Every season, thousands of contestants go on ‘America’s Got Talent’ (AGT). But it’s not every year that a performer steps on stage and strikes a chord with the global audience and becomes an instant star.
Jane Marczewski, better known by her stage name Nightbirde, rose to fame when she stunned the world with not just her voice, but her authentic positivity as she sang her original song ‘It’s Ok’ during her AGT audition.
During the audition, she was candid about her fight against cancer which gave her a 2% survival rate.
After a valiant 4-year battle with the illness, the singer passed away last Saturday (19 Feb).
Tributes from her legion of followers soon poured in. The AGT judges themselves also chimed in to pay tribute to the star on social media.
In a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday (23 Feb), Jane’s family shared the devastating news about the 31-year-old’s passing on 19 Feb.
Back in 2017, Jane was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. What followed was a rollercoaster chemotherapy journey of recovery and relapses, reported SK Pop.
Prior to her passing, Jane shared a very last video of her ‘TED Talks from Bed Talks’ where she spoke about sadness and grief.
She shared that while it might be scary to journey down these dark roads, it’s important to feel them too. In her words,
Sadness is the soul’s way of saying this mattered.
The Marczewski family said those who knew Jane enjoyed her larger-than-life personality and sense of humour.
Her lasting legacy will be the gift of hope she gave to many through her music and strength.
Jane first rose to international fame when she wowed the world with her performance of the original song ‘It’s OK’ on AGT Season 16.
The stunning performance won her the coveted Golden Buzzer from judge Simon Cowell.
But beyond that, Jane touched the judges and the audience with her positivity and resolve in battling cancer.
During the audition, she shared that cancer had spread to her lungs, spine, and liver.
Despite that, she famously told judges that “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy”.
Jane said it was important to her that everyone knows she is so much more than the bad things that happen to her.
During her post-audition interview, she revealed that she had a 2% chance of survival, but insisted that 2% is not 0%.
According to CNN, she ultimately had to drop out of AGT after her health took a turn for the worse.
In Nov 2021, Jane shared with CNN that her treatment had been going slowly but well, and that she was getting “a little better”.
Jane last posted on Instagram on 12 Jan. In the post, she shared that things have been “brutal” before quoting her song that “We’re all a little lost and it’s alright”.
As news of Jane’s demise made its rounds online, many paid tribute to the inspirational singer on social media.
This includes AGT judge Simon Cowell who shared that she was an extraordinary person who made a huge impact on the world.
Fellow judge Sofia Vergara also took to Instagram to pay tribute, saying that the world had lost a shining star today.
Other AGT judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and host Terry Crews similarly paid tribute and offered condolences to Jane’s family.
The battle against illnesses like cancer is a long, arduous, and painful journey.
But in the face of it all, Nightbirde didn’t just thrive, she inspired the world with her music, words, and attitude.
MS News sends our sincerest condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.
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Featured image adapted from Simon Cowell on Instagram and Nightbirde on Instagram.
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