Chicago's Leo Catholic High School choir seeks golden buzzer on 'AGT'

A talented all-boys choir from the South Side is appearing on this week's live episode of NBC's "America's Got Talent."

The choir from Leo Catholic High School in Auburn Gresham will participate in season 20's week two of the quarterfinals. With 22 members, the choir has performed all over Chicago, including at Soldier Field and Wrigley Field.

For the young men, it's not a matter of if, but when, one of the judges pushes the golden buzzer. That action would allow the choir to bypass the semifinals and go straight to the finals.

Earlier this year, the students auditioned for the popular competition show with their cover of "Born For This" by The Score, which premiered on NBC on June 10.

Judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B and Sofía Vergara voted unanimously to send the boys to the next round after their high-energy, choreography-filled performance brought the audience to its feet.

It's also happening after the recently selected Pope Leo, aka Robert Prevost or "Father Bob," chose St. Leo, the school's namesake, as his new name.

If the young men win the "America's Got Talent" competition, the plan is to split the $1 million prize between them all and put it toward their college expenses.

This week, the boys are all together in Pasadena, California, to impress America and the judges yet again. They have been rehearsing daily, thanks to choir manager Yolanda Sandifer-Horton's schedule.

Speaking on a Zoom call with a reporter, choir member Keith Smith promised the Tuesday performance will include a lot of "intensity." It'll feature choreography that will "definitely move people," the others added, as a group of five huddled to speak to a reporter.

As they prepare for the "America's Got Talent" quarterfinals, the guys say they are getting to spend a lot of time together and deepen the bond they've built with each other: It's one they call a brotherhood.

"if one brother's down, you always could bring your brother up to greatness," said recent Leo High grad and choir member Christian Whiteside.

And the boys celebrate their differences, despite not all coming from the same background.

Recent graduate Josue Ríos said the thing he's looking forward to the most is "enjoying time with my brothers."

The friendships formed through his high school experiences have changed his outlook on life, especially since he began attending Leo later than most of his peers, he said.

"I had just moved back to Chicago, so I knew little to nobody," Ríos continued. "They made sure I was accepted, I was comfortable and appreciated. They didn't make me the odd one out."

And their choir director, LaDonna Hill, has been "like a second mom" to the boys, the young men said.

Many of them hadn't had formal music education before joining the choir, but Hill welcomed each boy with open arms. There are never auditions for the Leo choir — if they're interested, all they need to do is say something.

"If it wasn't for [Hill], we would probably not be where we're at today," Ríos added.

Their high school serves 26 different zip codes, according to their principal, Dr. Shaka Rawls. Students come from as far out as suburban Crete to the Chatham and Pullman neighborhoods and the West Side.

And the support for the young men back in Chicago is far and wide, with at least 23 watch parties happening all across the city on Tuesday.

It feels "surreal," said Smith, who also graduated with the Class of 2025.

"Growing up watching a show like this, and like, now you just graduated high school, and now you're on this platform yourself ... kids dream of that," he said.

But Smith and his brothers are treating this opportunity very seriously, while at the same time balancing school, sports and their personal lives.

Their biggest goal is to inspire others to put in the work to achieve their dreams.

The opportunity could not have come at a better time, Rawls said.

"All of this is on the precipice of our 100th year," he said.

"They stay incredibly humble," Rawls said of the boys. "We've been pushing each other. We've been pulling on each other. They hold me accountable. I hold them accountable."

Viewers can go to agt.vote.nbc.com or the NBC app to vote for the Leo choir. Voting opens at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and closes at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

The quarterfinals episode featuring the Leo Catholic High School choir airs on NBC at 7 p.m. It's available for next-day streaming on Peacock.