America's Got a Talented Liar?
National Guard asserts stuttering country singer never injured by grenade
The stuttering country singer who wooed the crowd and judges on "America's Got Talent" is apparently a fraud.
Sgt. Timothy Michael Poe, who introduced himself during the first night of auditions in Austin on Monday night, said he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving with the National Guard in Afghanistan in 2009. He said the brain injury he received was responsible for his stutter, and that he only started singing after it was recommended to him as a form of speech therapy.
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“Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports,” a spokesman for the Guard said in a widely reported statement.
Exactly what else is not true about the story is unclear. Records indicated that Poe did serve as a supply specialist for the Guard from Dec. 2002 through May 2011, a month of which he served in Afghanistan in 2009.
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However, AGTNews adds that his ex-wife, an Air Force veteran, claims Poe is a compulsive liar whom she "never heard have a stutter like (he had on the show)."
On his Sirius radio show, Howard Stern blasted Poe this morning.
"You never lie about your military service," he said. "This lie is wrong on so many levels … This really sickens me."
There wasn't a dry eye in the house as Poe performed a rendition of Garth Brooks' "If Tomorrow Never Comes." Check out the video.
"America's Got Talent" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
First of all I am very happy to know this young man did not suffer a broken back or concussion in combat. It would be very intresting to know shy he thought so little of his talent that he needed to tell such a story. I feel bad for him, now he has brought dishonor to his family and the servicemen whom he did serve with. Should he continue??? I do not believe he should.
If his story is true, he'll be able to provide pictures, witnesses from his time in the hospital. The stutter was convincing- there are often times of great excitement where a stutter disappears. The stutter is more pronounced in times of stress. That's simple fact.
The military as all military families know, takes ages to get their hands on records and get them out. When my husband needed a copy of one of his forms, it took almost 6 weeks for them to find, pull, copy and mail the form. If he was serving somewhere we didn't have an "official" presence, the miliyary would have disavowed knowledge of the incident. ANY military famiy can tell you that. Until I see more evidence, I'm not jumping to conclusions- especially when one of the naysayers is his ex-wife.
Signed: REM (you know RRR)
How dare you!!!! That is the worst thing to do ... Especially with all the families that have lost loved ones and with all the soldiers that were actually tramatically injured over there.
And what is even sadder is that you didn't even have to use the story ... you have a great voice. And if you are not kicked off the show ... I WILL NOT EVER VOTE FOR YOU!
How dare you!!!! That is the worst thing to do ... Especially with all the families that have lost loved ones and with all the soldiers that were actually tramatically injured over there.
And what is even sadder is that you didn't even have to use the story ... you have a great voice. And if you are not kicked off the show ... I WILL NOT EVER VOTE FOR YOU!
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Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.
Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.




