I thought this competition was for amateurs? However, I just saw the Duttons from Branson Missouri on the show. They are professional musicians who have their own theatre in Branson. Hardly seems fair for them to compete.

Come stop by Path2fame and chat with us live
http://www.path2fame.com

I agree with shirleyscott - professional musicians have no place in this competition (along with Sharon Ozborn, David Hasslehoff the British jerk). The Duttons are doing just fine with what they have. However they definitely have raised the entertainment value for me - I cant wait to see them beat by some common joe.

http://www.theduttons.com/

I ordered a Dutton DVD from their website and it's absolutely wonderful. It was their latest release, Making Music, and it actually came with two DVD's. The reason I bring this up is that in addition to an incredible 60 minute show, I was able to see a bunch of interviews with The Duttons and behind the scenes footage. By watching the DVD, I feel like I've really gotten to know this family, and I'm really impressed. Their story is amazing.

They really are just "common joes" who have worked really hard at what they do. When they started, they didn't intend on being professional musicians. In fact, the father was a professor of economics and neither of the parents ever had serious music training. They started their children on music lessons at an early age to help build character. One thing led to another and eventually they started playing together for fun and the children talked their parents into taking music lessons so they could join them.

Now they perform together for a living. I think that you'll find that more than half the contestants perform for a living or some type of income. If this contest didn't allow professionals, I don't think they'd have much of a show.

I don't think that anyone deserves this opportunity more than The Duttons. They have worked so hard for so many years and they are finally getting some of the national attention they deserve. Besides, they're incredibly talented and entertaining. I know that america will love this family. I sure do! The Duttons get my vote!

This is not the first time this subject has come up, and I know it has been answered ad nauseum, but I throw it out there again.
First of all, this is a talent contest with no rules. No age restrictions, no limit on the amount of exposure or experience your has had, no restrictions on the kind of talent (or lack thereof--thank you to sexy techno boy...) That means, professional or not, The Duttons have as much right to be there as the young lady with the beautiful voice that sings only in her bedroom. They all went through the same grueling audition process and are all looking for a bit more then their current status.
The Duttons are obviously a professional act--and more power to them. I have been to Branson. There are 100 shows performing there live every day and you have to be gosh darn talented to survive in that market. The other act from Branson--Johnny Lonestar is also a professional. He performs every day with a show in Branson. The girl from Texas--yup, she is a professional singer--she and her band are fairly well renowned in Texas--should they be eliminated too? Li'l C, the little boy that danced and sang so well--he has appeared in Micheal Jackson videos--I would say that is pretty professional. Cas Haley, has his own band and tours around the midwest. Yup. Professional. The cat training act out of Vegas---Puppyvich or something like that--has his own show in Las Vegas. I would say that makes him pretty professional. All of the magicians--like the guy that split the pidgeons in two last night....hmmm...do you think he might be a professional??? Teh spanish dancers? I would say, professional. My point is a HUGE chunk of the acts that are going to the Vegas call backs are professional: i.e. They do what they do for their living. They pay their bills dancing, singing, magicking or whatever and I think that if they have the wherewithal to do that and still pay the rent, they have just as much of a right to be on this program as "Bollywood" and "Leonid the Magnificent" (Leonid could be called a professional, I suppose...though a professional what I wouldn't venture to say.)
There is nothing in the by-laws of this contest that says you can't make money at what you do to compete. This isn't the Olympics and the producers are not pretending to live by that kind of standard. So, from the point of view of my personal soap box, let the competition begin and may the most "TALENTED" act (be they professional or not) WIN!

I have nothing against professional Contestants.
There are many people that I haven't seen before, that I enjoy seeing on AGT.
The Rabbit Guy was so funny!
He is a professional and yet new to me.
Many of the Contestants fall into that catagory.

If by "professional," you mean anyone that has ever made money performing before, I think disqualifying all the professionals would severely limit the amount of talent you'd see.

Yes, the Duttons do have their own local show, but there's a world of difference between, say, performing at your own tiny little theater in Missouri and performing at Caesar's Palace or the MGM Grand. You can make a modest living at any little theater, but you can't compare the little local venues that charge $5.00 a ticket to the huge Vegas venues that can get up to $50.00 a ticket.

What a lot of these people are competing for is a steady income and a set location. What the Duttons currently have more or less amounts to a small business. You can't disqualify someone from a million dollar competition just because they already make a modest living at home. If this was a question of who needs it most instead of who earns it, the winner would be Granny Pearl.

Many of these contestants are considered pros because they do that for a living. I don't think this is an amateur competition but just a talent competition. If Pros weren't allowed to enter then All That couldn't enter last year because they have performed all over the world including Branson for money. I do think some of the parents are stupid for letting their kid perform when they weren't that talented. Just because they have won titles doesn't mean you should enter them in a national tv competition.