‘Dancing with the Stars’ Contestant Mr. T Waltzes to ‘Amazing Grace,’ Leaves Judges Teary-Eyed

By Suzette Gutierrez-Cachila
Mr. T
Mr. T and professional dancing partner Kym Herjavec waltzed to the song "Amazing Grace" in the television dance competition "Dancing with the Stars." YouTube/Dancing With The Stars

Mr. T may have been recently voted out of "Dancing with the Stars," but his last performance—a waltz to the famous Christian hymn "Amazing Grace"—left some of the judges emotional and teary-eyed.

The episode revolved around the theme of "Most Memorable Year," in which the contestants chose a year that greatly impacted their lives along with a song associated with the important events of that year.

Mr. T chose 1995, the year that he discovered he had a rare form of cancer. At that time, he had a lot of things going for himself, but everything fell apart when he learned the doctor's diagnosis.

"My most memorable year is 1995, the year I was diagnosed with cancer," he said in a video shown before his performance. "Back in the day, I had money, cars. I had achieved what I wanted to achieve. And then everything really stopped."

He went through months of radiation therapy only to find out his cancer had metastasized. He then went through chemotherapy, which turned out to be a difficult experience for him.

The sickness led him to call on God, and a realization struck him: "Only God can save me."

Mr. T chose the song "Amazing Grace" because he believed God's grace pulled him through the toughest time of his life.

"I want to honor God ... because the grace of God saved me," he said.

The star of the 80s hit television series "The A Team" waltzed to the old hymn together with his professional dance partner Kym Herjavec and rendered a heartfelt performance that touched the judges.

DWTS judge Julianne Hough, choking over tears, exclaimed "God is good!"

Hough described the performance as "breathtaking." She added that Mr. T's story, expressed throughout the dance, was evident.

"Some people may be winning the race with fancy moves and high scores, but you are definitely winning our hearts," Carrie Ann Inaba said as tears also filled her eyes.

She said Mr. T's faith "radiated" throughout his performance and "provided us all with like another level of faith." She also said the dance was "gallant, genteel and full of grace."

Mr. T and Herjavec officially landed on 10th place as he was voted out of the competition. He previously told the Chicago Tribune he joined DWTS so he could help kids with cancer.

Mr. T said he would shave his famous mohawk if he won, but because he didn't win the competition, he gets to keep his trademark hairstyle.

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