A singer who appeared on "America's Got Talent" earlier this week with an inspiring story may have made at least some of it up.
Timothy Michael Poe told the judges that he had spent 14 years in the military and took up singing while recovering from a brain injury he suffered when he was hit by a grenade while protecting his men in Afghanistan. But the Minnesota Army National Guard says Poe was in the military for less than a decade and there is no record of the supply specialist being injured during the month he spent in Afghanistan in 2009.
A military spokesman notes that Poe did not receive the Purple Heart. Quoting: "We did not find something to substantiate what he said."
Poe's ex-wife tells the New York Post that Poe was not injured in combat and, contrary to his claim that he took up singing as therapy for a stutter caused by a combat wound, he was the lead singer of a band years ago.
Poe made it to the next round of the talent show after moving dozens of audience members to tears with his version of Garth Brooks' "If Tomorrow Never Comes".
Poe tells TMZ he received treatment at a military medical facility in Afghanistan before being transferred to a medical center in Landstuhl, Germany. Tim says he was then transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He did not produce any documents to support his claim.
Tim says he plans to sue his ex-wife and several others for telling the media he was lying.
TMZ
BTW: A person familiar with the production of "America's Got Talent" says a background check was NOT conducted on an Afghanistan war veteran under scrutiny for his claims of battle injuries.
The person said that Timothy Michael Poe was one of about 4,000 people who vied for a spot on the NBC series, which doesn't vet contestants until they reach the ranks of the top 48.
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