America’s Got Talent aired contestant Dr. Brandon Rogers‘ audition on the Tuesday, July 11, episode, nearly one month after he died in a fatal car accident at age 29.
“At the request of his family we would like to honor his memory by sharing his audition with you,” the NBC show said in a statement before airing the footage.
For his try-out, Rogers sang a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s 1995 hit “Ribbon in The Sky.” He also opened up about why he chose to pursue the medical field.
“My inspiration for becoming a doctor was kind of born out of a pretty tough experience when I was six years old. I came home from school one day and found my mom laying in a pool of blood. We rushed her to the hospital, the doctors were like heroes. They saved her life and it made me want to be the doctor that I am today,” he told the cameras. “I feel like I’m in a field where I’m actually making a difference. And there can be really tough days sometimes too. My way of coping with the stress has always been music.”
As previously reported, Rogers passed away in Maryland on June 10. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Dr. Brandon Rogers, who graced the America’s Got Talent stage as a contestant,” a spokesperson for the show told Us Weekly in a statement on June 14. “Our thoughts are with his family.”
America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
Watch the video above.
