Virginia Police Officer Mervin Mayo Captivates ‘AGT’ Audience with a Heartfelt Rendition of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ Dedicated to His Wife
Virginia police officer’s romantic serenade to his wife had Judges swooning and gave America’s Got Talent fans everywhere some serious couple goals.
“My wife is the reason that I’m here today. She tells me to follow my dream,” Richmond Police Officer Mervin Mayo declared before taking the stage to perform the soulful number. “And music is in me, yeah, it’s in me.”
As Mayo sang the heartfelt love song, he adorably shot glances into the wings where his wife was waiting and silently cheering him on. It was just the latest chapter in the couple’s enviable story that had everyone feeling the love.
“It was beautiful,” Judge Heidi Klum said.
Who is Mervin Mayo?
Mervin Mayo appears on America’s Got Talent Season 19 Episode 7. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
When he isn’t singing, Mayo is a Richmond Police officer working with at-risk youth.
“I’ve been a police officer for 19 years,” he said on AGT. “I’m not just a regular police officer. I’m a school resource officer and so what that means is that I work in a school with at-risk youth and want to keep them from going to jail.”
The job has a personal meaning for Mayo, who was once a troubled kid himself.
“I grew up in a housing project in Richmond, Virginia and there was a program called the Police Athletic League,” Mayo explained to the Judges. “An officer named Curtis Simmons kind of took me under his wing cause I was a little mischievous growing up, and he kept me safe. I’m alive today because he kept me out of it and I, I thank him for that ‘cause I tell people I’ve seen more murders as a child than I have as a police officer.”
Mayo described the officer’s intervention as a “miracle for me” during an interview earlier this year with Richmond Magazine.
“It made me a better person and made me realize there was more than what was around my block,” he said.
He isn’t the only one to have devoted his career to helping others. His wife Mechelle is the director of school counseling for Richmond Public Schools and works beside him in the school system.
Just like his career, Mayo’s musical inspirations also began in childhood after he joined the church choir.Through the years, music has given the officer a way to unwind after the stressful demands of his job.
“When I’m going through some stuff, I jump on my piano as a coping mechanism for me,” he explained. “If not, I’d be all over the place. I need that, I need that in my life.”
The gospel singer also has a YouTube channel where he shares his music including the officer’s viral 2020 cover of the Marvin Sapp song “The Best of Me.”
What Song Did Mervin Mayo Sing on AGT ?
Mervin Mayo appears on America’s Got Talent Season 19 Episode 7. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
Stepping out onto the AGT stage for the first time admittedly brought with it some nerves, but Mayo told the Judges he was encouraged to audition by his wife.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about it for years, but I shy away because the only competition I do is karaoke so uh, my wife convinced me,” he said, before jokingly adding, “Everything I do my wife convinces me to do. So I’m here.”
Mayo — who donned his police dress uniform — then sat down at a keyboard and began to belt out Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” subtly casting glances into the wings.
When he finished the soulful rendition of the love song, his wife blew him a kiss.
“How’s that feel, baby?” he asked her.
The endearing moment prompted the judges to ask Mayo to bring Michelle out onto the stage with him.
“I kind of want to see your baby because you’ve been glancing over there the whole time,” Klum remarked.
What Did Judges Say?
Mervin Mayo appears on America’s Got Talent Season 19 Episode 7. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
As Mayo and his wife adorably held hands, the Judges delivered their thoughts on the Act.
“You’re both great people. You are the people that allow us to be safe and people who are in our school system. You are both serving the community and that’s a wonderful thing,” Judge Howie Mandel said. “I love you and I would love hearing from you again.”
While Klum told Mayo that she “felt the love,” Judge Sofia Vergara praised the police officer for ramping up the romance.
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“You guys are a beautiful couple and your voice is spectacular,” she said. “Super romantic, how beautiful that you love her and you’re singing to her and I think people are going to love you.”
Her comments were echoed by Judge Simon Cowell.
“You really do have a good voice and everything you did was sincere,” he said. “I just think it was just a great moment and I think people are genuinely going to like you.”
After securing the four yes votes Mayo needed to advance in the competition, he happily walked off stage with his wife.
