Franklin girl, 7, trying out for ‘America’s Got Talent’

Published 10:53 am Tuesday, January 31, 2012

FRANKLIN—A 7-year-old Franklin girl on Saturday will try out for the NBC reality television show, “America’s Got Talent.”

Mesha Bullock’s mother, Shayna “Danielle” Bullock, believes her daughter has a great chance of being chosen for the show, which awards a $1 million top prize.

“She sings like she’s a 30-year-old woman,” said Shayna “Danielle” Bullock, 27.

She isn’t sure what Mesha plans to sing for her tryout, but the youngster’s grandfather, Winfred Ralph Jr. of Franklin, expects it will be the gospel song “Go.”

A first-grader at S.P. Morton Elementary School, Mesha last summer while in New York landed an upcoming audition for Nala, in the musical, “The Lion King,” said her grandmother, Joyce Ralph.

Mesha got the opportunity to go to New York after participating in a casting event in Florida along with 2,000 to 4,000 children.

“The kids can get callbacks from producers and directors,” Joyce Ralph said. “She got five callbacks.”

Generation TV asked Mesha to memorize the script for Nala, who becomes Simba’s queen in “The Lion King.” The girl who played the part died from leukemia.

“They told her that when Disney is going to do an audition for the part, they would give her a call,” Joyce Ralph said.

Mesha, who is also the daughter of Raheam Bullock, began singing at age 4 with the choir at New Middle Swamp Mission Baptist Church in Corapeake, N.C.

She took second place in the Virginia Got Talent Contest in Norfolk last year and first in the Franklin Youth Has Talent contest at Franklin High School and Fun Fest 2010 in Suffolk.

Mesha was the lead soloist in “Bugs” and a singer in “Go Fish,” both at S.P. Morton Elementary School.

She also was the soloist for commencement at Triple-C Bible Institute in Ahoskie, N.C., and for a Black History program at First Baptist Church in Severn, N.C.

Joyce Ralph said she understands Saturday’s audition in Charlotte, N.C. for “America’s Got Talent” will be in front of the producers, who will decide who comes back for the television show.