‘AGT’ contestant Drake Milligan on being called ‘the new Elvis of country’ and his Texas roots

The Elvis-inspired country singer sang his original songs ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do’ and ‘Kiss Goodbye All Night’ on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Drake Milligan, an aspiring country artist from Fort Worth, Texas stepped out onto the “America’s Got Talent” stage, in front of four distinguished judges, a crowd of thousands and millions watching at home to show the world that he was ready to break into country music. With his band beside him, he wanted to “come out swinging” with his own original song, “Sounds Like Something I’d Do,” and the response he received was not something that the rising country artist could have ever predicted.

Both songs Milligan has performed on “AGT,” “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” and “Kiss Goodbye All Night,” soared to the top of the country charts. He received a standing ovation from all four judges, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara and got the rest of the crowd on their feet. He made it through the auditions to the live shows and then was one of two acts who made it into the show’s finale based on fan votes.

“The response has been such a whirlwind,” Milligan told Fox News Digital, who has been called “the new Elvis of country.”

“I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it, because it’s all you kind of dream of as a songwriter and entertainer,” he added.

Even though “AGT” has really been put Milligan into the limelight, and has been the vessel through which he can share his energetic performances that have engaged millions, the journey really began years ago. For Milligan, it started when he was a kid growing up in Texas who was simply fascinated by Elvis Presley.

Milligan had been putting in years of work prior to his first “AGT” audition to prepare for that moment.

He grew up just outside of Fort Worth, Texas, in what he described as a country household, where his dad runs a scrapyard, and his mom works as a veterinarian. He grew up listening to classic country artists like Merle Haggard, George Jones, George Strait and Alan Jackson, but music really started to have an influence on him after he saw an Elvis impersonator while he was out to eat with his family.

After that, he studied everything about Elvis through watching movies, performances and listening to songs, which eventually led to Milligan landing the role of Elvis on the CMT show “Sun Records.”

Through Milligan’s experience playing Elvis, he was introduced to Chuck Mead, who was a member of country band BR5-49, and was able to learn more about performing and recording country music from him. For Milligan, playing Elvis in “Sun Records” was really the point where he knew being a country artist was something that he wanted to pursue. It also allowed him to grow his appreciation for the history of country music.

“Now being a songwriter, I want to learn who wrote all my favorite songs and what went behind the songs, who played on my favorite songs and appreciating the history of country music and music that I love,” Milligan said.

“AGT” wasn’t the first competition show that Milligan entered. He auditioned for “American Idol” in late 2017 but made the difficult decision to back out of the competition to take time to figure out who he was as an artist first and put the work in before he had a platform like the one these type of shows can provide.