Jenni Hoag of Fairborn performs during a karaoke contest at Fricker's in Dayton to determine the last finalist to compete at the Fraze and open for Randy Travis, Monday, August 3, 2009. She took first place, and will be competing at the Fraze, with two other finalists, to win a trip to Las Vegas.
Photo: MediaMoments.com/ Peter Wine
Dayton OH – August 3, 2009
As the contact person for the information line, Debbie McClory got the idea that there was a lot of interest in the last day of tryouts to be in the karaoke finals at the 12th annual Celebrity Concert for Charity, which means they’d be the opening act for headliner Randy Travis.
But she’s seen a lot of interest before. When they held tryouts at the Clark County Fairgrounds recently, she tells us there was a lot of interest in the days before the event.
But she said performance day came on July 29th, and only 26 of the possible 30 contestants showed up.
Earlier, at the Fricker’s on Miller Lane, only 20 people were brave enough to risk embarrassment, and one took home a spot in the finals, and the chance to be the opening act for Randy Travis.
The last night of competition was Monday night at Fricker’s on Woodman Drive. It was the last chance to impress the judges and score two orchestra seats at the show, and a spot in the finals.
Again, McClory says, her phone was busy all day, and she wondered how many would show up this time. Would it be 20? 26? More?
What happened, by any account, was amazing. Registration started at 7pm, and by 6:30 there was a line, waiting for their chance to sing. By 7:30, it was becoming difficult to find a place to park.
It is a Monday night. That’s not usually the busiest night of the week in the restaurant or bar business, so to have a full house can mean only one thing: overflow crowd! It was standing room only for most of the night, and the staff did their best to keep up with orders. That is, when they weren’t being serenaded by the contestants.
Judges (from left at table) K99.1FM's Steve Kerrigan & Nancy WIlson and Newscenter 7’s Danielle Elias between songs during a karaoke contest at Fricker's in Dayton to determine the last finalist to compete at the Fraze and open for Randy Travis, Monday, August 3, 2009.
Photo: MediaMoments.com/ Peter Wine
They stretched the 30 spots to 32, then 34, and by 36 realized there just wasn’t time for more, so finally had to say “no more.” They’d filled up not only the spots for tonight, but from previous weeks. It means more money for the cause, but it also meant the competition would be tougher, and the performances would have to be stronger.
John Condit, who founded the Celebrity Concert for Charity in 1998, and acted as emcee tonight along with karaoke maestro Debbie How, said of the final night of tryouts, “I’m not a BS’er. This is one of the greatest pool of karaoke talent in about seven years. This is phenomenal.”
“Singers were judged on vocals, stage presence and overall presentation, with the winner moving on to the karaoke finals at the Fraze, where one will win a trip for two to Las Vegas, and a pair of tickets for the Randy Travis concert that follows.
Celebrity judges this year were Newscenter 7’s Danielle Elias, with Nancy Wilson & Steve Kerrigan of K99.1FM's Nancy & Kerrigan Show. All of them were very late for bed, having to arise at 3:30am to get to work on time on Tuesday.
The 12th annual Celebrity Concert for Charity, which benefits local Cystic Fybrosis research and CF families in the Dayton area through Children’s Medical Center, is August 14th and Condit says that tickets are still available.
And there’s a twist to the karaoke contest this year. Seems that because of Travis’ schedule requiring him to be in Canada early in the morning, the karaoke contest will be just 40 minutes instead of their preferred hour.
And now for the winners. There were a total of 99 points available, 33 from each judge, so (can we get a drumroll please?) here we go…
Third place goes to Joey Marlow of Waynesville, with 84 points, who sang I’ll Be.
Second place goes to Joe Lankford of Fairborn, with 88 points, who sang Purple Rain.
First place goes to Jenni Hoag of Fairborn, with 94 points, who sang All That Jazz.
Congratulations to the top three, who took home prizes, and all the others who got to enjoy a moment in the spotlight (well, you know, if there had been a spotlight) and were able to hear all that wonderful applause, meant just for them.
Take a look at the video of the top three from the last night of competition. The audio soundtrack may also be on K99.1 Tuesday morning during the Nancy & Kerrigan Show, between 5 and 9am.
On the web:
12th annual Celebrity Concert for Charity info
Comments
Actually there was a couple people that asked to get in and they said they were only taking 35 and then after that they took 36 and a few people didn't get in they said they absoulutetly couldn't take any more then 35 and allowed certain people to enter after the thirty five could that mean they had conections. Also they should play everyones audition on the internet because there was 3 or 4 other people that we extremely good and they deserved more credit then the winners that were there They were outstanding I was surprised who the winners were that won because I would of expect different then the medioker winners but that may be the way the judging is. Maybe they have different criteria But the couple that did do extremely well worked the room got the people going if you look at the winners they just stood and didnt' do alot of show man ship liked the others that is also apart of the judging. There was alot of good singers there and everyone deserves credit. The winners were goodto
I would have expected at least one country singer in the top three, being that Randy Travis sings country.
what?u mean they quit registration at 35 people,made it clear they was stopping at 35 but turned around bent the rules to let another in to make it 36, after they said nomore at 35 and this was supposed to be profesional contest,doesnt seem very professional at all not to say the least donations were turned down also thats ashame that some people didnt even get a chance to participate or even donate maybe those who were turned down will get their chance at a more professional contest good luck to those in the future what a shame
What a flippin joke. I agree, considering Randy Travis sings country, someone that sings country probably would've been expected to be in the top 3.
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