Sal Valentinetti at America's Got Talent 2016
20 year old Sal Valentinetti, pizza delivery boy from Long Island, speaks with an assured, Brooklyn-like accent, but his accent goes away when he sings Frank Sinatra's "My Way". The four judges in this season of the popular talent show are (left to right) Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, the host is Nick Cannon, who is sided by Sal's cousin.
Sal Valentinetti embodies the classic family-oriented Italian-American; along with his aunts, mother and cousins, walked into the America's Got Talent auditions, ready to do things "his way". Before he even began to sing, Sal had already won the crowd and caught the attention of all four judges with his charisma, while "flirting" with Heidi Klum. The song in the background at the end is "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", though better known with its refrain "I love you baby".
- Language Notes and Explanations
- How you doin'? = a pick up line ("frase per rimorchiare") originated from the character "Joey" on the famous NYC-based TV show "Friends". The expression is a modification of the English "How are you doing?" which is another way of saying "How are you?" (in Italian: Come va? Come butta?)
- yas= slang for "yous", plural of you. "Ya" is slang for "you" but also for "yes".
- New York City English is a regional American dialect, described by sociolinguist William Labov as "the most recognizable dialect in North America", and associated in the media with many public figures and fictional characters. Read about its phonetic features in this article
- Smooch= amorous kissing and cuddling.
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0:00
How you doin' guys?
[Howie] What is your name?
[Sal] My name's Sal Valentinetti, I'm from Long Island, New York, and I came here to sing today.
[Howie] What is your name?
[Sal] My name's Sal Valentinetti, I'm from Long Island, New York, and I came here to sing today.
0:10
[Howie] And what do you do in New York?
[Sal] I deliver pizzas from my cousin's place.
[Nick Cannon] How you doin'?
[Sal] I deliver pizzas from my cousin's place.
[Nick Cannon] How you doin'?
0:19
[Howie] Ok, do you have a wife?
[Sal] No, I'm 20, I'm too young!
[ Howie] Oh, you're 20 years old, wow! Do you have a girlfriend?
[Sal] Heidi Klum, how you doin'?
[Heidi] Hey, how you doin'?
[Sal] How you doin'?
[Heidi] Hey, how you doin'?
[Howie] oh, boy...
[Sal] No, I'm 20, I'm too young!
[ Howie] Oh, you're 20 years old, wow! Do you have a girlfriend?
[Sal] Heidi Klum, how you doin'?
[Heidi] Hey, how you doin'?
[Sal] How you doin'?
[Heidi] Hey, how you doin'?
[Howie] oh, boy...
0:30
[Cowell] Tell me why you came to the show, Sal.
[Sal] I wanna make something out of myself. I wanna bring back like those Dean-Martin-style roasts...
[Simon] Yea
[Sal] I wanna have fun!
[Sal] I wanna make something out of myself. I wanna bring back like those Dean-Martin-style roasts...
[Simon] Yea
[Sal] I wanna have fun!
0:40
[Cowell] How's that a 20-year-old gets interested in this kind of Dean Martin, kinda... that kind of roast ...
[Sal] My grandmother. She ended up passing away and the music is all I had to remember her by. You see, in our Italian families our matriarchs are what's most important. My beautiful mother is in here tonight somewhere and... you know what? My mother is everything to me guys.
[Sal] My grandmother. She ended up passing away and the music is all I had to remember her by. You see, in our Italian families our matriarchs are what's most important. My beautiful mother is in here tonight somewhere and... you know what? My mother is everything to me guys.
1:00
[Howie] OK, well, are you going to be our entertainment now?
[Sal] I'm gonna entertain yas like you've never been entertained before.
[Nick Cannon, cousin] There you go! There you go Sally!
[Sal] I'm gonna entertain yas like you've never been entertained before.
[Nick Cannon, cousin] There you go! There you go Sally!
1:12
[Sal] As a matter of fact, I didn't come here to try out. I came here to win.
[Simon] Wow! I like that! Sal, good luck!
[Sal] Thank you very much! Let's go!
[Nick Cannon, cousin] Let's go Sally! Let's go Sal!
[Simon] Wow! I like that! Sal, good luck!
[Sal] Thank you very much! Let's go!
