Mandy Harvey is a very unique and talented American singer, songwriter and philanthropist. Despite having a hearing impairment, she braced up against all odds to pursue her life’s passion to become a successful and recognized singer. She is an ambassador for a nonprofit organization called “No Barriers”, which was established to help people living with disabilities overcome whatever obstacles and limitations may be in their way. Harvey is very passionate about this cause, as she had to overcome “insurmountable” obstacles in order to realize her own dreams.
Who Is Mandy Harvey of America’s Got Talent?
Mandy Harvey was born on January 2, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio and was named Amanda Lynn Harvey at birth. Her father, Joe Harvey, is a minister of the gospel, while her mother, Valerie Harvey, is a teacher in a public school. Her father must have been one of the first persons in her life that stirred the gift of music in her because as a pastor, worship and music was part of his ministry, and he also played the guitar very well. Mandy started singing in the church choir when she was 4 years old. She was raised alongside her three siblings.
When she was about two years old, her family moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to St. Cloud, Florida. Mandy has always had problems with her hearing from when she was a kid and as a result, she underwent a few surgeries to correct them. She also had a few other health challenges growing up, for which she took a lot of medication to manage them. She had a surgery done on her knees at a young age, as a result of a rare medical condition she was suffering from, but unfortunately, the medications to relieve the knee surgery, as well as some other health challenges, contributed to her progressive hearing loss over time.
When Mandy Harvey turned 10 years old, her family was on the move again, and this time they moved from Florida to Longmont, Colorado. While in Longmont, she enrolled at the Longmont High School, where her singing talent continued to blossom and improve a lot. She was recognized as the “Best Female Vocalist” in her final year in high school; she graduated from the school in 2006.
Later in the year 2006, Mandy got admission into the Colorado State University, where she studied music, majoring in vocals. Unfortunately for Mandy, she totally lost all forms of hearing in both ears later that year, due to an ailment she was suffering from called the “Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome” – which was a form of connective tissues disorder. As a result of this unfortunate incident, she had to withdraw from the university and returned back home where she suffered from depression and abandoned her love and passion for music.
Mandy Harvey had only one dream in life, she wanted to be a music teacher when she grew up, and she had no passion for any other thing in life, so when she lost her hearing, not only did her dream vanish, she also seemed to have lost her reason for living – as she could not hear both the music around her and her own voice. After she moved back home with her parents, she started taking sign lessons and became involved with the deaf community, and this interaction somehow gave her hope making her realize that all wasn’t lost; thankfully, she was able to develop a positive mindset towards her condition.
Her father, Joe, encouraged her to go back into music and it was about the same time she got visual tuners which aided her to “be in tune with music”. She would watch her father play the guitar, and as she began to “feel” the music, she would join in and sing with him. Joe further encouraged her to pick a song to sing, and with his help, she was able to sing the whole song without any mistakes, after several attempts.
Mandy Harvey’s Revitalized Music Career
Sometime in 2008, she was privileged to meet Jazz Pianist, Mark Sloniker at Jay’s Bistro in Fort Collins, and they developed a rapport which allowed her to perform at the club regularly. She also performed at the Dazzle Jazz Lounge in Denver, where she recorded 3 different albums over the course of 5 years – “Smile” in 2009, “After You’ve Gone” in 2010 and “All of Me” in 2014. In between the release of the albums, she won VSA’s International Young Soloist Award, which opened the door for her to perform at the Kennedy Center.
America’s Got Talent Appearance
Mandy Harvey appeared in the 2017’s 12th season edition of America’s Got Talent show, where Simon Cowell pressed the golden buzzer after her performance, giving her the ultimate pass into the competition. She was a very unique contestant on the show, as she performed her own original songs – not cover songs while playing instruments herself. At the finale of the show, she came 4th overall, which was an incredible achievement for a deaf contestant, in a singing talent competition.
Is She Married?
Mandy Harvey is reported to be married to a man simply known as Travis. Details of the exact year of their marriage and number of kids that they have are not readily available to the public, as of this writing. Hopefully, as she grows her time in the spotlight, more details about her love life would emerge.
