America's Got Talent Winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr Goes From Car Washer to Millionaire
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., a 37-year-old former homeless car washer who was raised on welfare, has become an overnight celebrity after winning the “America’s Got Talent” competition on Wednesday night.
Howie Mandel, “America’s Got Talent” judge, told Murphy that the competition could change his life.
“Your life is never going to be the same,” Mandel said, after Murphy’s first televised performance.
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After host Nick Cannon called Murphy’s name, the man with a voice like Frank Sinatra seemed overcome with emotion.
“Thank you so much for believing in me and letting me be myself,” Murphy said on Wednesday night. “It has been a long hard journey. I have been busting my butt out here doing this for a long time -- since I was a kid.”
After his accomplishment was announced, fans of the struggling father of four took to Twitter and Facebook to express their support.
"When you know it's someones time to just catch a break and they get it, your heart jumps for joy for that person," Monica Tillman Smith said on Facebook. "So happy for you I had my whole household vote for you 10 times each and every way we could. Congrats to you and your family, I know your kids are so proud of their dad praise God."
Another fan recognized the difference in Murphy’s style of music.
“Landau Eugene Murphy Jr, for a car washer to a millionaire, Congratulations," Buu_Salamah wrote on Twitter. "Congrats to Landau Eugene Murphy for winning AGT 2011, well deserved. A great voice. Classics are back, give it up for the new Sinatra."
Murphy won a $1 million prize in the AGT competition and will use the money to do for his children something that nobody did for him.
“I just turned 37 but I have had this talent all my life,” he said, according to The New York Post. “If anybody in their right mind would have taken the time to invest in me then, it wouldn’t have taken me this long to get here.”
