‘America’s Got Talent’: Could a poet from Stockton actually win?

In this job, it’s not often that I get to celebrate my Central Valley home town. But today, I’m bursting with pride over Brandon Leake, a spoken-word poet from Stockton who wowed the judges on “America’s Got Talent” Tuesday night.

Not only did Leake, 27, make history by becoming the first spoken-word artist to appear on the show in 14 years. He was awarded the Golden Buzzer, an honor that allows a contestant to advance directly to the live-show phase of the competition.

Performing on the first audience-less episode of the season, Leake, a counselor at Delta Community College, delivered an emotional poem dedicated to his late sister, who died as a baby

Before Leake began, judge Simon Cowell admitted he was somewhat skeptical, saying, “I don’t really understand poetry, I’m going to be honest with you.”

But Cowell and his fellow panelists, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara, were blown away by Leake’s raw, moving performance in which he spoke of “painful memories” and incurring “scars trying to hold onto you.” (The fourth judge, Heidi Klum, was out sick.)

A tearful Vergara was especially moved, pointing out that her brother died in the same year Leake’s sibling did.

“I can feel your pain, I know what this is,” she said.

Cowell was also impressed, telling Leake, “there’s something very, very special about you.”

Mandel loved it enough to hit the Golden Buzzer and send confetti raining down on the stunned Leake. You can check out the very special “AGT” moment in the video below: