Brian King Joseph

Brian King Joseph is an American musician most widely recognized for his third-place finish on Season 13 of America's Got Talent. Initally known for his electric violin covers of current and classic hits, including Coolio’s "Gangsta's Paradise" and Kanye West’s "Heartless", both of which received standing ovations from all four judges on America’s Got Talent. In recent years, BKJ has featured with legends like DMX and Swizz Beats as he begins to masterfully craft his debut solo album.

Joseph was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He showed an early love for music by watching his older sister play the violin and began playing the instrument himself at age four. He would play in the Chinatown Metro station for Washington Capitals fans after games and eventually landed his first performance at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

“I started needing to make money to feed myself and to help feed my family. So, I took my violin out onto the streets to perform for some extra money,” he said. “Playing on the streets really teaches you a lot about new and modern music and what people like.”

He gained a devoted following as he won numerous first-place ribbons in classical competitions throughout the city, even receiving an invitation to perform for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In 2012, Brian earned a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.

"The community of D.C. accepted, and honestly, fed me over those years. Literally putting food in my mouth, putting money in my case,” he said. “D.C. always has the most special place in my heart. I owe D.C. everything.”

Joseph was diagnosed with neuropathy in 2012. The painful nerve disorder has caused him to lose the feeling in both of his hands and feet, and will eventually spread to his entire body.

“The nature of my disease is that every day, it’s worse than before. In spite of that, I’ve always had to overcome challenges in my life,” he said. But, given the fact that I had something to focus on and rely on instead of the negative, instead of the pain, to focus on something positive and have my music, it made me want to play more. It let me live my life. ”

Joseph went public with his diagnosis during his audition round for Season 13 of America's Got Talent. He received a standing ovation from the judges and audience after his performance, with judge Howie Mandel praising him as an example of how people should be living their lives.

Shortly after leaving Berklee, Joseph began posting videos to his YouTube channel of his violin covers of Fetty Wap, Drake and Adele, among others. His fresh take on their hits quickly saw him gain 100,000 subscribers and more than seven million views on his YouTube channel. After Machine Gun Kelly (rapper) discovered his cover of "A Little More" on YouTube, he invited Brian to share the stage with him in July 2015.

MTV crowned him the winner of their inaugural “Cover of the Month” competition in 2016 after he received 26 million “claps” within one month, prompting Mike Posner to call him “a beast [on violin].”