A colorful bird whistler from the Chicago area got the “America’s Got Talent” judges and fans all aflutter Tuesday night.
Susan Zwit-Frantzen, also known as “Byrdie Sue,” whistled along with “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” for the show’s auditions in Tuesday’s episode. The performance drew a mixed reaction from the judges, who called her skills bizarre, and the audience, which clapped along with her.
“It made me laugh,” judge Howie Mandel said.
“What you do is very odd to me,” judge Melanie Brown said. “I mean that in the nicest way.”
“I think you’re onto something just so bizzare and different that it’s entertainment,” judge Howard Stern said.
Ultimately, the judges decided not to send Zwit-Frantzen, 57, to the next round of competition, a call that was booed by the audience.
“I had a blast. I got to share my talent,” said Zwit-Frantzen, who said she has been whistling for more than 40 years and took a job as a pool cleaner in Florida so she could whistle while she worked. Zwit-Frantzen has lived in Warrenville and Naperville.
“America’s Got Talent” airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
Chicago contestants who have moved on in the competition this season include South Side hypnotist Chris Jones, dance duo Freckled Sky and South Side native Sharon Irving, a singer.
The winner of the show gets $1 million.
