Last Train to Clarksville

This competition started off with a two day accapella audition. Twelve contestants were chosen to compete in the 8 week Operation Rising Star. 

The themes were Billboard 100, I sung “Wanted” by Jessie James and got some great advice from the judges that I worked on with my performance and made it to the next week.

That theme was Birth Year. Very hard for me to choose a song I knew since I was born in 1970! I sung “If I Was Your Woman” by Gladys Night and the Pips. I knew it from Alicia Keys remake. I tried hard to get her version with the upbeat tempo but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t the favorite song choice of some judges but it was enough to push me to the next week.

That theme was Michael Jackson and I sung “The Way You Make Me Feel”. I went out there having fun and hoped that the audience would enjoy remembering the days when that song came out. One audience member said it was “Michael Jackson meeting country” and it worked.

I made it through to week 4 with the theme song from a movie soundtrack. I sung Faith Hill’s song “There You’ll Be”. I had a chest cold that week but I got through to the next week. 

The theme was country! My genre. Still getting over my cold I sung “Broken Wing” by Martina McBride and got my only standing ovation from the judges! It was a great feeling.

That pushed me to the next round with the theme of R&B and everyone was wondering how I would do. I sung “No One” by Alicia Keys and I believe people were shocked because “no one” was talking and as I looked at the audience some mouths were open and some people were just staring. It was kind of nerve racking but I was able to put my country twang on it without realizing it and make it work also.

I made it to the next round with the theme of Musical. With this theme I was going to do Olivia Newton-John’s song “Magic” from the broadway “Xanadu” because I knew it and was comfortable with her style. BUT I wasn’t sold on it. I found the song “I Dreamed a Dream” on youtube by Susan Boyles. NEVER thought I could sing a song like that, never tried. The song was from the musical Les Miserables. Just memorizing it from Wednesday, I was VERY nervous. I didn’t want to mess it up. I wasn’t in my comfort zone at all. But the words of the song sold me and I knew I had to do it.

To try a hard song like this and not something familiar on semi-finals night was almost crazy but I have dreamed a dream for a long time and I knew I had to be different with this performance, something the judges and audience haven’t seen before.

The last sentence in this song says, “Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.” I chose to, morally, put my dream of singing professionally on hold to support my husband in one of the most challenging roles ever, a Military Spouse and have our three children and raise them to the age that when it was time I could go after my dream and they would enjoy the ride with me. Now that I have done this, the professionals in the music industry aren’t looking for someone of my age. So I have tried out for Operation Rising Star because their is no age limit. Susan Boyles is 47 and she did it with America’s Got Talent. Why can’t I? The only way I can’t is if I don’t have the public behind me.

Please if you can come out to the finals on Friday night, September 25th at 6 p.m. and hear us all and vote for who you think should move on to be the winner of this competition, it would cost you gas and your time but it would be priceless to me to have you there.

 
We all have dreams. Mine is to sing. Help me make my dream come true.