Meet Kodi Lee’s Mom Tina, ‘AGT’s Unsung Hero That Never Gave Up
NBC Before and after singer Kodi Lee’s amazing AGT performances, he’s joined on stage and in interviews by his mom Tina. She’s clearly an incredible source of support and love for the 23-year-old talent, who is blind and has autism.
Before he performs, Tina always kneels by Kodi’s piano bench and talks to him. As Kodi has progressed through the competition, his mom has also said some wonderful things about her son and his gift for music. Read on to find out more about this heartwarming mother-son relationship.
Kodi Lee’s Mom Talks About His Childhood
“We found out that he loved music really early on. He listened and his eyes just went huge, and he started singing,” Tina told the judges before Kodi’s audition. “Through music and performing, he was able to withstand living in this world, because when you’re autistic it’s really hard to do what everybody else does.”
Tina told Extra that the family first discovered Kodi’s talent for music when he was two years old, and he played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on a baby piano. When asked how he knew how to do that, Tina said, “We still want the answer to that.”
Tina said playing music has “saved his life.” She shared in another interview that it helped Kodi manage his autism. “He has all these talents, but he has trouble communicating,” she said. “He used to tantrum like 30 times a day. After he started performing, he got it.”
Kodi Lee’s Mom Fought For Him To Hone His Talent
Tina told Extra that Kodi graduated school, but “got four extra years,” during which time his school funded lessons in piano, tap dance, and singing. When asked how they got the funding, Tina replied that “we had to kind of fight for it.”
She said that it was “definitely a win,” adding that “now they all see what they have done” to help Kodi hone his skills. Tina also credits Kodi’s vocal coach Nonie Hilgesen for helping him prepare for his AGT audition.
All of those lessons clearly paid off, because Kodi’s Golden Buzzer audition shocked even his mom. She told Good Housekeeping, “What really blew me away was his performance was literally the best I have ever heard him sing. He took it to a totally different level that shocked my entire family. I honestly could not stop crying happy tears.”
Tina Lee’s Advice For Moms All Over The World And Raising Kodi Lee
Kodi and Tina spoke to Talent Recap on the red carpet after the first live show this season. “I’m so proud of him,” Tina said of her son. “I can’t even tell you how proud. He knows how proud.”
When asked if she had a message for other moms, Tina said, “Please don’t ever give up. Find what your kids love to do, and just encourage them. And give them the opportunities to keep doing what they love to do. And no matter what people do or say, don’t give up. Trust me, you’ve got people out there that are on your side.”
What Kodi Lee Plans To Do After ‘AGT’
Tina has said that it doesn’t matter to Kodi whether he wins or loses. “As long as Kodi is playing music, recording music, and performing live he is in his happy place,” she told Good Housekeeping.
However, if he does win, Tina shared what he would like to use the prize for. “Kodi would love to have a grand piano in every color possible,” she shared. “[But moreover] he would love to collaborate with other great musicians and bring love to the world through music and entertainment … he would continue to achieve his lifetime goal of being a professional musician for as long as he can.”
Tina also recently revealed that Kodi has some original songs that he’s looking forward to releasing. “Hopefully you will see that soon, I hope so!” she said.
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