Shaheen Jafargholi, a young 12 year old singer from Mount Pleasant, Swansea, Wales, UK, appeared on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent" on Saturday April 18th 2009 and was an absolute sensation!!
Shaheen has undoubtedly got real talent and is unusually good for such a young singer.
See the audition on YouTube. (Link opens in new window)
He was given a standing ovation and rapturous applause by the Cardiff audience, after performing the Michael Jackson hit "Who's loving you?".
He now looks like a real contender for the "Britain's Got Talent " £100,000 prize, in competition with the 45 year old Scottish singing sensation, Susan Boyle, who also has a superb voice.
What made Shaheen's performance even more remarkable was the way he handled a major set-back.
When he first stepped on the stage in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, he announced to panellists, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, that he was going to sing the Amy Winehouse hit, "Valerie", which was Shaheen's grandad's favourite song. However, after singing a few lines....... very well to most peoples' ears.... Simon Cowell abruptly stopped him and told him "You've got this really wrong!!".
Simon Cowell then asked Shaheen if he knew another song.
Shaheen paused for a moment, amidst a deadly hush, and then announced that he would sing Michael Jackson's "Who's Loving You?". That intervention would have totally upset most singers twice the age of Shaheen, but it did not faze Shaheen at all. He immediately launched full voice into a perfectly pitched "Who's Loving You?" , making it obvious after a few words that he had a very special singing talent.
After he finished, the three judges were grinning from ear to ear.
Amanda Holden said she got goose-pimples on her arms for only the third time, whilst judging Britain's Got Talent. The two previous occasions, she said, were when she first saw opera singer Paul Potts, and young dancer George Sampson.
Simon Cowell said to Shaheen,"This is how one song changed your life, and this marks the beginning of something special for you, young man".
However, Shaheen Jafargholi is no stranger to the limelight.
He was brought up by his single mum, Karen Thomas, who sent him to the famed Mark Jermin Stage School in Swansea at the age of five.
He has appeared in the BBC's "Torchwood" [Doctor Who spin-off] and "Casualty" and has also appeared opposite Gary Lineker in the Walker's Crisps advertisement for "Comic Relief".
He has also appeared in the stage musical, "Thriller Live", where he played the young Michael Jackson. He toured the UK for 6 weeks with "Thriller Live", taking his school work with him and having a tutor assist with his education.
Shaheen Jafargholi has got a very old head on young shoulders and demonstates a very mature, focused attitude to his future career in showbusiness.
His mum, Karen Thomas, says that she will make sure that success does not go to his head. That success is bound to come later in the contest and in an ensuing musical career.
As Piers Morgan exclaimed to Shaheen, " You've proved that Wales has got talent!!"
We wish Shaheen Jafargholi every success in the remainder of "Britain's Got Talent" and in his future musical career.