Brian King Joseph

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Brian King Joseph
Birth name	Brian King Joseph
Born	Washington, D.C.
Instruments	Electric violin, piano, drums, vocals

Brian King Joseph is an American musician most widely recognized for his third-place finish on Season 13 of America's Got Talent. He is known for his electric violin covers of current and classic hits, including Coolio’s "Gangsta's Paradise" and Kanye West’s "Heartless", both of which received standing ovations from all four judges on America’s Got Talent.

Early life

Joseph was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He showed an early love for music by watching his older sister play the violin and began playing the instrument himself at age four. He would play in the Chinatown Metro station for Washington Capitals fans after games and eventually landed his first performance at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

“I started needing to make money to feed myself and to help feed my family. So, I took my violin out onto the streets to perform for some extra money,” he said. “Playing on the streets really teaches you a lot about new and modern music and what people like.”

He gained a devoted following as he won numerous first-place ribbons in classical competitions throughout the city, even receiving an invitation to perform for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In 2012, Brian earned a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.

"The community of D.C. accepted, and honestly, fed me over those years. Literally putting food in my mouth, putting money in my case,” he said. “D.C. always has the most special place in my heart. I owe D.C. everything.”

Neuropathy

Joseph was diagnosed with neuropathy in 2012. The painful nerve disorder has caused him to lose the feeling in both of his hands and feet, and will eventually spread to his entire body.

“The nature of my disease is that every day, it’s worse than before. In spite of that, I’ve always had to overcome challenges in my life,” he said. But, given the fact that I had something to focus on and rely on instead of the negative, instead of the pain, to focus on something positive and have my music, it made me want to play more. It let me live my life. ”

Joseph went public with his diagnosis during his audition round for Season 13 of America's Got Talent. He received a standing ovation from the judges and audience after his performance, with judge Howie Mandel praising him as an example of how people should be living their lives.

“To have Howie say that feels really good because it meant that instead of my being sick being burden on people, it meant I can actually help people,” he said. “That changed my perspective completely. Now, in a funny, strange way I see me being sick as a blessing instead of a curse. What’s happening to me is relevant and can help millions of people around the world.”

Career

Shortly after leaving Berklee, Joseph began posting videos to his YouTube channel of his violin covers of Fetty Wap, Drake (musician) and Adele, among others. His fresh take on their hits quickly saw him gain 100,000 subscribers and more than seven million views on his YouTube channel. After Machine Gun Kelly (rapper) discovered his cover of "A Little More" on YouTube, he invited Brian to share the stage with him in July 2015.

MTV crowned him the winner of their inaugural “Cover of the Month” competition in 2016 after he received 26 million “claps” within one month, prompting Mike Posner to call him “a beast [on violin].”

Brian has also appeared on MTV’s The Real World and several national commercials. He’s currently in the studio working on his first full-length album.

America’s Got Talent

Joseph first appeared on America's Got Talent during Week 4 of the Judges Cuts rounds, advancing to the quarterfinals with his cover of "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay. On Aug. 29, he passed the quarterfinal round with his take on "Centuries (song)" by Fall Out Boy.

On Sept. 11, Joseph made headlines with his cover of "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio, starting out in the audience and making his way to the main stage. The Sept. 18 final performance saw him surrounded by fire and two drummers as he performed Kanye West’s "Heartless" to an electric beat on the song.

The judges heavily praised Joseph for the cover, with Mel B calling him “100% the best violin performer of all time. You just ooze confidence and excitement.” Simon Cowell declared him a favorite to win the competition and said that “this is everything this show should be, which is someone who starts off good, ends up amazing…I think this show — I hope — will change your life. You deserve it.”

During the finale, guest performer Lindsey Stirling joined him for covers of “Roundtable Rival” and “The Force of Nature” as they performed alongside trapeze act Duo Transcend. Joseph finished in third place, becoming just the second violinist in the show’s history to finish in the top three.

External links

• Official website
• Brian King Joseph on Twitter
• Brian King Joseph on Facebook
• Brian King Joseph on Instagram
• Video on YouTube

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