"So American and So Authentic": Middlesboro, KY band wows on America's Got Talent

A band from Eastern Kentucky stole the spotlight in Hollywood last night. Bill Taylor, a truck driver from Middlesboro, and his band, the “Appalachian Heathens,” performed a cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” on Tuesday’s episode of “America’s Got Talent.” Their soulful rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic was enough to earn a place in the second round and unanimous praise from the panel of judges.

“A great voice and a great American sound,” Howie Mandel said as the applause died down.

“That was like musical Levi’s,” AGT creator Simon Cowell joked. “It was so American and so authentic. I loved. Genuinely loved that. Your voice is fantastic.”

“I think that was really unexpected,” former Spice Girl Mel B said. “You are all really good at what you do. I can see you’re a very tight, well-rehearsed band, and I’m just really excited for you guys. Very excited for you guys.”

“I’m very excited for you, too, because I think you guys made the best decision to come to AGT,” actress Sofia Vergara added. “The whole thing was perfect. This is the kind of stuff that deserves to be on this stage.”

All four judges voted “yes” to the band’s audition, a rarity for the panel. So far, the video has over 150,000 views on YouTube, making it one of the most-viewed of the night.

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WBIR in Knoxville caught up with the band to talk about their big Hollywood moment. Taylor, age 35, said he has been involved in music his entire life, singing in the church throughout his childhood and playing in a cover band in his 20s; however, he was inspired to start writing his own music after seeing fellow Kentucky native Tyler Childers perform live. He put a band together in 2022, and they’ve been jamming ever since. His dad is one of the members, also playing guitar.

“I like to holler a lot,” Taylor told WBIR. “So, when I sing, I like to, not scream, but I like to get loud.”

Joe Cox, the band’s drummer, describes their sound as “front porch music,” crediting the revival of Appalachian music in recent years for their success so far.

“Just anything that hits,” Taylor added. “It ain’t always got to be sad music, I got songs that just talk about the woods, things I’ve saw… mawma rocking on the porch, complaining about her arthritis, is her hand says it’s about to rain.”

We’ll be cheering Taylor and the Appalachian Heathens on in the next round. Until then, you can enjoy more of their music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and social media channels.