DARCI LYNNE
Singer and ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer wasn’t even a teenager when she won season 12 of America’s Got Talent. Now she’s taking her show on the road.
A fter taking home the top prize on America’s Got
Talent, now-13-year-old Oklahoma native Darci Lynne Farmer is headlining her own tour, Darci Lynne and Friends, and she’s bringing along four familiar puppets from the show: Petunia the rabbit, Oscar the mouse, old lady Edna and country girl Katie. Farmer chatted with
Parade in Nashville as she prepared to take the stage at the famous Ryman Auditorium.
How did you discover ventriloquism?
I was super shy, so my mom put me in these little pageants to help that. When I was 8, I went to [one] and met Laryssa Bonacquisti, who was 18 at the time [later she would be crowned Miss Louisiana 2017]. She was a ventriloquist. I was fascinated with what she did. I was like, “Oh my gosh, I have to do that,” so I asked her for pointers.
How did you master it? I
went home with her tips and practiced in my mirror and taught myself the basics. I already knew I could sing, I just had to master it with my mouth closed. It just came natural after a while. I asked my mom and dad for a puppet. They said, “No. You are a singer, not a ventriloquist.” But I was persistent, and they finally surprised me with one for my 10th birthday.
How did you feel when you won the show?
I don’t even remember. I think I was hallucinating, like, “Wait, it’s real?” It was kind of a shock, and just the best moment ever.
Do you have a favorite song to perform?
I love [Smokey Robinson’s] “Who’s Lovin’ You,” because Oscar—he gets all the ladies with that song. He can’t talk to girls, but when he sings, that’s how he speaks to them. He’s like, “Hey, here I am, ladies.” It’s funny.
You have three brothers. Are they supportive?
They each play a different part. My oldest brother is a big moral support. He’s 20. He’s the loving brother, like, “Darci, you can do no wrong. I love you no matter what. Good luck!” Then there’s the 18-year-old. He’ll say, “I like that outfit, Darci. Don’t do this on social media. I am your manager.” Then there’s the little one—he’s 10. He just loves to brag. “My sister won America’s Got
Talent.” He loves to get in on my interviews and take the spotlight.
What do you like to do on Sundays?
I love hanging out with my friends, because I have the best group of friends ever. In the summer I love to go to the lake with them and water-ski and tube. I love eating Chipotle. Stranger Things is the best TV show ever made, so I love watching that.
What do you think your future holds?
I want to do it all. I still want to be on a TV show or in a movie or on Broadway. I don’t want to be just known as the puppet girl—I want to be an all-around performer.