agt finalist: sal valentinetti

In 2016, Season 11 of the NBC hit show “America's Got Talent” was taken by storm by Sal Valentinetti. The 20-year-old college ctudent that delivered Pizza for his cousin's Italian restaurant was now in the spotlight. Belting out the classic Frank Sinatra hit “My Way”, Sal not only received a standing ovation, but got the coveted “Golden Buzzer” from judge Heidi Klum, who he later performed a duo with singing “Santa Baby”.

Ever since the Bethpage native showed off his singing chops and unexpected love for jazz on season 11 of America’s Got Talent, his life has been a roller coaster ride. Yet Valentinetti wasn’t always aware of his talent. It was during a horn lesson at 15 when it was uncovered. The instructor asked him to choose a song to play and Valentinetti started singing the lyrics to a song he used to listen to with his grandmother: Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife.” Taken aback, the instructor immediately urged him to get singing lessons. With further encouragement from his beloved Uncle Joe, Valentinetti started to take his skill seriously.

These days, singing is all he does. Valentinetti has been touring all over the nation and selling out shows back home at The Paramount in Huntington and the Patchogue Theatre.

“It’s really been incredible to see the amount of people, especially from Long Island, who have rallied around me,” said Valentinetti, who also released a self-titled EP on July 1. “There’s no place like home.”