Mandy Harvey is a unique and talented American singer, songwriter, and philanthropist. Despite a hearing impairment, she prepared to pursue her passion for life to become a successful and recognized singer. She is an ambassador for a non-profit organization called “ No Barriers ”, which was created to help people living with disabilities overcome any obstacles and limitations that may be in their path. Harvey is very passionate about this cause, as she had to overcome “insurmountable” obstacles to be able to achieve her own dreams.
Who is Mandy Harvey from America’s Got Talent?
Mandy Harvey was born on January 2, 1988 in Cincinnati, Ohio and was called Amanda Lynn Harvey at birth. Her father, Joe Harvey, is a minister of the gospel, while her mother, Valerie Harvey, is a public school teacher. Her father must have been one of the first people in her life to spark the gift of music in her because, as a pastor, worship and music were part of his ministry and he also played the guitar very well. Mandy started singing in the church choir when she was 4 years old. She was raised next to her three siblings.
When she was about two years old, her family moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to St. Cloud, Florida. Mandy has always had hearing problems since childhood and as a result, she underwent several surgeries to correct them. She also had a few other health issues growing up, which she took a lot of medication to manage. She underwent knee surgery at a very young age due to a rare disease, but unfortunately the medication for relief from knee surgery, along with other health issues, contributed to her gradual improvement in her hearing. loss over time.
When Mandy Harvey turned 10, her family was on the move again and this time they moved from Florida to Longmont, Colorado. At Longmont, she enrolled at Longmont High School, where her singing talent continued to flourish and improve greatly. She was recognized as the “Best Singer” in her senior year of high school; she graduated from the school in 2006.
Later in 2006, Mandy was admitted to Colorado State University, where she studied music, primarily singing. Unfortunately for Mandy, she totally lost all form of hearing in both ears later that year, due to a condition she suffered from called “Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome”, which was a form of connective tissues. As a result of this unfortunate incident, she had to quit college and return home where she suffered from depression and gave up her love and passion for music.
Mandy Harvey had only one dream in life, she wanted to become a music teacher when she grew up and was not passionate about anything else in life. So when she lost her hearing, her dream not only disappeared, she also seemed to have lost her reason for living. couldn’t hear both the music around him and his own voice. After returning home to her parents, she began taking streamer lessons and getting involved in the deaf community. This interaction kind of gave him hope to make him realize that all was not lost; Luckily, she was able to develop a positive mindset about her condition.
Her father, Joe, encouraged her to get back into music and it was around the same time that she got visual tuners which helped her “tune in to music”. She would watch her father play the guitar, and as she began to “feel” the music, she would join in and sing along with him. Joe then encouraged her to choose a song to sing, and with his help she was able to sing the entire song without any errors after several attempts.
Mandy Harvey’s revitalized music career
In 2008, she had the privilege of meeting JazzPianist Mark Sloniker of Jay’s Bistro in Fort Collins and developed a relationship that allowed her to perform regularly at the club. She also performed at the Dazzle Jazz Lounge in Denver, where she recorded 3 different albums over a span of 5 years – “ Smile ” in 2009, “ After You Gone ” in 2010, and “ All About Me ” in 2014. Between release albums, she won the VSA International Young Soloist Award, which allowed her to perform at the Kennedy Center.
America’s Got Talent Appearance
Mandy Harvey appeared on the 12th season of the 2017 edition of America’s Got Talent, where Simon Cowell pressed the golden bell after her performance, earning her the competition’s ultimate pass. She was a very unique contestant on the show, as she performed her own original songs, not her cover songs, while playing instruments herself. In the show finale, she finished 4th overall, which was an incredible feat for a deaf contestant, in a talented singing competition.
Is she married?
Mandy Harvey is reportedly married to a man simply named Travis. Details of the exact year of their marriage and the number of children they have are not readily available to the public, as of this writing. Hopefully, the longer she’s in the spotlight, more details about her love life will emerge.