Sal Valentinetti Sings One Direction with Frank Sinatra Style on 'America's Got Talent'

Culture

Lounge singer Sal Valentinetti may be running away with this year's America's Got Talent competition. The pizza delivery guy by day, Sinatra crooner by night stunned audiences Tuesday night when he turned one of One Direction's biggest hits, "Story of My Life," into a Sinatra-esque jazz standard. 

"Story of My Life" wasn't an obvious win for such a transposition, but his bold, full-bodied croon carried the song with aplomb. And it earned him a standing ovation from the audience and praise from the judges.

America's Got Talent/YouTube

"You're a showman, you're like a singing pizza," judge Simon Cowell told a beaming Valentinetti. "You played to the crowd and you rose. Congratulations. And that's a great song." 

"Your voice was silky and smooth," Heidi Klum added, who initially gave Valentinetti the golden buzzer that sent him into the live rounds after a standout audition. 

Howie Mandel and Cowell got into a bit of a quarrel over whether the 20-year-old singer should stick to standards — Mandel's view — or continue pursuing and experimenting with newer hits like One Direction's, which, full disclosure to be a project Cowell helped organize. 

Cowell wouldn't stand for Mandel's conservatism though, and immediately slammed his buzzer before the usually genial host could finish.

Check out a video of the performance below posted to YouTube:

Read more