‘America’s Got Talent’: 6 Things to Know About Mervin Mayo

Richmond police officer Mervin Mayo wowed the judges on Tuesday night’s (July 16) America’s Got Talent, where he performed a heartfelt rendition of Ed Sheeran‘s “Thinking Out Loud.”

Mayo made his way to the stage for the recent round of auditions and explained how he grew up in the housing project in Virginia, where, as a kid, he was taken under the wing of a police officer who kept him safe. This inspired him to become a cop.

“I wanted to work with the at-risk youth because I was an at-risk youth,” he said.

After performing his song, Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel were full of praise for Mayo.

“You sounded great up there, you felt right at home, I felt the love… it was beautiful,” Klum said.

“Your voice is spectacular, super romantic, and I think people are going to love you,” Vergara added.

Cowell stated, “You really do have a good voice. And everything you did was sincere. I just think it was a great moment, and people are genuinely going to like you.

The panel then gave Mayo four yeses, meaning he will move on to the next stage of the competition. But before we get there, here are six things to know about the gospel-singing cop.

He Owes His Life to Two Police Officers

As he explained on AGT, Mayo was a “mischievous kid” who grew up in the East End of Richmond, Virginia. He said on the show, “I saw more murders as a child than I have as a police officer.”

In an interview with RichmondMagazine earlier this year, Mayo said he was befriended by two officers, Curtis Simmons and Gerald Tuck, when he was a kid and they helped put him on the right path. The officers worked with the nonprofit Police Athletic League, which aims to keep kids out of trouble through programming such as trips to amusement parks and sporting events.

“It was a miracle for me, the best thing that happened to me,” Mayo told the outlet. “Growing up in Creighton Court, we didn’t have a lot of money. [PAL] made me see things I would’ve never seen and be in places that I probably would’ve never gone. It made me a better person and made me realize there was more than what was around my block.”

It’s also what inspired him to become a cop. “I wanted to basically do the same thing the [PAL program] did for me for other young men and women growing up in poverty-stricken areas,” he stated.

He Found Music Through Church

Mayo started attending church when he was 13 and joined the choir. He told RichmondMagazine that he was performing rap music for a while but was later told to focus on singing.

“I just love to sing gospel music and I just get God praised through my voice,” he shared.

He Went Viral as ‘The Gospel Cop’

AGT isn’t Mayo’s first brush with fame. In 2020, he went viral online with his cover of the Marvin Sapp song “The Best in Me.” He’d been posting music videos on his YouTube channel for over a decade before that, but it wasn’t until 2020 that one of his performances gained traction.

“The remake of Marvin Sapp’s ‘The Best in Me’ got shared by some celebrities, I think, and it blew up,” he shared. “The next morning, it had like 2 or 3 million views… And then it just kept going.”

He Released An Album

Following the success of his YouTube videos, Mayo signed a deal with Warner Music Group as a partner, which gives him creative control over the kind of music he produces and makes.

“It’s a 50-50 cut, which means all the production, music and everything comes out of my pocket,” Mayo explained. “Now, the promotion and all that stuff, the record label does. What I don’t have control over is when it actually gets released; Warner Music makes that decision.

He released his first album on April 26, 2024, titled “God Dit It.”

His Wife Encouraged Him to Audition for ‘AGT’

As he explained on the show, Mayo’s wife, Michelle, the director of school counseling for Richmond Public Schools, was the one who encouraged him to take the leap and audition for AGT. Mayo even brought Michelle out on stage to celebrate the moment with him after his performance.

Earlier this year, Mayo celebrated Michelle’s birthday with an emotional message on social media. “This woman here is my ROCK,” he wrote on Instagram. “Chelle Mayo you are such a gift from God and I can’t thank you enough for encouraging me the way you do.. even when I don’t feel like being encouraged.. Love you Wifey!!!”

He Is Eyeing Retirement Next Year

While Mayo loves his job as a resource officer and helping at-risk children, he told 12onyourside.com that he is “getting ready to retire” next year.

“I think next October I’ll be done, and I’ll just concentrate on my music and my ministry full time,” he said. “I don’t want to leave the kids. But it’s 20 years, it’s time for me to go, you see all this gray. It’s time to go.”