When the group The Funkateers Dancers competed in their high school talent show in 1980, they had only one goal – impress the ladies in the audience. 

“That’s what most guys wanna do when they enter any type of contest,” member Michael Kelly told BridgeDetroit. “Of course, you know you can win it, but the best thing is to see how many girls will like us.” 

The group, performing a style that combines the jit and popping and locking, went on to win the competition at Inkster High School. Their successful first performance was only the beginning for Kelly, Ed Miller, Tony Warren, Tony Lacey and DeA’mon “Cricket” Ellerson, as they performed on stages around metro Detroit and the country throughout the ’80s. 

After taking a 30-year hiatus to raise families and pursue other careers, The Funkateers reunited in 2019 and are currently on their biggest stage yet – competing on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” 

The group’s audition aired on the June 17 episode of “AGT,” where the men performed their signature dance moves to the Rick James hit, “Give It to Me Baby.” Their routine impressed the audience and judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel. 

“You guys are what ‘AGT’ is all about,” Vergara said on the episode. “You guys look great, you have a beautiful story. You actually did what you were supposed to do.” 

The Funkateers’ moves also dazzled host and Flint native Terry Crews, who hit the golden buzzer for the group. 

The golden buzzer can only be used twice per season by a judge or host and it sends an act straight to the live rounds, skipping intermediate eliminations. Live shows are set to begin in August, with viewers voting to determine who advances to the next round. 

“I had to,” Crews said to Cowell, with the judge saying he wanted to be the one to hit the golden buzzer. “It shows that age ain’t nothing but a number. I love you guys.” 

The current lineup for The Funkateers includes Kelly, 64; Miller, 66; Warren, 61; and Jeff Healey, 59. Members Lacey and Ellerson died in 2024 and 2022, respectively. 

Warren called the moment “electrifying and magical.” He wasn’t expecting Crews to give them the golden buzzer, which caused gold confetti to rain down on the group as they hugged each other in excitement. 

“We give all praise to our higher power,” Warren said. “We understand that he gave us a talent that’s somehow special, and we have yet to show it to a group of people and not get the majority of them on board with us. We’re in our 60s, OK? God didn’t bring me this far just to bring me here. We leave the results to him.” 

From a high school talent show to ‘AGT’

After winning their school talent show, The Funkateers connected with a talent manager and began performing around town, most notably on “The Scene.” The group made several appearances on the Detroit dance show, which aired on Black-owned station WGPR-TV from 1975-1987. 

The group also danced at Hart Plaza, New York City’s Studio 54 club and on the national TV show “Dance Fever.” 

“Everything just took off,” Warren said. “I mean, it was like there was no downtime, there was no waiting for a call. It just happened.” 

After Kelly got married in 1989, the group decided to hang up their dancing shoes. 

“It comes to a point as you’re growing up that you want to become a father, those types of things,” Kelly said. “Life just happened.” 

Kelly went into the medical field, becoming a paramedic for nine years. And for the last 30 years, he’s held a job in financial services while staying in his hometown of Inkster. Meanwhile, Warren was a salesman for about 25 years while he went to college to obtain a degree in social work. Currently, he works for a mental health insurance company and resides in Ypsilanti. 

Healey served eight years in the U.S. Navy and then moved into government work, becoming a manager at Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for several years. Now, he’s a contractor for Homeland Security and is living in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

Miller was unavailable for an interview with BridgeDetroit. 

In 2019, The Funkateers decided to reunite during a high school reunion in Inkster. The performance made the men realize that they missed dancing together, Kelly said. 

Momentum for the group only went up from there. In 2021, a 23-second video of them dancing at a park went viral, and the following year, the city of Inkster created a new “Welcome to Inkster” sign in their honor. 

Last year, another video of the group went viral, racking up more than 6 million views on TikTok. 

“That’s when the producer from ‘America’s Got Talent’ saw it,” Healey said. “We interviewed over a Zoom call, and next thing you know, we were on the show.” 

Right now, the group is solely focused on getting through the competition and possibly winning it. 

“Whatever happens from there, whatever God’s going to bless us with next … we’ve got goals and dreams, but next is completing ‘AGT,’” Kelly said.