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Drake Milligan, an aspiring country artist from Fort Worth, Texas stepped out onto the "America's Got Talent" stage, in front of four distinguished judges, a crowd of thousands and millions watching at home to show the world that he was ready to break into country music. With his band beside him, he wanted to "come out swinging" with his own original song, "Sounds Like Something I’d Do," and the response he received was not something that the rising country artist could have ever predicted.
Both songs Milligan has performed on "AGT," "Sounds Like Something I’d Do" and "Kiss Goodbye All Night," soared to the top of the country charts. He received a standing ovation from all four judges, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara and got the rest of the crowd on their feet. He made it through the auditions to the live shows and then was one of two acts who made it into the show’s finale based on fan votes.
"The response has been such a whirlwind," Milligan told Fox News Digital, who has been called "the new Elvis of country."
"I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it, because it’s all you kind of dream of as a songwriter and entertainer," he added.
Even though "AGT" has really been put Milligan into the limelight, and has been the vessel through which he can share his energetic performances that have engaged millions, the journey really began years ago. For Milligan, it started when he was a kid growing up in Texas who was simply fascinated by Elvis Presley.
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Drake Milligan played Elvis Presley on the CMT show "Sun Records." ( Lilly Lawrence/Getty Images)
Milligan had been putting in years of work prior to his first "AGT" audition to prepare for that moment.
He grew up just outside of Fort Worth, Texas, in what he described as a country household, where his dad runs a scrapyard, and his mom works as a veterinarian. He grew up listening to classic country artists like Merle Haggard, George Jones, George Strait and Alan Jackson, but music really started to have an influence on him after he saw an Elvis impersonator while he was out to eat with his family.
After that, he studied everything about Elvis through watching movies, performances and listening to songs, which eventually led to Milligan landing the role of Elvis on the CMT show "Sun Records."
Through Milligan’s experience playing Elvis, he was introduced to Chuck Mead, who was a member of country band BR5-49, and was able to learn more about performing and recording country music from him. For Milligan, playing Elvis in "Sun Records" was really the point where he knew being a country artist was something that he wanted to pursue. It also allowed him to grow his appreciation for the history of country music.
"Now being a songwriter, I want to learn who wrote all my favorite songs and what went behind the songs, who played on my favorite songs and appreciating the history of country music and music that I love," Milligan said.
"AGT" wasn’t the first competition show that Milligan entered. He auditioned for "American Idol" in late 2017 but made the difficult decision to back out of the competition to take time to figure out who he was as an artist first and put the work in before he had a platform like the one these type of shows can provide.
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Drake Milligan auditioned for "American Idol" in 2017, but dropped out of the competition to give himself the opportunity to really find himself as an artist. (Alfonso Bresciani/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
"I had done no work, on being an artist, on finding out who I was, on building a sound. I had done no work on that," Milligan said. "It was a decision to back out and move to Nashville and put the work in, put the hours in. I hadn’t put the hours in yet. It was writing every day, it was being in a studio, it was working on my voice. To go on a platform like that, I wanted to just totally know who I am and be able to stick to my guns and be prepared to showcase who I am to the world."
Upon his move to Nashville, one of the first connections he made was a powerful one. He quickly connected with Tony Brown, who would go on to produce Milligan’s EP and his debut album. Brown has produced several artist's records including Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn and even worked with Elvis.
Another big part of Milligan’s act are the people who perform alongside him. He found his band after his move to Nashville. His band projects the same energy Milligan does and together, they are able to create a captivating performance that is full of energy and a unique sound.
"These guys are great. They’re great people, first of all," Milligan said about his band. "They’re really selfless guys and great people to be around and they’re fantastic musicians."
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Drake Milligan made it all the way to the "AGT" finale with his band. (Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)
Milligan also talked about the impact his band has had on his "AGT" journey.
"Having them on 'AGT' has been absolutely huge. It has been a huge part, I think of our success on AGT… because of the energy that they bring and the kind of excitement they bring to it and their playability and everything is, I think a huge part of the response that we’ve gotten from "America’s Got Talent."
Even though a few years ago, Milligan felt he wasn’t quite ready for a platform, all the work he has poured into his country music career came to light during his "AGT" performance. Milligan discussed the difficulty of getting your name out there when trying to make it as an artist and felt this show was a great opportunity to "get in front of millions of people."
"I mentioned in my audition to Simon that back in the day, Elvis and The Beatles had ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’ That was their big break, it was a way for them, for all of America to get to see them at once and I think ‘AGT’ is along the same lines of that, of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ to where it’s a show that can change your life forever because there’s so many people that watch it," Milligan said.
According to Milligan, when he performs, he doesn’t just sing the song, but also moves around the stage, dances on his own and with members of his band, adding another unique element to his style.
Being "entrenched in Elvis’ music and his performing" for so many years allowed for pieces of Elvis’ style to "rub off" and "become a part" of Milligan.
Drake Milligan played his original songs "Sounds Like Something I'd Do" and "Kiss Goodbye All Night" during the first two rounds of "AGT." (Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)
"Elvis had so many great moves, but it was incorporating that in my own way," Milligan said. "You can play music, you sing it on a record…but when you’re on a show like ‘AGT,’ you want to show your music to people, you don’t want to just sing it to them. If there’s a little drum fill or there’s a little guitar part, listening to it is great but really being a part of it and watching it…I try to just be a vessel for the music and try to show people the music."
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After his performances on "AGT" Milligan’s world was turned upside down, and he described the time after his auditions as "a whirlwind." He released his five song EP in July 2021 and has been on the road performing as much as he can, but what has happened since performing on "AGT" has been unlike anything he has experienced so far in his career.
"The crowd there at 'AGT' has been wonderful and so responsive and then on top of that, the people at home watching and sending my music to the top of the charts," Milligan said. "People are showing up to shows and they’re packing it out. They’re singing along to all the songs."
Another meaningful response to Milligan’s music is that he is not only drawing in country music fans, but also has found that a lot of new people who wouldn't necessarily consider themselves country fans are listening to his music, watching him perform and are becoming fans of the genre.
"A lot of the responses I’ve gotten from ‘America’s Got Talent’ is ‘I’m not a country music fan, but I love your performances and your voice and I’m a country music fan now’ which I think is amazing," Milligan said. "As somebody who just so passionately loves country music, to be able to bring people in the genre has been a really special thing."
Drake Milligan is releasing his debut album, "Dallas/Fort Worth" on September 15. (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
On the road ahead for Milligan is his final "AGT" performance during the show’s finale next month and the release of his debut album. As far as his final "AGT" performance goes, Milligan plans on "raising the bar" even higher than he did in the live rounds.
"I just want to bring it to the next level, whatever that is, and maybe show them a new side of me, maybe show them a new song, and just keep on raising the bar," Milligan said.
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Milligan also has a debut album on the way, "Dallas/Fort Worth," coming out September 15. The title pays homage to Milligan’s roots in Texas which he said is a "huge part of my identity and who I am," but also describes the contrasting music that is on the album, with one half being very "polished and radio friendly" while the other is more "honky tonk" and "eclectic."
Beyond the release of his album in September, Milligan wants to keep showcasing more music to the world and play his songs for as many people as possible.
"I just want to keep staying true to myself and making music that I think people want to hear and people need to hear and telling stories," Milligan explained. "Country music has been such a big part of my life, it helps me get through tough times or it’s just a great way to have fun on a Saturday night. It’s such a big part of my life and I just want to hopefully be a part of people’s lives too and keep making music that people can use in their life."
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