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An 82-Year-Old Aerospace Engineer Performed “Bodies” with Drowning Pool

For everyone looking for bucket list ideas, how about: Get your grandfather to sing “Bodies” with hard rock band Drowning Pool. 82-year-old John Hetlinger made it easy on his grandkids and took care of that one for them.

Hetlinger’s dream came to light when his audition for “America’s Got Talent” aired on TV. After impressing the judges by detailing past careers as Navy pilot and aerospace engineer, he launched into the heavy hitting track, “Bodies.” His rendition didn’t get him a pass to the next round, but it did shock everyone and get the attention of Drowning Pool guitarist, C. J. Pierce, as Vulture reports. Pierce told Loudwire that it was “awesome to just see an 82-year-old man get out there and just belt out some metal—whether it was our song or any song, it was just killer to see him do that.”

The Navy veteran connected with the band and got an opportunity to perform the heavy hitting song with them at Chicago’s Open Air Festival. Check out the fan-shot footage below—it’s equal parts charming and badass, which is a tough combo to pull off.

Hetlinger performed again with the band at Ink in the Clink festival and inked himself to commemorate the event. His right arm will be forever branded with the Drowning Pool insignia. He posted a picture on his Facebook and clarified, “For those who don’t know. This is Drowning Pool’s “DP” logo. Cool, isn’t it?” It is indeed, John. It is indeed.

Drowning Pool’s most notable album, Sinner, the certified platinum LP highlighted by “Bodies,” arrived in 2001, when Hetlinger would have been almost 70. Is anyone else dumbfounded as to how he came across the song in the first place? My grandparents haven’t even heard of Led Zeppelin. If you also have metaltastic grandparents, let us know in the comments and get them to “pull a John Hetlinger.”

Image: Annie Atlasman

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