Who Is Benjamin Hightower? Everything to Know About ‘AGT’ Season 20 Contestant
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The Quarterfinals continue on the Tuesday, August 26, episode of America’s Got Talent. Eleven more acts will take the stage, with four moving on (one through a judge’s live Golden Buzzer and the other three based on America’s votes).
One of the acts performing during the second night of Quarterfinals is singer Benjamin Hightower. He wowed the judges with his rendition of “Pink Pony Club” during his audition, and now he’ll be hitting the stage once again.
Scroll down to learn more about the aspiring singer ahead of his Quarterfinals performance.
Who is Benjamin Hightower?
Benjamin is an Air Force veteran who is now a singer.
“I was active duty in the military for seven years,” Benjamin said during his AGT audition. “I made the really scary choice to get out of the military and take a chance on myself because I believe in my ability to be a performer.”
He has released some music in the past, but it was his AGT audition that made him go viral. Benjamin appears to be tight with Matt Rogers of the Las Culturistas podcast, as he got a shoutout on an episode that featured Michelle Obama in June, during which Matt referred to Benjamin as his “friend.”
Is Benjamin Hightower also Benson Boone?
Although there is a striking physical resemblance between Benjamin and Benson, who was previously on American Idol, they are absolutely not the same person. However, it’s a question Benjamin gets quite often, as he even notes in his Instagram bio that he’s “not Benson Boone.”
In June, Benjamin also posted a meme poking fun at the talk of his similarities to Benson. Above a clip of him singing and playing piano, the text said, “‘Mom, can we go see Benson Boone?’ ‘We’ve got Benson Boone at home.’ Benson Boone at home:
View this post on Instagram
He’s also posted various other videos on social media on the topic, including the one above.
What is Benjamin Hightower’s sexuality?
Benjamin has been open about his sexuality and identifies as a gay man, per a post on his Substack from July 2024. “I’ve known I was gay since I was six and coming to terms with it has been a painful process,” he wrote.
He shared that he joined the military because he felt it was “my chance to become a man, and more specifically, a straight man.” Being raised as a Christian, Benjamin stayed closeted throughout his teenage years.
“From an early age, my church had instilled in me that homosexuality was the ultimate shame and would lead to hell,” he admitted. “In high school and college, I read every book on anti-gay theology and paid for a Focus on the Family conversion therapist to tell me that with enough self-deprivation, I could rewire my neural pathways to avoid homosexuality altogether.”
After befriending another Christian family in the military with a gay son, Benjamin said his eyes were opened. He eventually moved to New York and came out to his own family and friends.
America’s Got Talent, Season 20, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8/7c, NBC
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