After he died when she was 12, the family fell apart, and she eventually landed in a children's home in Kentucky.

[8] The couple moved around the world as he fulfilled his military duties, raising four children.

[6][9] Lee Strong and her husband were living in Homestead, Florida, in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew destroyed their home.

[12][13] In 2009, Strong rose to prominence as a contestant on the fourth season of the reality series America's Got Talent, when she advanced to the final round.

"[17] Strong died at age 85 on April 24, 2020, at an assisted living facility in Jacksonville.