Karaoke contest is big hit at Boone County Fair

By Anne Eickstadt

REPORTER

Karaoke has become continuously more popular since it was developed in the 1960s. Singers are able to read song lyrics on a video screen as the music plays. This enables them to perform in public without the fear of forgetting the words.

RPM’s Complete DJ Service, www.rpmsdjservice.com, helped the performers by providing the equipment for the contest.

The Karaoke Contest at the Boone County Fair filled with willing contestants performing for a panel of judges and a full house of audience members. Everyone who performed in the Lip Sync Contest then performed in the Karaoke Contest.

Contestant Bonnie Ver Hagen was one of the performers.

“We entered for fun. It’s a yearly thing my son [Jeffrey Cowles] and I do, Ver Hagen said. “He’s so dramatic. I don’t know where he gets it.”

Jeffrey Cowles enjoys performing songs from Tenacious D, actor Jack Black’s band.

Jim Lentz, third place winner, performed an excellent rendition of the award-winning song, “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash. The audience loved it.

The second place winner, Jamie Cotter, engaged the crowd with “455 Rocket” by Kathy Mattea. Audience members clapped and swayed along to the song. Some even lip synced with the performers.

Sarah Collier switched things up by singing in Korean “with some English” to win first place. She performed “I Got A Boy” by the South Korean girls’ group – Girls’ Generation.

“I like foreign languages,” Collier said. “I really wanted to impress my boyfriend with my foreign language skills, but he just got off work and couldn’t make it.”

For those who did make it out to the show, they enjoyed a line-up of performers who dazzled crowds with the karaoke style.

“We missed the hot dog eating contest this year but it is always fun to come out,” Cowles said. “The contest [karaoke contest] is icing on the cake.”