I was rapping at school, at talent shows. I thought I was…

When you're a college student interested in music, you hear all these rappers talking about dropping out. For me, when I heard someone like…

— Saweetie

When I was a kid, I was just rapping about school and stuff like that.

— Joyner Lucas

One day, when I was about eight years old, some kids pushed me on stage at school during a talent show because they knew…

— Mavis Staples

“There is only one school: that of talent.”

— Vladimir Nabokov

I started writing music when I was around twelve. My current record company saw a video of me performing at my school's talent show.

— Lorde

Throughout my life, I've been that annoying kid on every stage at school, in every talent contest.

— Florence Pugh

I think I might have played a song on piano or guitar in a school talent show. I went to an all girls school,…

— Lapsley

My dad and I would perform around the Bay Area where I'm from in California together, and I also did talent shows growing up,…

— Gabriella Wilson

I get really frustrated with people who turn their noses up at talent shows like 'The Voice' and 'X-Factor.'

— Ricki-Lee Coulter

I understand why people do reality TV talent shows, I just don't think it's good for music. It's karaoke. What three people on a…

— Susan Ann Sulley

The first thing I ever did was play talent shows at the Uptown Theater and the Adelphi Ballroom.

— Daryl Hall

I also used to work in the Catskill Mountains as a bus boy, and I performed in talent shows.

— Barry Mann

I think about all of the freaking talent shows I've tried out for in my life, and I'm so glad I didn't make any…

— Maren Morris

I was the boy who liked to sing his own songs at talent shows, and I was suddenly officially uncool.

— Josh Groban

We all want to judge; it's an intrinsic part of our society and human nature. I'm not surprised that talent shows are hits, but…

— Melissa Etheridge