Imagine heading out to pick up your father’s medicine at the neighborhood CVS one day, only to be stopped by four strangers who ask: “Can I take a picture with you?”
That’s was what happened to Kriston Bell, 17. When approached, the Beverly resident asked if they knew him from somewhere. Their response: “From ‘America’s Got Talent.’” The admirers took pictures to share with their kids.
“I’m just walking into Chick-fil-A, next thing I hear is someone say, ‘Ain’t that the people from ‘America’s Got Talent?’” said Dolton resident Stephen Jackson, 17.
This is the new normal for members of Leo High School’s choir after their performance on the 20th season of NBC’s reality talent show aired June 10 — now that the melodic prowess of the 22 young men from the South Side Catholic school for boys has gone global.
And while its choir has stepped to the forefront as of late, Leo High School has been known as a place where young Black and brown men are nurtured to succeed. And they do — from sports to academics .
“Since I have been at Leo, more than 90% of our graduates have gone on to college,” said Leo President Dan McGrath.
On “America’s Got Talent,” the choir wowed all four judges and the audience with a resounding rendition of The Score’s “Born for This.” The team heads back to California in August to participate in the talent competition’s quarterfinals.
Choir members were rehearsing for hours at the school every Thursday in July. If they advance after this round, the group will be closer to winning the $1 million grand prize.
The choir had a certain amount of notoriety locally prior to “AGT” — from taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention last summer, to performing at Millennium Park’s Holiday Sing-Along this past December, to singing for the city of Chicago during Black History Month — but the “AGT” platform is its biggest yet. The young men caught the attention of the show’s scouts when an Instagram video of their singing was posted by CBS Chicago in early 2024. The rest is history. By June of this year, the choir was performing at the Archdiocese of Chicago’s celebration of Pope Leo XIV at Rate Field and at a Juneteenth event at Wrigley Field.
“National reality TV shows, multiple different news networks, sports games, I think I’ve ticked off the whole bucket list,” Jackson said about his involvement with the choir.
Some Leo choir members juggle rehearsals with summer jobs. From restaurants like iHop (Jackson says his manager is “very forgiving” with his choir commitments and scheduling) to retailers like Menards and Stein Learning Gardens at St. Sabina the young men are working hard on their futures — futures that gel well with not just the choir’s success, but also with Leo’s philosophy of working hard for success, according to choir director LaDonna Hill.
“Most people are average … getting up every day trying to figure it out, willing to try and not quit. Those are the things I like to build on. That’s why I’m so proud of these 22 guys,” she said.
Having performed publicly at 60 events last year, the men committed themselves to the work. “To have these young men show up, be committed, not afraid to try something new, and legitimately give themselves to it 100% — it’s inspiring,” Hill said.
Leo Principal Shaka Rawls is not surprised the choir is getting the recognition it is. A Leo alumnus, Rawls has led the school since 2016 and said “it was only a matter of time” the national spotlight found the choir, given the hard work that goes into supporting Leo students’ mental health, educational growth and service to the community. All are part of Leo’s mission of making good people and stewards of the community.
“I want to make the next generation of men better than the last generation — particularly Black and brown men,” Rawls said.
Parents credit the choir’s momentum to the synergy between Yolanda Sandifer-Horton, Leo High School’s choir manager and coordinator of student engagement, and Hill. According to Hill, many members of the choir did not know how to sing or did not possess any musical background before they became part of the team. Hill — who is retiring from Leo after 25 years to pursue ministry — looks back at helping the choir grow through a lens of creativity, patience, hard work and fun.
“We push them to do their best, but at the same time, we try to know what’s going on in their lives, so we can talk them through things. We want them to feel safe, respected, and looked after,” McGrath said.
McGrath considers the choir members ambassadors for the institution, which will celebrate 100 years in 2026. A 1968 graduate of Leo, McGrath has seen firsthand the neighborhood’s demographics change from predominantly white to Black and brown, with businesses and churches abandoning Auburn Gresham in the process. They stayed the course in the South Side community with their motto: “Deeds not words.”
“Oftentimes, we say teachers inspire students … but they’ve inspired me,” Hill said. “I teach them four golden rules: discipline, dedication, being responsible and being a team player. I build on that. You get to the end of the process — the results — and you can feel good about whatever the outcome is because you did your best.”
While current Leo Lions are making plans for the “AGT” prize money (college funds feature prominently) Sandifer-Horton said she would like the limelight to offer more exposure for the colleges recent Leo graduates attend. Nine choir members graduated last year.
“It’s bringing exposure not only to Leo, but to nine other colleges and universities,” she said. “Many people who don’t win, get so much exposure and opportunities; a lot of people come out winners in other ways.”
For twins Steven and Stephen Jackson, 17, their Leo choir experience has helped them with their public speaking skills and confidence. Bell is looking to use his voice more when working on his own melodic hip-hop music. Rios is looking forward to joining Clark Atlanta University’s choir when he attends in the fall.
“Leo’s choir has done what most professional musicians are still trying to do,” Rios said, looking back at the group’s trajectory. “We definitely did the best we could as far as us being teenagers.”
After their first appearance on the show, an anonymous donor gave each choir member $5,000 to be used for their educational pursuits after high school.
“They are very humble,” said Chatham resident Latonya Smith, parent to 17-year-old choir member Xavier Smith. “These are some really gifted, locked-in young men, but I don’t think they know the impact of being on national TV; for my son, the reality hasn’t hit him yet.”
Sondrae Lewis is looking forward to accompanying her 16-year-old Michael Lewis to California in August for a two-week stay. The Lewis family relocated six months ago from Auburn Gresham, where Leo High School sits, to Griffith, Indiana. Lewis, a rising senior and first tenor, is adamant about graduating from Leo and plans to travel to school at 6:30 a.m. to attend hour-and-a-half choir rehearsals before classes begin, five days a week.
“We’ve all been so excited that our boys are being exposed to things they wouldn’t be able to if they weren’t a part of the choir,” Sondrae Lewis said. “With the choir, they’re covering ground on what they’re exposed to, who they’re being exposed to. … These young men haven’t been in those kinds of environments, places or travels, and they have been picking up momentum.”
Now that the school choir is in high demand, McGrath said parents are coming into the school saying they’d like to see their son get into the choir.
The search for the next choir director has already begun. But whoever takes up the mantle will have to have a family mindset, Hill said. She considers her arrival at Leo divine. It all started with a phone call from a friend after the loss of her child. She lost one soul to connect with many others.
“I gained all of these amazing young men — that’s why I describe it as divine. Look at how far they’ve come. I just pray that whoever comes will be fascinated with that process,” she said.
“’AGT’ is great and I hope we win the whole thing, but my goal is the Vatican in March,” Rawls said. “There’s no reason why the Leo High School choir, with its newfound fame, should not perform for Pope Leo. That just makes sense to me.”