Alicia Keys Background Singers Raii and Whitney Smith Slay 'America's Got Talent'

Culture

As backup singers for artists like Alicia Keys, Emeli Sande and Estelle, married couple Whitney and Raii Smith already know how to rock a stage. But they had yet to earn their own moment in the spotlight — that is, until Tuesday night's America's Got Talent.

The couple, who met through a gospel group at the University of Illinois, introduced themselves to the judges as the Smiths and sang a rendition of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's classic duet, "You're All I Need to Get By." 

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They started off slow, gradually building their harmonies until they hit the song's huge declaration of love in the last chorus to floor the judges. 

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Even the brutal Simon Cowell was impressed.

"You started quite normally and I'm thinking, 'This is a little bit karaoke,'" he said. "And then in the middle you both let it rip, and that's when I thought, 'My God, you two can really, really sing.'"

Watch their duet in full below.

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