It is a very special treat to interview one of America’s top talents this week!
Lys Agnès is an amazing singer – definitely one of the best in the world. She recently made it into the top 10 on the world’s most popular talent show: America’s Got Talent. Her extraordinary ability to fuse opera and rock is beautiful, powerful, and mesmerizing. On the outside, Lys is strikingly beautiful and can bring you to tears simply by singing a few notes. But there is so much more to her than this – she has a beautiful soul that has remained open and loving – even with all of that she has suffered.

Three years ago, her fiancé, Darin’s life ended suddenly in a car accident. And because of the intense grief, Lys stopped singing. She retreated from life and entered a cocoon. She has just begun to emerge again and spread her wings. She has the entire world behind her, pushing her up and encouraging her to soar higher and higher. I know that amazing things are in store for her…

If you haven’t already, I know that you will absolutely fall in love with Lys. She is a true inspiration to me – her strength and faith help lift me up. And my life is definitely brighter because she is now a part of it. I know that she will touch you just as deeply – she’s just that wonderful.

You mentioned that you feel like you’ve been in a cocoon for the past three years – grieving and taking time to process your intense emotions and pain. How does it feel to be emerging as a butterfly and soaring toward your dream?

In the beginning, emerging from that cocoon felt as though I had awoken from a deep sleep.  It felt like I had just snapped out of it, although the process was certainly more gradual through those years than I would have realized at the time.  I felt full of hope and really fearless because I thought that I could never feel anything worse than the losses I had experienced.  Now that I’ve been thrown into TV land, I’m faced with a different reality.  It’s true what is said about fame, “One day they love you, the next they hate you.”  I just have to remember what I’m doing it for.  It is my dream, and no one can take it from me.  There is a very real metamorphosis taking place, and I’m just now unfolding my wings.

I was so sad that you were sent home early. And yet, even in that sadness, I knew that you were on your path and destined for greatness. I feel that America’s Got Talent (AGT) was the stepping stone for you to prove to yourself that you could do it – you could see how high you could fly. And now it’s up to you to continue to push through and soar even higher, which can be difficult after a disappointment, such as this. We all have had to pick ourselves up after suffering disappointments in our lives, what advice can you give to yourself and others about how to do this in a graceful, positive way?

When you realize what you have in life that is truly important to you, you will do anything to keep it alive.  Everything I’ve ever done has been do or die, all or nothing.  The reaction from the last performance was just as extreme, and this told me something about what I actually accomplished there.  I wanted to break through.  I wanted to break through the expectation and create something new and alive.  Perhaps this was too much for some people, but those that got it really got it!  Afterward, a mild depression set in, only because I was feeling attacked from all angles.  But it is important to see through the fog in situations like this.  What is important is clear intention and belief.  If these are strong, you will prevail, but not always in the way you may expect!  When entering into the competition I asked and believed that I could win.  But when I asked I said, “I want this, or something BETTER.”  I let go of my attachment to the prize to open up the possibility of a reality far greater than the show had to offer.  I can’t go back on those words, and I know that something immense is in the works!

I’m truly sorry for your loss. You mentioned that you feel Darin with you more strongly now than ever before. Can you talk a bit more about this? Does he send you signs or is it more a feeling that he is pushing you to move forward into your dream?

His presence during the last couple of weeks on AGT grew very strong.  I kept seeing butterflies, ravens, people that walked like him and looked like him.  One night I was having dinner and I looked up and there was a very tall man in a long white robe walking down the street.  I went out to get a picture with him because he was so interesting and out of place.  I spoke to Darin’s mother the next day, and she said she saw the same figure in the kitchen that same night.  She saw a very tall figure dressed in a white robe and then he was gone.  She knew it was Darin, and it was the first time he had shown himself to her since he died.  Darin sent me signs from the very beginning.  I asked for very particular things for him to show me so that I knew he still existed.  He always delivered, and he uses those same signs when he wants to make his presence known.

Do you believe that love is eternal and that our souls are eternal?

No doubt!  But I believe our idea of love may be different when we cross over.

I truly felt your emotion when you sang the Evanescence song, “Bring Me to Life.” What came across is that you have been numb inside since Darin’s death and are ready to start living again. After experiencing such a horrific loss, how do you go about coming back to life? Was it a conscious choice that you made one day or was it more of a process of waking up a little more each day and deciding to live again?

