A TEENAGER who rose to fame after her jaw-dropping audition on America’s Got Talent has made it to the show’s semi-finals.

Courtney Hadwin, who receives vocal coaching in High Mickley at Julie Miles’ Vocal Ovation studio, was fast-tracked to the quarter finals after a golden buzzer-winning performance earlier this year.

She was catapulted into stardom after her performance of Otis Redding’s Hard To Handle, gained her a fast-track into the live shows, and the performance has now been viewed on Youtube more than 44 million times.

At the start of this month, Courtney celebrated three years of vocal coaching with Julie before returning to America in time for the live shows.

Last Wednesday, viewers got the chance to see her perform again and she earned the votes of the American public with her version of James Brown’s Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag.

Judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel all rose to their feet to applaud the 14-year-old, and her most recent performance has already been watched by more than four million people.

Simon Cowell described her performance as “incredible”, while Howie Mandel, who pressed the golden buzzer on Courtney’s first appearance, predicted she was going to win the show.

Julie, who previously said that Courtney was so hard-working, and was “the only student I have had to tell to stop practising so much,” was planning to be in America to cheer her pupil on, while Courtney’s family were filmed in the audience.