It’s not uncommon to see unfamiliar numbers come across your phone. Most of the time it’s some sort of scammer. But when Warsaw, Ind., musician Mark Allen starting noticing a strange number popping up on his phone, little did he know that it was NBC’s America’s Got Talent on the other line.

Luckily, they didn’t give up. They eventually sent an email to Allen inviting him to the Season 14 auditions. You see, the 50-year-old Allen has a strong passion for music, having performed covers and originals in the area for more than 30 years, most recently with Mark Allen and Company. He’ll be the first to tell you that his passion began at a young age with Captain Kangaroo, The Partridge Family, and finally, Kiss.

“Kiss lit me up! When I saw them, I wanted to keep those riffs alive,” Allen said.

So with his love for music, it was a no brainer when his daughter suggested submitting his work to AGT.

“After I sent my stuff in, I waited and waited but heard nothing,” Allen said. “I sort of forgot about it until I started getting that weird number showing up on my phone and then the email.”

On Monday, Nov. 12, Allen will head to the Cobo Center in Detroit for the first of two auditions. The other will be on Dec. 12 somewhere in Indiana. At the auditions, he plans to perform his tune, “Baby I Got You,” which you can find on a few streaming sites. If he does enough to impress the panel, he will make it on AGT next June.

“I can’t wait for the opportunity,” an excited Allen said in the hopes that this will lead to a record deal. In fact, Mark Allen and Company have a couple of releases under their belt, so Allen is no stranger to the recording process.

While speaking with Allen about this life-changing opportunity, he said that he set a record earlier this year having performed above 13,000 feet. Guinness World Records accompanied him to Loveland Pass in Colorado back in July where he performed three songs at that elevation. Now that’s an achievement and something that caught the eye from the folks of AGT. He performed tunes by Tom Petty and The Cult, plus one of his originals.

If you want to feast your ears on Allen’s work or perhaps wish him the best, search for the Mark Allen and Company Facebook page. Good luck, Mark!

By no means am I telling you to answer those shady numbers on your phone, but you never know who it could be. Just ask Mark.

niknit76@yahoo.com