‘America’s Got Talent’ Fan Favorite Nightbirde Dies: Jane Marczewski Was 31

Nightbirde in America's Got Talent
Trae Patton/NBC
Trae Patton/NBC

America’s Got Talent fan-favorite Jane Marczewski has passed away. The singer, who used the stage name Nightbirde, died at the age of 31 after battling cancer on Sunday, TMZ reports.

Following news of her passing, AGT judge Howie Mandel paid tribute to the singer from Ohio. She “was such a bright inspirational light in all our lives,” he wrote on Twitter. “We must continue to live and learn from her words and lyrics. As much as I feel horribly about her passing I feel lucky to to have met, heard and known her.”

Viewers met Nightbirde in Season 16 of the NBC competition series, which aired in summer 2021. Judge Simon Cowell  hit the Golden Buzzer for her following her performance of an original song, “It’s OK.” She then withdrew in August 2021. The singer had survived breast cancer, but then the cancer metastasized to her lungs, spine, and liver.

“Sharing my heart with the world on AGT has been an honor and a dream come true. My point of view this summer has been astounding. What a miracle that the pain I’ve walked through can be reworked into beauty that makes people all over the world open their eyes wider,” she explained in a post on Instagram. “Since my audition, my health has taken a turn for the worse and the fight with cancer is demanding all of my energy and attention. … Life doesn’t always give breaks to those that deserve it—but we knew that already.” See the full post below.

 

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A post shared by Nightbirde ⚡️ (@_nightbirde)

In Marczewski’s last post to Instagram on January 11, she wrote, “Honestly, things have been pretty brutal. But this is a photo of myself from last week where I felt pretty, and alive, and awake, and human, and real. I needed that. We’re all a little lost and it’s alright.”

Watch her Golden Buzzer performance below: