WITH AGT BEHIND HER, SINGER FOCUSES ON FUTURE
Escondido’s Celina Graves builds on the exposure provided by NBC series
ESCONDIDO
On Sept. 16, Celina Graves’ journey on “America’s Got Talent” came to an end when she didn’t earn enough votes to reach the final round of the NBC television series.
But there’s one thing the 31-yearold Escondido singer wants people to know about being eliminated from the show just before the $1 million prize round. As one of the top 15 finalists from more than 80,000 people who tried out for the show this season, she still feels like a winner.
“A lot of people keep saying to me ‘sorry you didn’t make it to the final’ instead of congratulations,” Graves said in an interview. “I’m telling people don’t feel sorry for me. I’m very content and happy with the outcome. I know that this is just the beginning and I thank everyone for the support.”
Graves is already working on an extended-play album of original songs that she wrote with her wife, Erica Graves, and her father, Ed Graves. And when the pandemic subsides, she also plans a global concert tour, because her fan base has expanded to India, Africa, Indonesia and Central America.
She was also recruited on Sept. 25 by the San Diego Padres to sing the national anthem in a pre-recorded video for a Major League Baseball playoff game.
Graves was working security at a North County casino before she landed an on-screen audition with AGT earlier this year. Being a professional singer has been her dream since her teens, but for many years she struggled with anxiety and a lack of confidence. And every time she got close to signing a record contract or getting picked to compete on a TV singing competition like “American Idol” in the past, she always hit the same wall with promoters and publicists. They loved her singing but not her image.
As Graves told the AGT judges in her emotional pretaped audition that aired June 9, she grew up dressing in her brother’s clothes, was mistreated by other girls and feared by business owners for her seemingly tough exterior. But in that episode, lead judge Simon Cowell told Graves she looks great and she should never let a stylist change her.
In the months that followed, Graves built an international following on her Instagram page, including many teens and young adults struggling with issues of bullying, self-esteem and sexual identity. She has frequently held live chats on Instagram to offer these youths advice and support, which she said has been one of the most fulfilling parts of her newfound fame.
“It means everything to me because growing up I never felt that from anyone other than my family,” she said. “To know that I’ve reached so many people across the world by being who I am makes me feel complete. It makes me want to inspire others to do the same and not worry about what people say about them, because you can be anything you want to be and reach hearts that you never thought you could reach.”
Last fall, she was working full time in security at Valley View Casino in Valley Center and training for a career in law enforcement when a talent scout from AGT saw her Instagram videos and encouraged her to try out for the show. At her filmed audition in early March, with her father and wife seated in the front row of a packed L.A. theater, she drew a standing ovation from all four judges and the audience.
Judges voted her through quarter-finals, and on Sept. 2, the voting public pushed her forward to the semifinal round. In the semifinals on Sept. 15, Graves performed one of her favorite songs, “Jealous” by
Labrinth, on the rooftop of a building on the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot. After the show, she watched the video of her performance over and over and said she felt she’d given the best performance she could.
On the results show Sept. 16, Graves was called up for elimination aside singer Cristina Rae, who was voted into the finale.
“I immediately smiled because you want to see people you connect with go through,” Graves said. “I was happy for her and I clapped for her and walked offstage with a smile on my face because I had made it that far.”
She has since launched a new website, therealcelinag.com, which she will use to promote her music and upcoming concerts. Because of the pandemic, she isn’t able to go on tour, but said her goal one year from now is to be making music full-time and performing live in front of fans around the world.