A little boy named Calum Courtney is an average young man who has one thing that’s exceptional about him: high-functioning autism. Besides this, Calum also has a gift that many people in the world would enjoy having. He’s an incredible singer and entertainer. When he appeared on the popular talent show “Britain’s Got Talent,” his performance of The Jackson 5’s “Who’s Loving You” left the judges in awe. When Calum went onstage, he was very polite with good manners and answered in a thoughtful way all of the questions the judges asked him. In the back, you could see his parents and family cheering him on.
When the judges asked Calum if he was nervous, he said simply, “No.” That’s probably true. Some people with autism have a blunted awareness of what other people think of them, and therefore, they tend to be less self-conscious that people who are not on the spectrum. When Calum started singing, he sang his heart out. When his performance was over, the judges and the audience were on their feet in thundering applause and a standing ovation. Notoriously grumpy judge Simon Cowell even gave Calum a huge thumbs-up, and one of the judges commented on Calum’s song choice, saying, “What a big song for such a little guy, you did brilliantly.”
The judge added that Calum should be very proud of himself, and we agree. When Calum heard that comment, he started crying and his little brother quickly ran onto the stage to hug his brother. Simon Cowell was very impressed with Calum and told him, “Calum, you’ve got soul. You’ve got a very authentic voice. You’ve got a great tone to your voice.” Simon added that Calum totally controlled the song and that he, Simon, really likes the young boy. The judges ended up giving Calum four yeses, which delighted Calum. This isn’t the young boy’s first performance. A while back, he took the stage with Emeli Sande and JP Cooper to perform at a charity ball that was raising money for the United Kingdom’s National Autistic Society.
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Calum’s mother says that Calum was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, and for this reason, he doesn’t get nervous in the same way that many people do. She adds that he loves performing, whether it’s one person or 100 people. The Courtneys are a musical family, and Calum’s grandparents performed on stages in the West End. In the video below, you will see a little boy sing his heart out. Enjoy.
