Scott James, age 21, didn’t appear to be a star when he took the stage at The X Factor. He gently informed that he has Asperger’s syndrome and has hardly left his house for seven years due to extreme fear. He was soft-spoken, apprehensive, and avoided making eye contact. For him, it was already a big victory to be standing in front of thousands of people under the lights.
When Scott selected “You Raise Me Up,” the entire mood transformed at the first note. The whole arena fell silent as his voice was warm, rich, pure, and full of emotion. Not only was this a strong audition, but it felt like a single song expressing years of loneliness, anxiety, and struggle. Judges who had just been silently doubtful leaned in, clearly touched by what they were hearing.
The audience was already up and cheering through tears by the time he hit the last, impactful note. In a rare moment that demonstrated how profoundly the performance had affected everyone in the room, Simon Cowell allegedly stopped the auditions thereafter to walk backstage and personally congratulate Scott and his vocal coach.
As the bashful young man who used to be unable to leave his own door, Scott James entered the stage. He left as the artist whose voice served as a reminder to millions that you should never undervalue someone based solely on their apparent quietness because you never know what type of strength may be concealed within.
