Savannah Robinson

A 12-Year-Old Phenomenon: Savannah Robinson

When Ellen saw a YouTube video of 12-year-old Savannah Robinson, she knew she'd found someone special! Savannah's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was so powerful, it has impressed everyone who has seen it.

As a young girl, Savannah would stand on the coffee table and perform "concerts" for her parents. Her talent was apparent early, and she began performing in public. She first started getting major attention when she sang at the Pride Festival in Long Beach, California. After a video of that performance was uploaded to YouTube, she was invited to perform on the local morning news. After that, she began singing at even larger events. She sang the National Anthem before games for the San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as at the Carousel of Hope event -- in front of music powerhouses including Clive Davis, Quincy Jones, and Stevie Wonder.

It wasn't long before Ellen saw Savannah's YouTube channel and asked her to perform on the show. Savannah blew everyone away, and Ellen signed her to the eleveneleven record label!

A few days before Savannah's appearance, Ellen showed the YouTube video to the Grammy-winning Jennifer Hudson, who was so impressed, she recorded a video message to Savannah. That wasn't all -- Jennifer later surprised Savannah on the show and the two performed a duet of the iconic song that made Savannah famous!

Jennifer Hudson Sings with Savannah Robinson

Savannah Performs "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"