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Pat McKillen was a singer and guitarist from Season 8 of America's Got Talent. He was eliminated in the audition round.

Background[]

Pat McKillen was brought up in Barrington, IL, a northwest suburb outside of Chicago.​  In 8th grade, McKillen was asked if he would be the lead singer of a metal band, despite having no prior experience. Apparently his non-stop singing in the hallways was enough for his buddies. Belting/butchering/blasting through Metallica and Green Day hits before a packed middles school lunch room, McKillen soon adopted performing as his passion.

After picking up the acoustic guitar in 9th grade, McKillen began writing basic songs that him and his mellowed out metal band bandmates would play throughout high school. But it was when McKillen was playing alone at college that he would discover a knack for songwriting and a fusion of sounds that fit his unique voice. While attending the University of Notre Dame, he had the opportunity to open for acts such as Lifehouse, Eric Hutchinson, Matisyahu, Tyler Hilton, and Smashmouth. He graduated from Notre Dame in 2010 with a degree in Finance.

After graduation, McKillen began recording in a 3x4x7 closet in his basement, recording many songs that he had written over the previous four years along with some newer ones. In May of 2011, he released his debut full-length album "Stagefright". He continues to play live and recently has gone back into the studio to begin recording his next album with the working title of "The Red Headed Enemy." 1

Audition[]

Pat McKillen's audition in Episode 805 consisted of singing his original song "Pholk & Phollies" while playing the guitar. Although Howard Stern voted "Yes," Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel all voted "No," eliminating Pat from the competition.








External Links[]

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