Michael Grimm: Whatever Happened To The America's Got Talent Season 5 Winner?

In 2010, singer-songwriter Michael Grimm took the crown on America's Got Talent Season 5 along with a record contract and the $1 million prize. Accordingly to Grimm's website, he then went on to headline the very first "America's Got Talent Tour" across the United States before joining music legend Stevie Nicks on tour. From the sound of it, America's Got Talent completely changed Grimm's life and we can't help but wonder what path he followed after his time in the spotlight came to an end. But as it turns out, he seems to have remained in the spotlight ever since. 

Just one year after winning America's Got Talent, Michael Grimm released his debut album, which was part of his winning prize, titled Michael Grimm. "The album itself, I'm very proud of," Grimm told Mississippi TV station WLOX at the time (via The Boot). "It's an Americana/rock 'n roll/soul album. It kind of has a folksy touch to it in the back," he continued.

After releasing his first album, Grimm spent three years touring America and the world, doing his own shows and headlining festivals (according to his website). He also released the album Gumbo in 2012 and Grimm in 2015, which was actually funded by fans through Kickstarter. To coincide with the release of Grimm, the singer then took up a three-month residency at Vinyl inside the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas (via LA Times).

For the last five years, Grimm seems to have taken a bit of a step back from making albums, instead focusing on doing live shows for his fans. Most recently, he returned to America's Got Talent: The Champions in January 2020. According to Good Housekeeping, he performed an acoustic version Etta James's "I'd Rather Go Blind," however, unfortunately, he was eliminated before making it to the semi-finals.