[Nick Cannon, cousin] Let's go Sally! Let's go Sal!
1:36
And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I am certain.
I've lived this life that's full.
I've traveled each and every highway;
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
(let me tell you)
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows Sal took all the blows -
I did it my way!
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I am certain.
I've lived this life that's full.
I've traveled each and every highway;
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
(let me tell you)
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows Sal took all the blows -
I did it my way!
3:35
[Howie] Wow! Simon...
[Simon] When you want to sing this kind of music, you can't fake it. It's either in you, or it's not. And you're an old soul.
[Heidi] Yeah!
[Sal] Thank you very much
[Simon] When you want to sing this kind of music, you can't fake it. It's either in you, or it's not. And you're an old soul.
[Heidi] Yeah!
[Sal] Thank you very much
3:50
[Simon] And I'm guessing right now your grandmother's looking down at you and she is probably saying "Yeah, he did it his way", I could feel that.
[Sal] Thank you.
[Sal] Thank you.
4:00
Heidi?
[Heidi] I gotta go up there and hug you, give you a big smooch!
[Sal] Thank you! Should I go downthere...
Oh, this is so awesome
[Heidi] I gotta go up there and hug you, give you a big smooch!
[Sal] Thank you! Should I go downthere...
Oh, this is so awesome
4:20
[Simon] Today's getting better and better, right?
[Sal ] Mel B, what are we feeling over here?
[Mel B] You know what?
[Sal] I'm feeling sugar and spice and everything nice, how are you doing?
[Sal ] Mel B, what are we feeling over here?
[Mel B] You know what?
[Sal] I'm feeling sugar and spice and everything nice, how are you doing?
4:35
[Mel B] You have such power and control and such tone, that was flawless to me, absolutely flawless
4:30
[Heidi] I just love the way you talk, I just love the way you sing
[Sal] She loves the way I talk...
[Heidi] And I love the way you sing too
[Sal] She loves the way I sing...
[Heidi] I do
[Sal] I love the way you look tonight. How you doin'?
[Heidi] Thank you very much
[Sal] She loves the way I talk...
[Heidi] And I love the way you sing too
[Sal] She loves the way I sing...
[Heidi] I do
[Sal] I love the way you look tonight. How you doin'?
[Heidi] Thank you very much
4:50
[Sal] All right! Howie!
[Howie] Let me... let me...
[Sal] Howie?
[Howie] Yes?
[Sal] Go ahead. What do you feel?
[Howie] Sal, the truth is, you really are a good-hearted, lovable guy, who has a real talent. I'm giving you your first resounding Yes!
[Howie] Let me... let me...
[Sal] Howie?
[Howie] Yes?
[Sal] Go ahead. What do you feel?
[Howie] Sal, the truth is, you really are a good-hearted, lovable guy, who has a real talent. I'm giving you your first resounding Yes!
5:15
[Nick Cannon] One yes.
[Mel B] I have to say Yes. Yes for me.
[Simon] Heidi?
[Heidi] Do you wanna know how I feel about you? Do you?
[Sal] tell me!
[Heidi] I'll tell you right now! (hits the golden buzzer)
[Mel B] I have to say Yes. Yes for me.
[Simon] Heidi?
[Heidi] Do you wanna know how I feel about you? Do you?
[Sal] tell me!
[Heidi] I'll tell you right now! (hits the golden buzzer)
5:20
[song] I love you baby, and if it's quite alright
I need you baby to warm the lonely nights
I love you baby, trust in me when I say
oh pretty baby, don't bring me down, I pray
oh pretty baby, now that I've found you, stay
and let me love you, baby, let me love you...
I need you baby to warm the lonely nights
I love you baby, trust in me when I say
oh pretty baby, don't bring me down, I pray
oh pretty baby, now that I've found you, stay
and let me love you, baby, let me love you...
6:10
[Nick Cannon] wow, thank you... everybody
[Nick Cannon] Sal, how does it feel? You go straight to the live show!
[Sal] Today is the first day of the rest of my life!
[Nick Cannon] Sal, how does it feel? You go straight to the live show!
[Sal] Today is the first day of the rest of my life!
6:30
[Howie] Thank you YouTube, thank you for watching on air and on line, and to subscribe, just click below. And comment, and like, and... just on touch.