Jill O'Rourke
Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
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| June 13, 2023 SIGN IN TO SAVE POST
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America’s Got Talent Season 17 star Drake Milligan recently spoke with Audacy’s Coop at CMA Fest 2023. The country singer shared how his previous acting experience helped him feel more confident when performing on the show.
Drake Milligan Talks About Performing on AGT
Before he competed on AGT last year, Milligan portrayed Elvis Presley in the 2017 CMT series Sun Records. He told Audacy that this acting experience “definitely helped” him when he was competing on the talent show.
“It is daunting,” Milligan said of the experience, confirming that the live shows are actually live. “And you’re up there, and you’re like, ‘I better not forget the words.’ And also, too, you have the giant theater, and you have these thousands of people. But you also have millions of people behind those cameras. And you have to make sure that you’re connecting with them through that camera.”
Milligan said acting also affects how he approaches songwriting and “telling stories.” He explained that his debut album Dallas/Fort Worth was the result of “at least four or five years of really digging down and writing every day.”
SEE ALSO: DRAKE MILLIGAN BOUNCES BACK AFTER SCARY TOUR BUS CRASH, VOWS TO CHERISH EVERY SHOW
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Milligan Says Elvis Influence is ‘Part of Me’
In high school, Milligan performed as an Elvis tribute artist and “learned all the nuances of Elvis.” He said he thought he “needed to throw everything Elvis out the window” when he moved to Nashville. However, he ended up accepting that Presley is one of his influences.
“I don’t even think about,” Milligan said. “I’m singing, and I’ll do something, and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of an Elvis thing.’ Especially in the live show, because I spent so many years studying Elvis’ live show … You kind of become your influences, just like Elvis did, just like anybody does.”
After appearing in Sun Records, Milligan decided it was time for him to move to Nashville and “discover my own artistry.” He finished AGT Season 17 in third place alongside his band.
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