10 years of 'Talent': The 14 most memorable performers

When considering the range of talent on NBC's America's Got Talent, one might utter: Holy Cow! That's not just an exclamation, but the name of a break-dancing auditioner in an inflatable cow suit from Season 1.

Cow was shown the barn door quickly, but other acts, such as top Las Vegas ventriloquist Terry Fator, have thrived. Many performers will be remembered Wednesday in a two-hour, 10th-anniversary special, 10 Years of Talent (8 p.m. ET/PT).

As a TV competition, AGT is unique, last season's winner Mat Franco says.

"It's the only one of its kind, because: any age, any talent. That is the crazy thing about it," he says. "Many times, it's apples vs. oranges. You can have someone who's five years old and you could have someone who's 86 years old. One of them could could be singing, the other one could be dancing on their head, juggling with their feet. It's the best platform for variety performers in the world."

Howie Mandel, a judge since Season 5, marvels at the range of memorable performers.

"The beauty of our show is that it's about moments, (which) are so eclectic and diverse," he says. "There's the moment when 10-year-old Jackie Evancho opens her mouth and you hear the sound of angels to the moment that a guy by the name of Horse (Zac Gordon) comes on stage and begs you to kick him in the groin. That is exactly what variety is, and there is something for everyone. And that's why we're the No. 1 show of the summer."

AGT has been a summer ratings leader for years and is tops this summer, too, averaging 12.5 million viewers.

A few contestants, such as Fator, have gone on to marquee-level success, but many others reached their career peaks on the AGT stage. But Talent's powerful spotlight can even help boost contestants like Holy Cow, who was eliminated by the judges during his audition, says executive producer Jason Raff.

"A couple of years later, I met him in Tampa," he says. "And he's like, 'Oh my God, that show changed my life. I've now quit my job and I'm doing my inflatable break-dancing cow routine around the country and even the world.' "

Talk about turning boos into moos.

A look at America's Got Talent winners and other memorable performers over the years:

Season 9 (2014) – Winner: Mat Franco, the first magician to become champion. On Aug. 5, the Rhode Island native begins headlining his own act, "Magic Reinvented Nightly," at The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. His journey from Rhode Island to Vegas will be chronicled in a Sept. 17 NBC special, Mat Franco's Got Magic (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Another competitor, singer Emily West, signed a deal with Sony Music's Masterworks label after Season 9.

Franco remembers Acro Army, fellow Season 9 contestants. "It was a combination of acrobatics and dance. It was like a modern Cirque du Soleil. It was pretty amazing," he says. "The stuff they did was dangerous. If I mess up, maybe I just look a little silly. If they mess up, someone gets seriously injured."

Season 8 (2013) – Winner: Kenichi Ebina, who combined creative dance moves with cutting-edge digital projects to create a unique style.

Magician Collins Key, who finished fifth, went on to open for Demi Lovato on her 30-city "Neon Lights" tour. He was a presenter at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards and is the top-subscribed teen magician on YouTube.

Season 7 (2012) – Winner: Olate Dogs, a team of rescue dogs choreographed by Richard Olate and his son, Nicholas. The dogs have earned their treats, performing on TV's Cause for Paws: An All-Star Dog Spectacular and in the short film Dog's Best Friend in an effort to promote animal adoption.

Season 6 (2011) – Jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.

Season 5 (2010) – Mississippi-based Southern soul singer Michael Grimm.

Young finalist Evancho was a standout. Her first EP, 2010's O Holy Night, went platinum, and she has released the albums Dream with Me, Heavenly Christmas and Awakening. She appeared in Robert Redford's 2012 film, The Company You Keep.

Season 5's talent bounty also included classically trained violinist Lindsey Stirling, whose self-titled debut album sold more than 350,000 copies without the backing of a major label; peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart; and featured the song, Crystallize, which has racked up more than 100 million YouTube views. Her 2014 album, Shatter Me, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200.

Season 4 (2009) – Kevin Singer, country music singer.

Season 3 (2008) – Pop-opera singer Neal E. Boyd.

Season 2 (2007) – Ventriloquist Terry Fator, who can do 100 different impressions. Fator, who performs at The Mirage in Las Vegas, has been headlining in Sin City since 2007.

Season 1 (2006) – 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan.