This Kentucky band went viral for Bob Dylan cover. What America’s Got Talent judges said

This story contains spoilers for America’s Got Talent.

Fifteen years after Mayfield’s Kevin Skinner won “America’s Got Talent,” another Kentucky singer has captivated judges and audiences as he begins his journey to hopefully do the same.

Bill Taylor, who’s from Middlesboro, auditioned with his band, The Appalachian Heatherns, in the June 24 episode of the longtime NBC show. The band, comprised of Taylor on vocals and guitar, his father Billy on guitar, Joe Cox on drums, Charlie Blanton on bass and Anna Blanton on fiddle, performed a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that earned four yes votes from judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and former Spice Girl Mel B.

A video of the audition has over 9 million views on Facebook.

Taylor said he and the band were given the option to play either a cover or an original song for the show, but chose something timeless they could put their own spin on.

“I wanted to pick something the audience would recognize while playing it in our own way,” Taylor said. “I’ve heard my dad sing that song in bars and restaurants for years, so when we decided on a cover, that was our unanimous choice for what to play.”

Taylor was discovered and recruited for America’s Got Talent after he posted a cover of himself singing Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name” on his TikTok account.

Nervous for the AGT audition

After the audition, Cowell compared the band to “musical Levi’s” and Mandel told Taylor he has “a great voice and a great American sound.”

Despite the praise, Taylor said he “was shaking like a leaf on a tree” before taking the stage and finding his comfort zone once he began to sing.

“It was hard for me to look at (the judges) when I was trying to sing because once they started smiling, standing up, doing the wave and having fun, I was just wanting to break down and cry,” Taylor said. “It was a dream come true to get to travel that far and actually do good at it.”

Family and longtime fans were on hand last Tuesday at an America’s Got Talent watch party at the Bell Theatre in downtown Pineville.

“It’s always awesome to see the ones that do live close who have been coming to shows since the beginning and get to hug their necks and let them know just how much their support means,” exclaims Taylor. “When we came on everyone started cheering. My wife Natasha was beside me crying the whole time while I was trying my best not to. It was a proud moment.”

How to watch America’s Got Talent

When: 8 p.m. Thursdays

Where: WLEX-18, NBC, streaming online the next day on Peacock

Bill Taylor & The Appalachian Heatherns at The Burl

When: July 5 at 7 p.m.

Where: The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd.

Tickets: $20 plus fees; buy them here

Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RiKpCB124zCWLNWk7