When Bay Melnick Virgolino walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage in 2025, one detail immediately stood out.
He was only 10 years old.
But the electric guitar hanging from his shoulder suggested that Bay wasn’t planning a typical kids’ performance.
Then he launched into “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz.
Within seconds, the audience understood exactly why he had brought the guitar.
Bay wasn’t simply learning rock music.
He wanted to perform it.
The Guitar Had Been Part of His Life for Years
Bay grew up in New York City and became fascinated with guitar when he was very young.
Rock players including Slash, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lenny Kravitz became major influences on his playing.
By the time he reached AGT, Bay had already spent years developing his technique and stage presence.
He was also being mentored by acclaimed guitarist Kiko Loureiro, known for his work with Angra and Megadeth.
That preparation became obvious once Bay started playing.
Then the Guitar Solo Arrived
Bay didn’t choose an easy song for his first national television appearance.
“Are You Gonna Go My Way” is built around one of Lenny Kravitz’s most recognizable guitar riffs.
Bay sang while playing electric guitar and eventually moved into a solo that brought the audience to its feet.
The judges were impressed not only by the technique but by how comfortable Bay looked performing such energetic rock music at only ten.
PRS Guitars, which had already recognized Bay as one of its young artists, described the audition as a performance filled with both strong guitar playing and unusually mature stage presence.
The judges gave him four yes votes.
Bay was moving forward.
The Audition Went Far Beyond the Stage
The performance quickly spread online.
Millions of viewers saw the young guitarist take on the Lenny Kravitz classic, and Bay suddenly had a much larger audience following his music.
He had arrived on AGT as a talented young guitarist.
Now viewers were beginning to recognize him as a young rock performer with his own identity.
But the competition was about to become much harder.
He Returned for the Live Quarterfinals
Bay earned a place in the live shows and returned during the Season 20 Quarterfinals.
This time he chose another rock classic:
“I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” made famous by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.
Bay appeared in black leather, moved around the stage with confidence and leaned heavily into the guitar work.
The performance felt bigger and more aggressive than his audition.
Sofia Vergara called him a “mini rock star,” while Simon Cowell praised his confidence, attitude and stage presence.
Mel B noted that his vocals were not perfect, but praised his guitar playing and commitment to the performance.
For a ten-year-old performing live on national television, Bay looked remarkably comfortable.
America Voted Him Through
This time, the judges could not decide his future alone.
The public had to vote.
Bay received enough support to advance from the Quarterfinals into the AGT Semifinals.
That was already a significant achievement.
A ten-year-old guitarist had survived the auditions, reached the live shows and earned enough votes from viewers to continue competing against experienced performers from around the world.
One More Classic Rock Song
For the Semifinals, Bay stayed with the music that had brought him that far.
He performed “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
By this point, viewers knew what kind of performer Bay wanted to be.
Electric guitar.
Classic rock.
Big stage energy.
He did not ultimately receive enough votes to advance to the Final, but reaching the Semifinals at ten years old was already an impressive run.
He Was More Than a Novelty Act
The easiest way to describe Bay would be “a kid who plays guitar.”
But that undersells what made his AGT run interesting.
Plenty of children learn instruments.
Bay performed like someone who genuinely understood the music he was playing.
He interacted with the crowd.
He moved around the stage.
He took solos seriously.
And most importantly, he looked like he was having fun doing it.
That confidence was what Simon repeatedly noticed.
It was not simply that Bay could play difficult guitar parts at ten years old.
It was that he already had the beginnings of real stage presence.
The AGT Journey Was Only the Beginning
After the show, Bay continued developing his music career under the name The Only Bay.
His official site notes that his AGT performances accumulated millions of views and that he has continued working with established musicians while developing original music.
His run on the show may have ended in the Semifinals, but it introduced him to a much larger audience.
And watching the journey from the beginning makes one thing clear:
Bay Melnick Virgolino did not walk onto AGT simply because being a ten-year-old guitarist was unusual.
He walked onto the stage because he wanted to play rock ’n’ roll.
And once the guitar started, the age became almost secondary.