I have to say that coming back into my life has been a slow process.  But there did come a day in particular when I did make a conscious decision to pursue my real dream.  I was working for Ralph Lauren, and I went into the bathroom on a break and looked at my eyes in the mirror for a long time.  They were very wide, as though my soul was bulging through them trying to alert me to my true calling.  It was a strange and surreal sense of clarity that overcame me, and I marched upstairs and handed in my keys.  I felt bad that I didn’t give notice, but the feeling was so urgent to leave that I couldn’t ignore it.  It was, “go now, or die silent.”  Sometimes I wonder if I was just experiencing an early mid-life crisis!  But truly, I was following my soul’s need to get on its proper path.

You took an extreme leap of faith to quit your job to pursue your dream of singing. What gave you the strength to do this?

My grandfather had sent me a copy of Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  I had read it as a child but did not understand it.  He sent it at a key point, when my dream of a singing career was beginning to fade into nothing.  There is a chapter about burning your ships.  This is an analogy taken from the Vikings supposedly burning their ships as they landed to go into battle, so that they would have no way of retreat.  They would HAVE to win, because there would be no way out!  I certainly have left myself nothing to return to, and so I MUST succeed in my heart’s true desire.

You seemed to have come into your own during the AGT competition, and you seem stronger in yourself and more grounded than when you began this journey. If you had to pinpoint one thing that helped you become this way, what would it be?

I am unable to pinpoint one thing, because there have been a series of experiences that have shaped who I am.  The major experiences were not having a father, letting go of a son, and losing a husband.  These all centered from some form of loss, but with loss there is always a trade-off in the growth of your soul.

What do you want to share with the world about the real you – something that you may not have had the opportunity to express during your time on AGT?

I’ve always been spiritually driven and aware of the spiritual world around us.  When I was 17, I went to a convent to discern if I wanted to enter cloistered life.  I gave up everything I owned, cut my hair, and was at the most spiritually centered place I have ever been in my life.  Then of course, I began to feel trapped.  My whole life I felt people trying to box me in, and whenever I feel that in any way I begin to rebel against it.  I felt my creative urges begin to thunder within and I just had to get out, even though my spirit still wanted a life of God, a holy life.  Coming back into the world was bizarre, and unfortunately, I began to follow suit.  I allowed the world to suck me back in and I felt more lost than ever.  I’ve always wondered if I will ever get back to that place of spiritual clarity again.

Your fans have truly embraced you and fallen in love with you. Because you are so authentic, you provide a safe haven for them to be themselves as well. I can imagine that knowing that you are an inspiration to so many others is part of what keeps you going. Can you share one example of how you have touched one of your fan’s lives?

The response from fans has been more intimate than I could have ever expected.  There is something very cathartic that happens between us.  Many people have responded that have recently lost loved ones, and others that are struggling to release their inner artist.  The most beautiful exchange has been with children.  This Friday I will be visiting a young girl who has a rare disease that she must get transfusions for regularly.  Her mother says my music gives her hope and that she likes to watch my performances while getting her transfusions, so we have arranged a surprise visit with her.  The children have certainly been my most loyal fans, and to encourage them has been my greatest reward throughout this competition.

What would you like to say to your fans?

Love, love, and love again.  This world is in so much pain.  There are so many more important issues to be focusing on, and when we get down to it, love is the only thing that is going to save us from each other.  We really must begin to learn kindness towards one another, or we will fail as a human race.

You are a true artist – a singer, a painter, a sculptor, a writer. This comes through in how you express yourself, the songs you choose, your personal style, everything you do. Have you always given yourself the freedom to let the true you come out?

The true self is always bound to show itself sooner or later.  It’s always been my nature to go against the grain, because I always felt pressure to be or act like something I am not.  I could never understand what was wrong with just being me!  How could I live my life being anything else?  What would be the point?  I want to leave this earth knowing that I didn’t lie to myself.

Do you write your own songs? If so, will any of these be on your upcoming album?

I write music constantly.  If an album comes through AGT, I don’t know if I will be able to have originals on it.  It’s funny, I never thought I would perform covers, ever!

How do you choose which songs you are going to perform? Do you listen to the feeling of the music, the lyrics, the genre, etc.?

The songs just come to me.  At the first audition they wanted me to do the traditional “Ave Maria” by Bach, which everyone is familiar with.  I preferred the Caccini version that Andrea Boccelli made popular.  I felt it was the most moving.  “Habanera” was a nod to my repertoire and to the late great Maria Callas, whom I have admired from the beginning of my classical studies.  “Bring Me To Life” was suggested by a fan on my blog.  The moment she suggested it, I knew it was right.  “Dream On” was about doing something that I loved but that I was also afraid of.  Fear is not from God, and it was important that I conquer the fear.  It is a bad spirit that I will not allow to enter into my life.

