Dustin Tavella has got the magic on his side as he emerged winner of the America’ Got Talent Season 6. In the 2-hour live finals, he took the day after polling in the highest number in what was described as the closest vote ever. With his victory, the magician defeated 9 others in the highly competitive final to take home a $1 million cash prize as well as a place in an AGT show in Las Vegas.
The night saw 5 other contestants being eliminated from the competition, leaving 5 others. Quick change artist Léa Kyle was the fifth man, followed by singer Brooke Simpson who finished fourth. Comedian Josh Blue came in third while Aidan Bryant who is an aerialist came in second.
In the wake of his newfound fame and success, here are some things you will find fascinating about Dustin Tavella apart from his magic.
Interesting Things To Know About Dustin Tavella
1. Dustin Tavella is 38 years old
It was on April 11, 1986, that Dustin Tavella was born. This means that he is currently 38 years old. The magician was brought up by his parents Patti Tavella and a father whose name was not revealed. He also has a sister Tara Tavella.
He revealed that he is very close to Tara and described her as one of his best friends, while his parents are his greatest role models.
2. Dustin is also a musician
Thanks to his victory at the AGT, Dustin has now reached a new height in a career that he started in the 2000s. He started getting the attention of the world in 2010 after he started his YouTube Channel where he posted music videos. He started out as a musician by writing and recording his own songs. In fact, his first taste of fame was through his song, Everybody Knows which he posted on YouTube in 2013. The music was discovered by Selena Gomez who recorded herself and her friends dancing to it.
3. Magic came for Tavella after music
While many may simply refer to him as a magician, Dustin was first a musician. Interestingly, he decided to delve into magic because he believes music and magic would go together. That was what brought the idea of coming up with a combination of comedy, music, and magic all in one, leading to his show; Here Comes Trouble.
It is also important to note that as a child, he loved magic, but he never gave it serious consideration to chasing it as a career.
4. Dustin Tavella is married to Kari Gibson
The Season 16 America’s Got Talent winner is a family man. He is happily married to his wife, Kari Gibson. It is not revealed when they got married, but they have been together for several years. Interestingly, Keri is not only very supportive of her husband, but she also appears on his YouTube channel.
The magician and his wife have always had the dream of helping other people and kids. This is one of the ways that they would put Dustin’s $1 million winnings to good use.
5. Tavella is a father
The musician and comedian is the father of one child. Although he is still yet to have any child of his own, Dustin and Kerri have since adopted a child, Xander Dre Tavella. According to the comedian, he and his wife adopted Xander when he was only 2 months old.
At the time, his birth mother was going through some challenges and because she could not keep up with him, Dustin and Keri decided to step in and adopt the beautiful kid. They legally adopted him on 21 February 2020. The family now resides in Virginia.
6. He has ADD
In a video, his wife revealed that he suffers from Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which makes it hard for him to pay attention. He stated that he has to be doing multiple things all at once for him to be able to concentrate.
7. He is the third magician to win AGT
Having defeated 9 others in the finale, Tavella became only the third magician in the history of the show to win the grand prize. The first magician to win the show was Mat Franco in Season 9 and then four seasons later, Shin Lim became the next person to be crowned winner in season 16.
