The trio of female country singers known as Chapel Hart continue to wow judges and audiences as they progress toward the final rounds on the hit television series America’s Got Talent. The group, named for a neighborhood in their hometown of Poplarville, Mississippi, are now based in New Orleans. They made their debut on the NBC show on July 19 and became an overnight sensation.
Comprised of sisters Danica and Devlyn Hart and cousin Trea Swindle, the women sang “You Can Have Him Jolene” during the audition and earned the coveted unanimous Golden Buzzer among judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara. The original song is a response to Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit song “Jolene.”
“We’ve always been country music fans, and Dolly is by far our favorite,” Danica said. “We were so inspired by the song ‘Jolene,’ we just love the storyline. And we figured, though, from 1973 to 2022, we could not still be fighting over the same man, so we decided to tell her, ‘You can just have him, Jolene.’”
Parton took notice and responded via Twitter. “What a fun new take on my song!” she wrote. “Carl’s [Parton’s husband] birthday is today, so I think I’ll hang on to him, and I’m not notifying Jolene that today is his birthday.”
Chapel Hart appeared on the cover of the April 2022 edition of OffBeat, which includes a profile story written by John Wirt.
“Black people have always been singing country, but not on the national recording level,” Danica Hart said in the feature article. “But with that door opening, so many people see it as a gimmick, switching to country to ride that wave. But where we grew up, in Poplarville, we grew up country.”
Loretta Lynn also took notice on social media: “I love it, ladies. Now I’m wondering what you might be able to do with one of my songs.” Tanya Tucker also chimed in: “I’m shooting a Christmas movie right now… I saw you on @AmericasGotIt and wow!!! You all were fantastic! Lovvved it!”
Chapel Hart made a followup appearance on the August 16 episode of America’s Got Talent and performed “The Girls Are Back In Town,” earning a standing ovation and more accolades from the judges.
“You guys are perfect,” said Vergara. “You’re all about fun. We can’t take our eyes from you. This performance was better than the audition.” Added Heidi Klum, “You sang your way into America’s heart, into my heart.” Mandel added, “I didn’t just watch a talent show. I was watching a headline show. You deserve everything. Good luck.”
America’s Got Talent returns on Tuesday and Wednesday on NBC at 7 p.m. Central through the two-night finale on September 13 and 14.
The trio appeared on the cover of the April 2022 edition of OffBeat with a profile story written by John Wirt.
As African American women, members of Chapel Hart have spoken about the challenges of making a career in country music.
“We’ve been trying to break into Nashville for the last couple years, but it’s been kind of hard, when, I think, country music doesn’t always look like us,” said Danica.
Producer and comanager Jeff Glixman said of Chapel Hart: “Talent is common… Exceptional talent is not as common, but it’s the rest of the stuff that matters. I can’t instill desire or commitment. Chapel Hart’s motivation and commitment is extreme. I’ve only seen that a few times in my life. Aside from being incredibly talented singers and writers, they’re fabulous entertainers. Their potential is unlimited.”
