Kent Juggler on 'America's Got Talent'

More than 150 supporters of  professional juggler Charles Peachock gathered at the Wednesday evening to watch on a 30-foot screen as the Kent native qualified for the next round of competition on America’s Got Talent.

The NBC reality television show, now in its sixth summer season, features performers of all types showcasing their talents before celebrity judges Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. The judges either dismiss contestants or pass them through to the next round of competition in Las Vegas.

The performer who survives every elimination round of AGT, the show’s nickname, will be awarded a $1 million financial annuity and a headlining show on the Las Vegas strip. And Peachock has his eye on that prize.

“(AGT) is the highest-rated show on television right now, so there’s no bigger stage for me to be on,” Peachock, 35, told his Kent Stage audience. “It’s a launching pad for careers.”

An entertainment reviewer said in a website post late Wednesday night after AGT Episode 603 aired that Peachock “put on a really cool juggling/light act.” Another reviewer called the act “positively entertaining.”

AGT aired only a brief portion of Peachock’s successful routine, but he performed the full act in Kent on Wednesday. In the pitch-black theater, he juggled a variety of items whose internal lights are timed to change with music. He wore a special color-changing glow suit he designed that makes him resemble a stick figure on the dark stage.

Peachock said his Las Vegas round in the national talent show, which has already been recorded, should air in about a month. But details can’t be discussed due to a confidentiality agreement with the network.

The award-winning performance artist felt right at home at the Kent Stage because it’s the next-door-neighbor of a Main Street business dear to him: .

The eclectic music store was founded in January 1981 by Peachock’s father, Phillip, now in his 30th year of business. The elder Peachock said Charlie grew up helping out at the store along with siblings, Phillip Jr., 41, and Mark, 37, who is also a professional juggler.

But it was Peachock’s love of juggling, discovered when he was 12, that got him through many rough patches during his formative years. The biography posted on his Facebook page describes Peachock as a shy youth who struggled in school both with academics and peer rejection.

“When it came to juggling, however, Charles could disappear into his new joy and feel a sense of accomplishment,” the biography states. “In high school, he encountered nothing but rejection; in the juggling world, nothing but praise. Charles knew juggling was going to be his life.”

After graduating from , Peachock devoted himself to juggling, often practicing until his hands were bleeding. He has spent the past 16 years building a strong reputation as a performer on the cruise ship circuit, while also winning numerous International Jugglers’ Association awards.

His biography on the Florida-based EC Model & Talent Agency website says Peachock’s “outside-of-the-box artistic routines, original concepts, one-of-a-kind props and clever comedic moments” make him a world-class juggler.

He has had repeat engagements on six continents, but Peachock always returns home to Kent.

“No matter what happens (on AGT), it doesn’t mean anything without the people who love you and support you unconditionally,” he said gratefully to the Kent Stage audience Wednesday.

That audience included his “very loving family,” with whom he remains close. “His parents have always supported whatever made Charles happy and he is very grateful for that. He wouldn't have been able to go as far as he has without their encouragement and belief,” his biography stated.

His parents, Kentites Phillip and Dorothy, have been supportive of both their juggling sons. As children the duo used to practice frequently inside the house, resulting in the loss of “a white milk glass basket and part of a chandelier,” Dorothy said.

“When we put an addition on (the house nearly 20 years ago), Phil made sure it had vaulted ceilings,” she laughed.