Christina Wells lets her inner voice take the spotlight
Christina Wells says watching herself sing onstage during Tuesday’s episode of “America’s Got Talent” was an out-of-body experience.
The 42-year-old registered nurse and mother of two teenage sons earned a standing ovation from the judges and the crowd after belting a powerhouse rendition of the “Hairspray” tune “I Know Where I’ve Been.” Wells hosted a viewing party at Spanky’s Pizza in Pasadena, where she grew up and attended high school.
There, amid orders of cheese sticks and extra pepperoni, bouquets of purple flowers from supporters and the click of cellphones, she realized a lifelong dream.
“I don’t know how to explain it. I just wanted it for her so bad. And she did it,” Wells says, her voice trembling with tears. “I’m so proud of her because she’s wanted it for so long, and she’s had to live inside of me, and she’s had to be quiet.”
Head judge Simon Cowell told Wells she was the reason he created shows like “America’s Got Talent” — because he “worked with so many stupid people in the music business, genuinely, who actually think someone’s gonna buy a song because of somebody’s weight.”
“Now, that girl can sing,” he marveled as Wells walked offstage.
Wells previously auditioned for shows including “American Idol” and “The Voice.” She got teary on “AGT” recounting a themepark audition that she thought went well, only to be told she “wasn’t the right size” and “didn’t have the look.”
The park was AstroWorld in the mid-’90s, which produced variety
shows featuring various singers to entertain crowds. Wells was an eager 19-year-old, ready to take on the world.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life and one of the worst experiences of my life,” she recalls. “They had me sing ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin. I went off, wailing, and everybody went nuts.”
But after a week of auditions, during which she outlasted other singers, Wells was cut in favor of a girl with a weaker voice who fit the costumes they were envisioning for the character. It reinforced what Wells had heard for most of her life.
“Once again, that message of, ‘You’re just too big.’ I went into one of those photo booths with the curtain and cried for three hours,” she says.
Those rejections, based not on her talent but her appearance, seemingly put an end to Wells’ dream of being a singer.
“I was like, ‘I’m sick of this. I’m done. I’m not gonna keep doing this,’ ” she says. “I did not sing for years.”
Eventually, Wells began singing again at small events, parties and weddings. But her plans to pursue it as a career seemed like a long-lost dream — until she auditioned for the Pride Superstar singing competition in 2016.
She was coming off a wellreceived run as Motormouth Maybelle in a 2015 production of “Hairspray” at Art Park Players in Deer Park. A friend sent Wells a flyer for the LGBT singing competition, which was in its tenth year.
Wells, who came out as a lesbian in 2003, was crowned Boston Gay Pride Idol 2005 and Las Vegas Gay Pride Idol 2008. But she says those one-night events, more karaoke contests meant to capitalize on Pride week crowds, were nothing like Houston’s multiweek competition. Pride Superstar challenged contestants with musical themes, encouraged glitzy production and boasted judges such as Kam Franklin of The Suffers and Montina Cooper, a backup singer for Beyoncé.
Pride Superstar harnessed all of Wells’ talent, energy and spirit. And it pushed her past what she thought she was capable of doing.
“My entire world changed through Pride Superstar. People wanted to see chunky Christina from Pasadena,” she says with a laugh. “The fact that I got to do that each week, it opened up Pandora’s Box for me: music, mashups, me learning new songs, me getting to sew and make outfits, choreography, dancers.
“It motivated me. That was literally me releasing my inner diva.”
Winning the competition earned Wells a fanbase within Houston’s LGBT community and beyond. She booked shows with Stages Repertory Theatre, PMT Productions and was a highlighted soloist during Super Bowl LIVE at Discovery Green. Last year, she formed The Christina Wells Band and began working on original music.
But, like it is for so many aspiring singers, life wasn’t just about the music. As a nurse in the Memorial Hermann system, Wells helped evacuate hospitals and connect patients with appropriate levels of care during Hurricane Harvey. The ordeal inspired her to write and produce “Come Hell or High Water,” a song for the city.
“AGT,” of course, will go a long way toward Wells’ goal of making singing her full-time gig. She’s already fielding performance offers.
Still, the show, which airs Tuesday nights on NBC, has Wells competing against acts who have established fanbases. Creepy illusionist The Sacred Riana won “Asia’s Got Talent.” Teen rapper Flau’Jae placed third on Lifetime’s “The Rap Game.” Husband-wife act Us the Duo has toured the world, had a song featured in “The Book of Life” and boasts more than 4 million Facebook followers. (Their summer tour includes an August date at House of Blues.)
“A lot of the contestants do have a following in their respective areas. And I know that Houston loves me, but I don’t have a huge following here,” Wells says.
That is rapidly changing. Just a cursory glance through Wells’ social media reveals overwhelmingly positive messages of love, solidarity and support. Her audition video has amassed more than 1 million views.
It’s helped quiet that voice of doubt that nagged at her for so long. And it has allowed Wells to finally, fully embrace every part of herself.
“I’m real insecure about my arms. That and my tummy are my two biggest insecurities. But I’m just not gonna give up. I’m not giving up. I’m not,” she says, her eyes locking into a steely gaze.
“I am a nurse. And I am a single mom. And I do go to my house, and I yell at my kids like everybody else does. But I wouldn’t say that I’m a normal girl. I try very hard to be extraordinary. I want people to know that my fat’s not a hurdle. My age is not a hurdle. My status as a lesbian is not a hurdle. That fact that I’m halfblack, half-white is not a hurdle. The fact that I’m a woman, it’s not a hurdle. These are all unique qualities that make me who I am.”