When Will Michael Ketterer Ne on Agt Again

Family unit is always on the mind of Knoxville reality show contestant Michael Ketterer, whose recent "America'south Got Talent" audition has gone viral.

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It's why the part-fourth dimension worship leader and pediatric nurse, who lived in Knoxville from 2007-2014, decided to compete on the show, and if he wins, information technology's as well what he would spend its $i million grand prize on.

"If I win that 1000000 dollars, I'thou going to invest in a abode for our family unit because, you lot know, my son has cerebral palsy, and ... we demand a home that's handicap attainable for him," Ketterer said in a phone interview with USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee.

"He has the capability of using his walker around, only we just don't have the space for him to be able to do that. He'll do information technology while he's at school, but I want him to be able to do that at dwelling house, so absolutely, 100 percent, I would invest in a house with that coin.

"Information technology would absolutely alter his life. It would change all of our lives to be able to have that space for him," Ketterer said.

Ketterer's "America's Got Talent" performance and his story, which involves well-nigh losing his wife and girl and so adopting v boys out of foster care, won the hearts of America and the show's judges on June 5.

Estimate Simon Cowell was floored.

After Ketterer performed a soulful cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody," Cowell got up and slammed the prove'southward golden buzzer, automatically advancing Ketterer to the "AGT" alive shows.

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Before the audition, Ketterer, who's performed with Christian music groups Influence Music and United Pursuit, said he was more nervous than he thought he would be.

"But you know, information technology was really, really wild to be out on that phase because y'all understand that when y'all're up there, you're being critiqued past these judges that I accept so much respect for each of them, but information technology's not just that, it's too (that) the globe is watching you, the platform that information technology has, and so, yeah I was pretty nervous," Ketterer said.

When Ketterer began to sing, the oversupply erupted. Once he finished, Ketterer said he felt relieved to be done and had put everything in his performance.

So, Cowell began talking, and Ketterer wondered when the judges would vote "yes" or "no." He watched in disbelief every bit Cowell striking the buzzer; gold confetti rained down on the "AGT" stage, and his wife Ivey and children surrounded him to celebrate.

He didn't look something he joked about beforehand to really happen.

"Only kind of joking around, I was like, 'My goal is to get Simon Cowell'due south golden buzzer,' and so when he did hitting that golden buzzer, oh my gosh. Information technology was one of the wildest feelings. That confetti coming down, my family out there with me on the phase. It was really a beautiful moment for me," Ketterer said.

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Ketterer'due south Knoxville connections run deep

Ketterer grew upward in Chattanooga and came to Knoxville in 2007 to pursue a nursing degree at S Higher.

He took part in their accelerated nursing program and then worked as a nurse in the med-surg oncology unit of measurement at Tennova Physicians Regional Medical Middle, formerly known as St. Mary's.

While in Knoxville, he got involved with United Pursuit, a Christian group in boondocks and made music with them.

Much of his music with them can be establish on United Pursuit'south YouTube channel.

After moving to California, he comes back to Knoxville sometimes to see his friends. The terminal time he took a trip dorsum in July 2017, he noticed a lot of changes.

"I really love Knoxville, and the last time I went back, I virtually didn't recognize it," said Ketterer. "So many new absurd things happening."

Ketterer and wife Ivey too adopted children from Knoxville through Childhelp, an arrangement that helps place abused and neglected children in foster intendance and as well provides adoption services.

They have six kids: their biological girl Sofia, 17, and five boys they adopted from foster care: Jared, 12, Chase, 11, Rodee, nine, Jeriah, 8, and Shawn, viii.

The family moved to Fountain Valley, California, in 2014, and he now works as a part-fourth dimension pediatric mental health nurse at Children's Hospital of Orange Canton and a part-fourth dimension worship leader at Influence Church.

"It was a massive transition, only one of the things I liked — because I've been coming out here quite oftentimes because of music, and then I'd go ... back and along a lot — and one of the things I liked was the diversity, the amount of diversity that happens here, in Orange County and Southern California," Ketterer said.

"I just felt similar it would be good for my family 'cause my family unit is so diverse, and ... it'southward been a very positive thing for them to exist around so many different ethnicities and races in their own school, then it'south been actually practiced ... it'southward just a lot more various out here culturally. Information technology merely fit my family."

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At first, adoption wasn't the plan

After Ketterer and Ivey had Sofia, they lived equally a family of three for vii years.

Having more than kids could've been dangerous for Ivey, who got really sick while pregnant with Sofia. Ivey and Sofia almost died subsequently Ivey gave birth, and doctors said if she got pregnant a 2d time, it would happen once more, according to Ketterer.

And then, Sofia began to accept several dreams of three little boys in danger.

"She would wake up and she would be like, 'When are nosotros going to prefer my brothers, my brothers?' And she was really fixated on getting these three niggling boys, and ... when your daughter keeps telling you lot things like that, y'all offset to listen, similar, 'Why does she keep having these dreams?'" Ketterer said.

He and Ivey sought out more information, met a couple who had adopted through Childhelp and learned about adopting kids from foster intendance.

"I feel like my eyes were opened up considering I always thought of adopting a kid from similar some other country or out of a bad state of affairs, so if I thought of adopting, that's what immediately comes to my mind," Ketterer said. "But so it'south similar here are kids in our ain hometown — aye all of our kids came from within a 12-mile radius of our home — that needed to be adopted, that needed family, and so information technology was pretty eye-opening, and so in one case we got warmed upwardly to it, we went to Childhelp, and nosotros got certified."

The showtime call they received from Childhelp involved three boys, according to Ketterer, much similar Sofia's dreams.

Ketterer said his five sons all came from rough situations, and he went on "America's Got Talent" to raise awareness and encourage people to consider foster intendance.

"When I heard well-nigh the auditions and the opportunity, I simply felt like, you know, I've thought nearly doing some of these shows in the past, only I've never been very motivated past like 'The Vocalism' or ... 'American Idol,'" Ketterer said.

"But this one, it just actually stuck out to me because I felt like information technology would give me the opportunity to shine a calorie-free on my family and what it looks like to prefer through foster care, also ... I just felt similar it would hopefully inspire people because I know how great that need is, for good parents in the foster intendance system."

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Source: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/06/11/agt-michael-ketterer-father-family-focal-point/682454002/

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