Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.

When Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. showed up to audition for NBC TV’s America’s Got Talent in 2010, he was singing to pass the time while grinding out a living washing cars in his hometown of Logan, WV (population 3,000) and the only “nice” clothes he owned were the ones on his back: a pair of jeans, a modest button down striped shirt and jacket. Fortunately, you don’t need a slick wardrobe to win America’s heart. You need talent and personality, and Landau has a great deal of both. Wowing the judges with his back story of homelessness and determination to succeed for his family, coupled with interpretations of classics from Cole Porter, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and others, Landau walked away with the million dollar grand prize in front of 14 million weekly viewers. According to show insiders, when all was said and done, Landau had won America’s Got Talent by the biggest vote total in the show’s history.