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The opening episode of America’s Got Talent Season 18 paid tribute to Nightbirde in a beautiful way. Who is Jane Marczewski and what happened to Nightbirde on AGT? Keep reading to learn how the beloved contestant passed away.

America’s Got Talent (also known as AGT), is the American talent competition in the Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. A variety of participants from across the U.S. and around the world come on the show and perform a range of talents, from singing and dancing to magic and stunts. The goal of the participants are to secure a spot in the live episodes of the season by performing in front of a panel of judges. The judges for the 2023 season are Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara, and the current host is Terry Crews. 

In 2021, singer-songwriter Jane Marczewski (known as “Nightbirde”), captured the hearts of the show’s judges and all of America with her moving audition. The Ohio native performed an original song, “It’s OK,” in June 2021, and during her performance, she revealed that she was battling breast cancer that had spread to her lungs, spine and liver. Her radiating positivity impressed the panel, especially Cowell, who awarded her the coveted Golden Buzzer which advanced her to the next round. 

Unfortunately, Nightbirde withdrew from the competition in August 2021, saying that her “fight with cancer is demanding all of my energy and attention.” She returned to the live show virtually in August to give an update on how she was doing. When asked if she knew that so many people would resonate with her original song, she responded: “It’s a song I wrote for myself in the middle of the night when I needed those words so bad,” she explained. “It’s beautiful to see the world welcome that song into their own dark night. I’m overwhelmed by it.”

A teary-eyed Simon Cowell fought back tears as he addressed Nightbirde on the video screen. “You made the decision, rightly so, that your health is your priority right now,” Cowell said. “I know the last time we spoke, you actually said you feel like you’ve let people down. I just want to say on behalf of all of us, you haven’t let anyone down. Even though you haven’t competed, you’ve already won, as Terry [Crews] said. Your clip has had such an impact on so many people with your courage and who you are. The most important thing is your well-being and your health and your recovery. On behalf of all of us here, we’re sending you our love, our prayers and we can’t wait to see you again soon. Thank you so much for auditioning on the show and for singing such a beautiful song.”

What happened to Nightbirde on America’s Got Talent?

What happened to Nightbirde on America’s Got Talent? Jane Marczewski died on February 19, 2022, at the age of 31, after her four-year battle with cancer. “It is with the deepest heartache that we confirm that after a four-year battle with cancer, Jane Marczewski, known to many of you as Nightbirde, passed away on February 19th, 2022. We, her family, are devastated by her passing and unimaginable loss,” the Marczewski family wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

The statement continued: “Many remember her from America’s Got Talent, where she performed her song ‘It’s OK’ and inspired millions of people around the globe with her messages of faith and never giving up. Those who knew her, enjoyed her larger-than-life personality and sense of humor,” the family’s said. “She had a witty joke for every occasion — even if the joke was on her. Her lasting legacy will be the gift of hope she gave to so many through her music and the strength she found in Jesus. We thank everyone for their messages of love and support.”

Your voice, your story, and your message touched millions. Nightbirde will always be a member of the AGT family. Rest In Peace, Jane. pic.twitter.com/dhKdrecEIv

— America’s Got Talent (@AGT) February 21, 2022

The official America’s Got Talent Instagram and Twitter pages honored the late singer. “Your voice, your story, and your message touched millions. Nightbirde will always be a member of the AGT family. Rest In Peace, Jane,” the show wrote on February 21, 2022.

Cowell, who gave Nightbirde the golden buzzer on AGT, also shared his condolences on Twitter. “Heart breaking news to hear about @_nightbirde, she was an extraordinary person, so brave, so talented. She made a huge impact on AGT and the world. Her determination to fight this terrible illness was remarkable. Rest in peace, Jane. I am sending my love to her family. Simon”

The show’s other judges, including Klum, Vergara and Mandel, as well as AGT host Crews, also shared statements below.

“We are saddened to learn about @_nightbirde’s Passing. Our Condolences goes to her Closest Family & Friends in such of This difficult time. We Love you, Nightbirde,” host Terry Crews shared on Instagram.

“@_nightbirde was such a bright inspirational light in all our lives. We must continue to live and learn from her words and lyrics. As much as I feel horribly about her passing I feel lucky to have met, heard and known her,” Mandel tweeted.

“Rest in power @_nightbirde. We lost a shining star today you were a true inspiration to all. Sending so much love to all of Nightbirde’s family and friends. She was something special,” Vergara shared on her Instagram Story.

“We love you. Rest in peace @nightbirde,” Klum also shared on her Instagram Story.

How did America’s Got Talent pay tribute to Nightbirde in Season 18?

How did America’s Got Talent pay tribute to Nightbirde in Season 18? On May 30, 2023, during the first night of auditions, the Mzansi Youth Choir, a group of singers from South Africa, performed Nightbirde’s original song “It’s OK.” Their up-lifting rendition earned the singers the first-ever Audience Golden Buzzer. 

“This brought back so many memories for me,” Cowell said as Vergara rubbed his shoulder in support. “I know how much this would have meant to her.” Cowell paused before he broke into tears. “Right until the end, she was so passionate about sharing her music. This has gone all over the world, and you’ve come back here with the most amazing tribute. It was just breathtaking, honestly.”

“We never expected a reception like this,” Jannie Zaaiman, the founder and director of Mzansi Youth Choir, told PEOPLE. “We had hoped we would make it through to the next round, but this was an absolute spectacular experience for the choristers, who handled the pressure with such poise and grace… We are immensely proud of them for this extraordinary achievement.”

Mitch Marczewski Jr., the older brother of Nightbirde, also spoke to PEOPLE about the audition and said “It was simply amazing to see.” “AGT did an incredible job with Jane’s song and I was deeply moved by their performance. I didn’t think anyone could cover Jane’s song on AGT, but they proved me wrong,” he added.

America’s Got Talent airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Want to learn how much the AGT judges make per episode? Check out our gallery of America’s Got Talent salaries below to learn who makes the most. 

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