One of the first standout contestants on the new season of America's Got Talent, 38-year-old Philip Bowen wowed judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara with a violin cover of System of a Down's "Chop Suey!"
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During his introduction, Bowen revealed that he took up the violin around age 4 after seeing Mandel's cousin, virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, on an episode of Sesame Street.
"From there, I fell in love with it, and I've been playing ever since," Bowen said. "I have three young kids, and I want to show them that it's never too late to chase down a dream."
All four judges voted to move Bowen to the next round.
"I mean, I was like, crying a little bit because I saw how important this was for you," Vergara said. "And this is why this show is so special, because it makes people like you have this moment. It might even change your life because this was the place you were supposed to be."
"You were beautiful, young man," Mandel added. "What you did, how you sounded and who you are, are beautiful."
The most glowing praise came from Cowell, who's a longtime favorite of Bowen's mother.
"I just wasn't expecting that. You are so talented. You have so much charisma," Cowell said. "You could feel the energy in here. They love you. You made your mom and dad so proud after that performance. That was a great audition."
Though it wasn't necessarily a country performance, Bowen's fiery fiddling qualifies him as the Charlie Daniels of classical violin.
America's Got Talent's new season premiered Tuesday (March 30). Other highlights of night one's auditions range from a breakdancing dinosaur to a comedian with a funny quip about Yellowstone.
