming back was great because there were so many people I got to see again — and Mr. Harvey,” Darci said in a phone interview earlier this week. “They call me a ‘Little Big Shot’ legend. ‘The Return of the “Little Big Shots” Legend,’ so that’s pretty cool.
On Monday, the Deer Creek Middle School seventh-grader will receive a home-state honor when she is named the 2018 Young Creativity Ambassador at the Oklahoma Creativity Ambassadors Gala at the Civic Center Music Hall.
“I’m very, very thankful,” she said. “Oklahoma has been so great to me. ... They support me the whole way and they just love me no matter what happens. It’s really great to know that I have like a whole state behind me.”
In addition, Gov. Mary Fallin will designate seven prominent Oklahomans — Don Betz, education; Enoch Kelly Haney, arts and politics;Lou Kerr,philanthropy and community development; Steve Prescott, medical research; Wade Scaramucci, architecture; Richard “Dick” Sias,philanthropy and arts; and B.J. Thomas, music — as Oklahoma Creative Ambassadors at Monday’s event.
“We are so excited that Darci Lynne is taking time out of her busy performing schedule to be honored and to celebrate with us,” said Creative Oklahoma President Susan McCalmont in an email. “Throughout our history, Oklahoma has grown and prospered because of creative and innovative people. This year’s recipients are truly contributors to our economy and quality of life.”
Darci chatted about the award, her latest TV appearance and her tour, which includes a summer Tulsa show, in this week’s Q&A.
Q: It seems like you had a good rapport with Steve Harvey when you were on “Little Big Shots” the first time, and he’s so good with kids on the show. Was it fun to get to come back and work with him again?
Darci Lynne Farmer: He’s just so good with kids, and he’s so funny and outgoing. He’s just so fun to talk to. ... And he sang with a puppet again, which was really funny.
Q: I just got done watching your highlight video from your Nashville, Tennessee, tour stop. That looked like a ton of fun.
Farmer: That probably has to be like one of my favorite places that I’ve been so far, because Nashville is like the country music capital. I got to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which is just so amazing. That stage is iconic; it was awesome being on it. And then the Ryman (Auditorium) was just amazing, like you’re in this huge acoustic guitar because the sound is so awesome in the Ryman.
Q: It probably doesn’t hurt if Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman show up to see you?
Farmer: I know! My mind was literally going a mile a minute when I heard that they were coming. I was like “No way.”
Q: Could you have ever imagined when you started out as a
ventriloquist with your yodeling cowgirl puppet that you were going to get to take Katie to the Grand Ole Opry one day?
Farmer: Oh, no way. (laughs) No, I definitely wouldn’t have imagined that. Never in a million years.
Q: You have quite the growing list of dates. How is the touring going with school and everything else?
Farmer: It probably sounds overwhelming because there are so many shows. But it’s exciting as well because it’s so fun visiting these new places and seeing all these new people that just love me and performing everywhere. It’s just really fun. I’m actually doing pretty fine balancing school with it because my teachers are just so amazing.
Q: How are all the puppets? Has all of this gone to their heads yet?
Farmer: Only Petunia’s head. (laughs) ... She’s such a diva, so she’s having a lot of fun. Oscar, he’s excited, too, about all of this, and Edna, she’s just like “whatevs.” And then Katie, she’s loving it, too, because she didn’t get to go “AGT,” so now she’s like on the road with us and she’s happy that she’s getting to be out and on the stage.
Q: Do you feel like as you perform more and more that you’re sort of developing more of your puppets’ characters?
Farmer: Yeah. Every friend that I have with me, their personalities and characters are still evolving. Each time I perform, there’s just these little quirks and things that go along with them that make up their character and make up who they are. Oh, and I’m practicing new songs and some new funny bits that I’m going to do with them soon. And they’re pretty excited for that.
Q: The new season of “America’s Got Talent” starts May 29 on NBC. I can’t believe it, but we’re getting close to a year since you got the Golden Buzzer now. Are you excited to watch this season?
Farmer: Oh, I totally am. I’m gonna watch like every episode. I’m super excited to see who’s going to be on this year and what great talent there’s going to be. It’s very exciting . ... Time has definitely flown by.