There have been very few performances as unique and impressive in “America’s Got Talent” as Ray Wold and his mom Corrine. The pair debuted in the show’s 18th season, leaving everyone in awe by performing a dangerous and exciting fire show which included Ray throwing knives at his mom.
It didn’t matter that Corrine was over 80 years old, or that the show was likely too risky to show on TV, the truth is that a huge part of the audience was ecstatic at seeing such a special performance on the show’s stage. Unbeknownst to many, Ray and his mom weren’t improvising this show, as both of them have been performing it for a long time, especially in the case of Ray, who has been touring the country with some of the world’s most amazing circuses for decades.
So what’s going on with Ray Wold and his mom? Where are they after their TV stint, and what’s behind their curious performance? Keep watching to find out!
What Are They Doing Now?
Ray Wold and his mom Corrine left an unerasable impression on the audience of “America’s Got Talent”, even though they didn’t take the victory home. However, being eliminated just before the Finals wasn’t going to stop Ray and his mom.
Long before debuting in the TV show, the pair had already been performing their joint act “Ray Wold & Mom” at Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.
Though it was reported that Ray suffered a mild butt-burn in January 2024, the accident wasn’t out of the ordinary, and he’s continued with his regular schedule, as reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal. His Facebook and Instagram have also let us see that his mother is doing well, given that she often performs in his fire-rich shows.
Since appearing in “America’s Got Talent”, Ray has seen a rise in popularity, with him and his mom becoming the second most watched act of the show’s 18th season, by accumulating over 138 million views. While these feats aren’t out of normal considering how impressive Ray and his mom’s act is, there’s no denying that it’s nice to see that the pair has left a good impression on everyone.
Path In AGT
From the moment we saw Ray Wold and his mom Corrine set foot on the stage of “America’s Got Talent”, we knew right away that we were up for something great.
That expectation wasn’t only fulfilled but actually surpassed. It didn’t take long before the mother-and-son duo reappeared on the stage with strange costumes, and turned everything on fire, which was especially impressive considering Corrine was 85 years old at the time they filmed the episode.
Setting the stage and Ray’s on fire was only the beginning, as the act increased its risk levels when Corrine stood up immobile while Ray threw knives set on fire at her. By that point, the audience was split between those who were worried about the pair’s well-being, and those who were impressed and looking to see what else Ray and Corrine had to offer.
While Howie Mandel was firm about not wanting the pair to continue in the competition, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell were more than excited to say ‘yes’ to the mother-and-son duo. The next time we saw them in the competition was during the Semi-finals episode, when they performed a bathtub escape act which was buzzed by Howie, but praised by the rest of the judges.
Unfortunately, Ray and Corrine were eliminated after their second act, but nonetheless did an amazing job.
Who Is Ray Wold?
While a huge part of “America’s Got Talent” only knew about Ray Wold for his performance in the show, the truth is that he’s a widely talented fire performer, with years of experience on his shoulders.
Ray’s path as an entertainer has been curious and difficult, though. He was only 19 years old when he attended clown school, also known as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. As his mom Corrine told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2011, Ray had been fascinated with clowns and everything related to them since his childhood, meaning that it wasn’t unexpected for her.
On the other hand, Ray’s father wasn’t so excited about Ray choosing such a way of living, warning him about his possible future inability to make money out of that profession, right after Ray told him he’d been one of the 60 out of thousands of people who had made it into clown school.
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Ray wasn’t going to stop there though, even if that meant contradicting his father. He’d learned juggling one night while attending a standard college, and it didn’t take long from there to make it his profession, even though money and commodities weren’t easily achievable for him in the beginning.
Career & Fire
While Ray Wold was sure about following the path of an entertainer, things weren’t very easy at first. He worked for the Ringling Bros Circus in the early 1980s and made $100 at most, regardless of how good he’d become at his art.
According to a 2011 article. Ray was in his early 20s when the legendary clown Lou Jacobs advised him to step away from the circus, to look for real money elsewhere with his talents. That advice was life-changing for Ray, who as soon as ending his contract with Ringling, headed over to San Diego, where he started to independently perform, and saw his income increase for the first time in his life.
While he didn’t become rich by earning $100 a day, that self-job taught Ray how hard he had to work to make a living out of his passion. He worked day and night for his dreams, even when he was injured or not feeling well.
Some years later, Ray changed the park for a cruise, but right when things weren’t going well he started using fire during his performances, slowly increasing the complexity of his acts before the flames became his lifetime’s fascination.
Business & More
After finding out how good he was at setting things on fire for entertainment, Ray Wold improved his form of art, and made it to some of the most amazing stages of the world with it. Ray eventually became the ‘Man of Fire’ and performed around the world, including on the French TV show “Le Plus Grand Cabaret Du Monde” and with Cirque du Soleil, where his show “O” has been leaving people open-mouthed for several years.
Besides his job at the Cirque, Ray also founded the entertainment company Amazing Clowns, which features his live show “Comedy World”, encompassing a wide variety of acts including “Ray Wold & Mom”.
All in all, it’s impressive to see how far Ray Wold has gone from only a dream, and his will to make it big – he’s certainly done that!
