Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns talk America’s Got Talent, New Album

Bill Taylor got a message on TikTok in November from a talent scout for America’s Got Talent. Yes, he was interested, but he thought little of the outreach until two weeks later when the process began to have him and his Appalachian Heatherns fly to California for an audition in front of Simon Cowell, Sophia Vergara, Mel B and Howie Mandel.  The band recorded their audition in March. In June, it aired and the nation finally got to see and hear Taylor’s bluegrass and countrified version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” which instantly vaulted Taylor and the Heatherns to global exposure. The performance warranted not just four “yes”es from the judging panel, but standing ovations from everyone in the packed theatre. The Facebook video of the audition alone stands at over 11 million views. Taylor and Appalachian Heatherns drummer Joe Cox joined us on Roots Music Rambler this week to take a breath from a month of exploding in the wake of national TV exposure. The band’s social media presence has blown up, they sold out a headline show at The Burl in Lexington, Ky., in July. They’ve also been added to a number of festival lineups and headline shows in the coming months. The second audition of America’s Got Talent is not scheduled but is likely to occur sometime in August or September, so the band is keeping the schedule loose. Taylor broke some news in the episode, revealing the band has a full-length album planned for release late this year, and hinted at some big live event news coming soon. We also dug into how both Taylor and Cox came to music and more. Frank and Falls also talked about Amanda Shire’s long-awaited new album and single, and shared their normal Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment with recommendations of new music for you. Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts.  Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available.  Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links:  Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns online Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns AGT audition Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns on Spotify Bill Taylor (solo) on Spotify Bill Taylor on Instagram Bill Taylor on Facebook Amanda Shires new single “A Way it Goes” The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok  Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Hollerhead Wild Earp Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices