Funny Knoxville senior impresses judges with comedy in ‘America’s Got Talent’ audition

Corkey Miller is ready to turn $500 into $1 million with only her humor.

The stand-up comedian, 63, from Wears Valley got the opportunity to audition for “America’s Got Talent” after winning the annual Morning Pointe Foundation Seniors Got Talent show in Knoxville last year.

Miller appeared on NBC’s popular competition show during the July 23 episode. She was discovered by showrunners last year following her Seniors Got Talent show win. Miller’s routine is full of jokes poking fun at aging.

Miller impressed all four AGT celebrity judges with her hilarious tales of her animals, here dating life and her internet search history. She earned four yeses, and even a standing ovation from the show’s resident comedian, Howie Mandel.

“What I love about you is your freshness,” Mandel said. “I love that you're not that experienced. You're genuine, you're authentic. You really are likable and your material is your everyday life.”

The amateur comedian moves on to the next round where the judges will decide which 55 acts will perform during the live shows and compete for a spot in the final.

“We are thrilled to see Corkey going on to such a great opportunity!” Morning Pointe Foundation Executive Director Miranda Perez said in a press release.

“Seeing Miller’s achievements is amazing since one of the big points of Seniors Got Talent is to show that age is just a number. Being a senior does not mean that performers are done contributing to the arts,” Perez continued.

Miller, who is originally from North Carolina, won $500 as the 2023 Seniors Got Talent champion. The “America’s Got Talent” grand prize is $1 million.

Miller only started stand-up comedy four years ago. She has worked as an animal trainer and animal talent agent for over 40 years. She has trained a wide variety of animals for TV and movies. Her first big gig was working with the groundhogs on the film “Groundhog Day.”

How you can audition for Seniors Got Talent

If you are at least 60 years young and want to show off your special talent, auditions for Morning Pointe Foundation’s fourth annual Seniors Got Talent show are now open.

Online auditions are open at morningpointefoundation.com and in-person auditions will be Sept. 24-Oct. 6 at the local Morning Pointe Senior Living campuses.

Talented seniors age 60 and older are encouraged to try out. Groups with six or fewer performers, also 60+, can audition, too. Previous acts have included singers, musicians, dancers, poets, comedians and more.

Ten local acts will compete in the show at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at The Bijou Theatre in Knoxville. This year’s grand-prize winner will receive $1,000. The second-place winner will get $500, and $250 will be awarded to the third-place winner.

Tickets to watch the show are $10 and will go on sale closer to the November date. Funds raised through ticket sales and sponsorships go toward the Morning Pointe Foundation.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com . On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208 .

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Funny Knoxville senior impresses judges with comedy in ‘America’s Got Talent’ audition