“Do one thing everyday that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I believe in the power of visualization – where we truly take the time to imagine our dream life and because of this, we attract the life to us. What is your biggest dream?

To be completely honest, my biggest dream is to return home from where we came.  I have a very difficult time understanding this world, but I know I have much to do here, otherwise I wouldn’t be here at all!  But visualization is certainly key to attaining any goal.  It only works if your true desire matches it though.  I had visualized myself performing on the stage of the Colleseum theater at Caesar’s Palace many times during the competition.  I even had photos of it that I would look at regularly.  But my deepest desire did not match the images, so how could the projection take shape?

“What you seek is seeking you.” – Rumi

What does your life look like in this dream? Are you singing? Touring? Do you have a multi-platinum album? How is your life different in this dream than it is right now?

I’ve always seen myself as a recording artist on tour around the world.  Of course this dream is completely different from my present reality.  Since the show, I go from place to place sometimes crashing on couches, staying with different family members.  I don’t even have a bank account!  Just yesterday I went down to Buffalo Exchange to sell some clothes for gas money.  I walked away with $11.  Things are not always as they seem.

You mentioned that you are used to being alone and having a lot of time to reflect. When you take time to go within and listen to your higher self, what are some things it says to you?

Oh, wow!  I have to answer that with some lyrics of mine:

“Angels whisper holy secrets
I wish I could tell you more…”

I am an introvert, and I get the sense that you are, too. Because introverts need to recharge after being in public, have you found a routine to allow yourself to do this now that you are in the public eye more than ever before? How do you balance your public life and private life?

I guess I haven’t mastered that balancing act yet.  Sometimes when I’m over stimulated with the public, I literally have to leave no matter what I am in the middle of!  I did that in the middle of a gig once at a Burning Man decompression party out in the high Arizona desert.  It wasn’t pretty.  I’m sure I will learn to deal in time.  For now I just try to find a quiet corner to pray in.

I love how you and your mom are so close, and it seems like she has been a constant source of support in your life. What does your relationship with her mean to you?

One word, “Forgiveness.”

When you look back on your life, including all of the pain that you have been through, what are you the most grateful for?

I am most grateful that I have been given the grace to completely let go!  Desire, intention, visualization are all great tools, but ultimately when you let go and let God do His work, that is where the gold is found.

Do you believe that we control our own destiny, the divine has a hand in it, or both?

All I know is that God has given us free will.  Our will is the ONLY thing we have control of (i.e., our thoughts)!  So we must use them wisely.

I find that every time I hear you sing, I am brought to tears because I feel your emotions so strongly. I feel more alive after hearing your beautiful voice. What or who makes you feel the most alive?

I find that reading anything by Rumi brings me back to a state of nothingness, so that I can become aware of God’s presence in everything again.

List 10 words you would use to describe yourself.

1. True
2. Free
3. Catalystic
4. Loving
5. Instinctive
6. Courageous
7. Extreme
8. Intense
9. Sensitive
10. Clear

I think you can tell a lot about a person by asking them what their favorite book is. So…what is your favorite book?

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy. 1963. 😉

In every interview I ask 3 questions from our Soulful Journals Series. Here are the three that I have chosen for you:

What do you truly love about yourself?

That I won’t change for the world.

What makes you laugh the most?

Bizarre laughter! I’m obsessed with the uniqueness of an individual’s laugh!

What do you think is your life’s purpose?

To follow the signs and to help heal those who come up on my path.

What advice do you have for anyone who has put their dreams on hold – either because of self doubt, fear, or due to a rough period in their lives. What words of wisdom can you offer to help them get back on track?

Doubt and fear are not realities.  They are projections we can control in our own mind.  There is no “out there,” it’s all inside.  Bad things will always happen, our power lies in our reaction.

What is next for you? I heard rumors about an upcoming tour. Is this true? Do you have an album in the works? If so, what can we expect will be on your album – rock, opera, classical guitar – a mix of all three?

I do believe I am on the tour, but I am waiting to hear from the big guys.  I’ve been  working on my own album independently since before the show, although I do not have a studio yet.  It is definitely my own sound, so I don’t know if I would call it a mixture, but my style surely takes from all three genres.  I’ll just say that for now everything is pending, but in the mean time I am perfecting my own compositions.

Any last words that you would like to leave us with?

Love is all that matters, forget the rest…

***

Thank you so much, Lys, for this heartfelt and open interview. I am forever grateful.

To keep up with Lys, please be sure to visit her website. She can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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