AGT’s Goth Opera Singer Goes Horror: “Bleeding Heart” Includes Famous YouTubers & Cult Film Icon
Josh Millican
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Andrew De Leon is mostly known for his performances as the “Goth Opera Singer” on America’s Got Talent. If you’ve never seen him strut his stuff, give the video below a spin!
Andrew De Leon is a classical/crossover singer who made his musical debut on season 7 of America’s Got Talent (2012). At first glance, the audience and judges (Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne, Howard Stern) were ready to brush him off as just some shy goth rock obsessed weirdo who would most likely be singing a mediocre cover of a Marilyn Manson song. His rendition of “O mio babbino caro” brought audiences to their feet as well as all three judges, producing a few undeniable tears. Fast forward to 2020 and Andrew has managed to incorporate many genres and musical styles into his records over the years. Classical, pop, rock, and metal to name a few. Now he has a new single out along with a music video titled “Bleeding Heart” that plays on his first true love and passion: Horror!
Give “Bleeding Heart” a spin below. The video includes cameos from YouTubers Shawn C. Phillips and Jimmy Champane–and Jonathan Tiersten, the actor who played Ricky in Sleepaway Camp!
“Bleeding Heart” by Andrew De Leon available on all streaming platforms.
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve always had a fascination with all things scary. Especially as a child. That fascination grew into a passion and admiration for horror films and novels. I even began writing and directing my own little horror shorts at home with a cheap camera my dad bought me when I was about 15. In fact, directing was what I intended to study at the Art Institute in Austin, TX. Prior to that, I did everything I could to be hands-on and really get my foot in the business.
I studied Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero’s makeup skills, worked at a tattoo shop, and scrounged up as much as I could to buy myself the essentials for a makeup fx kit. That’s when I was really having fun running around from zombie gig to vampire gig throwing fake blood on whoever would pay me. That’s when the opportunity arose for me to possibly audition for America’s Got Talent, and well, I pursued music.
I obviously never forgot about my love for horror but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t somewhat overshadowed by my singing career. Now it’s 2020 and we’re living on lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic and I had no idea how I was going to make the next music video to my 2-song EP titled I Need You Here. That’s when I decided to rewind and remember everything I had learned about DIY filmmaking, and from there it just snowballed into the question “Why not make it a cheap horror video?!”
I thought “wow that could be cool“ especially since the song already had somewhat of a nostalgic, pseudo 80’s dance vibe to it. So I asked my girlfriend if she would be the lead, she said yes. Then I thought, “I NEED CAMEOS!”. So I asked a buddy of mine who does film reviews on YouTube Shawn C Phillips aka Coolduder, if he’d be in it, he said yes! I then asked Jimmy Champane if he’d be in it as well. I enjoy Jimmy’s YouTube videos mostly because he talks a lot about all things Halloween and Michael Myers, and if anyone knows ANYTHING about me, it’s that John Carpenter’s Halloween has been my all-time favorite film since I was about the age of 5. Well, he said yes too!
Then I thought “I wonder if I can get someone from a classic 80’s horror film”. So I asked Jonathan Tiersten aka Ricky from Sleepaway Camp and well, he f*cking said yes! The video took two days to shoot and about 3-4 days to edit and it’s finally here! Inspired by the campy 80’s horror slashers as well as some 90’s tv horror like Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? “Bleeding Heart!”
Are you a fan of Andrew De Leon? What dis you think of the video for “Bleeding Heart”? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
