America’s Got Talent winner rocks stage at Vines Center, inspires students
America’s Got Talent season 14 winner Kodi Lee stole the show during Friday’s Convocation through his musical performance and compelling story of overcoming and defying disabilities.
Students cheered in support across the Vines Center as 22-year-old Kodi Lee captivated the crowd with his vocal and piano performances.
Kodi Lee’s mother, Tina Lee, shared Kodi Lee’s unique journey through his disabilities. Tina Lee found out her son Kodi Lee was blind when he was three months old but refused to allow this to hold him back in life.
When Kodi Lee was four years old, and still not interacting socially with other children, they discovered that Kodi Lee was also autistic. Tina Lee said she became angry and lost hope at this discovery until she realized that accepting her son’s diagnosis would allow her to move forward and
help him.
Tina refused to allow Kodi Lee’s disabilities to be an excuse for him in life. She knew he loved music and sought to help him use that as an avenue to interact with the world.
A turning point for Kodi Lee’s story happened on a trip to Disneyland when he was a child. Tina Lee shared that he began to drum along in his wheelchair to an a capella group. The singers began to interact with him and let him sing one of his favorite songs at that time, “Shout.” This was the first time he shared his musical talent outside of his room.
“You could see the pure joy and happiness…,” Tina Lee said. “I knew (then) how to help him through music. He’s a born entertainer.”
Kodi Lee now uses his musical talents to inspire and entertain millions. Kodi Lee and Sal Spinelli, a member of his band, performed “Uptown Funk,” among other songs, allowing the audience to interact and clap to the music.
DEFYING ODDS — Guest David Wilkins (center) spoke to students about living a life of adventure despite disability. Wilkins was born blind and partially deaf.
During Kodi Lee’s time on campus, he experienced much of what Liberty has to offer, including riding horses at the Liberty Farm Equestrian Center and tubing at Snowflex. Tina Lee said that she wants to show Kodi Lee the world and allow him to experience everything life has to offer.
“Just because he’s blind and autistic doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have a normal life like everybody else,” she said.
Liberty also welcomed David Wilkins to the stage to share his experience in refusing to allow his disabilities to define the life he lives.
Wilkins travelled with a group of Liberty University students and Office of Spiritual Development staff on an adventure trip to Israel during the summer of 2018. Wilkins had a desire to travel to Israel for years, but the fact that he was blind and partially deaf prevented most travel groups from allowing him to travel with them.
Wilkins said travelling with Liberty allowed him to feel like a part of the group, which is rare for him because of his disabilities.
Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser said Wilkins challenged the rest of the group in the way he led the pack in adventures like hiking Masada and riding camels in the desert.
“It wasn’t that we were looking after him, he was looking after us,” Nasser said.
Wilkins hopes to work as a journalist and has worked for the European Parliament, BBC and other news organizations in the past.
“I believe that the most important thing you can do in life is embrace (your disability), because if you don’t, you will play in to the hands of people who assume that if you are disabled in any way, everyone needs to look after you,” Wilkins said.
BORN ENTERTAINER — Kodi Lee, winner of America’s Got Talent, was born blind and austistic, but his disability does not define him. Lee uses music as a way to connect with others.
At the conclusion of Convocation, Nasser honored Liberty alumnus TobyMac’s (Kevin McKeehan) son, Truett McKeehan, who passed away at age 21 earlier in the week. The aspiring musical artist had just performed in his first concert as a solo artist the week before.
Kodi Lee brought many in the audience to tears through his performance of “I Can Only Imagine” in memory of Truett McKeehan. Kodi Lee and Spanelli also performed an arrangement of one of Truett McKeehan’s original songs as a tribute to the young rapper.
“We know that this is not an ultimate goodbye,” Nasser said. “We know that Truett is ultimately healed and that he is in Heaven.”
Nasser said that after years of TobyMac’s ministry to so many as a Christian artist, it is now time for others to minister to him and his family during their time of loss.