54 years in prison

Stories

After 54 Years in Prison, This Man’s First Act of Freedom Was Turning a Microphone Into a Cowboy Hat on America’s Got Talent!

When the spotlight hit him, no one knew what to expect. At 76 years old, John “Johnny” Rivers walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage with a calm demeanor that masked decades of hardship. Dressed in a simple denim shirt and jeans, he looked like any other grandfather—but his story was anything but ordinary. Johnny spent 54 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Arrested at just 22 years old, he had been…