Simon Cowell has been known to be a bit of a crank. He rarely shows emotion, unless that emotion is disdain. Since his American Idol days, the producer has garnered a reputation as being harsh, blunt, and extremely stone-faced during performances. It's definitely hard to please the 58-year-old star.
But one father of six managed to send Simon into tears after an incredible performance on America's Got Talent.
Michael Ketterer, who managed to get Simon's golden buzzer during the audition rounds of the reality show, hasn't had an easy road to get to where he is. The doting dad opened up about he almost lost his wife and daughter after his wife got sick during her pregnancy.
"The doctor said the woman I loved the most in life and my new daughter, they probably wouldn't make it through the night... I spent the whole night praying, and miraculously my daughter pulled through," Michael revealed. "My wife pulled through, but the doctors told us if we got pregnant, this would happen again."
After that, he and his wife chose to adopt.
"It took my daughter three years to convince us to adopt. After we went through the process of getting certified to adopt, our very first call that we got were for three little boys. I promise I'm not making this up," he said. Michael and his wife then adopted two more boys, for a total of six kids.
His original performance on America's Got Talent caught Simon's attention, who is a relatively new father himself.
"When we find singers on these shows, is it about being technical? Or is it about being relevant?" Simon said. "Sometimes, for me, it's just about being real and a surprise. If I'm being honest with you "” 'cause you were so nervous "” I was concerned for you. But I think sometimes, actions speak louder than words."
Months later, Michael is still having an effect on the previously cold-hearted judge.
Michael chose to perform the song "Us" by James Bay, and by the end of the performance, Simon was in tears.
"Um look," Simon said, choking back tears. "Oh gosh. As a dad I kind of get...I couldn't...I can't imagine what you've done, and the fact that you've been on this show, and you really need this...you're a really, really special guy. I don't know, there's something about you."
It really is a beautiful moment, as we get to see a side of Simon he usually keeps so closed off.