DTC Communications is proud to announce its sponsorship of the annual DeKalb Idol talent competition at the DeKalb County Fair in Alexandria, Tenn. DeKalb Idol will be held Friday night, July 27, in the Lions’ Club pavilion at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds. DeKalb Idol will immediately follow the Toddler Show, which starts at 6:00 p.m. at the pavilion.
“DTC is excited to take on this popular competition, after it was initially announced it would no longer be held,” said Tom Duggin of myDTC3, who will help to oversee as well as serve as host of this year’s DeKalb Idol. “There is a tremendous amount of talent in this area, and DeKalb Idol has become an extremely popular event at the fair. We hope that along with some of the changes we are making to this year’s Idol that it will continue to grow and be a fan favorite at the DeKalb County Fair.”
(PLAY VIDEO OF 2011 DEKALB IDOL WINNER ELIZABETH KOEGLER)
The biggest change will be in the amount of prize money to be given away to DeKalb Idol winners. The $300 prize to the first place winner will remain the same; however, a $200 award will be given to the competition’s runner-up, and $100 will be awarded to the third place participant, marking the first time monetary awards have also been given to Idol runners-up. In addition, the People’s Choice award will remain in place, with $150 going to the competition’s fan favorite.
Registration for DeKalb Idol will take place the evening of the competition, Friday, July 27, starting at 5:30 p.m., behind the Lions’ Club pavilion. The age restriction for the competition has been lifted; however, only the first 20 contestants to register will be allowed to compete. There will be a $10 registration fee to be paid at the time of registration. All past DeKalb Idol winners are welcome to participate in this year’s competition, and the contest is open to any contestant, whether he or she resides in DeKalb County or not.
A panel of three judges with affiliations to the music business will be on hand to score the contestants. The initial field of up to 20 contestants will be given a 30-second showcase in the first round to display their talents to the judges’ panel. The field will then be trimmed to the Top Ten, with each of those contestants allowed to sing a full song. Three finalists will be chosen from the Top Ten, again with an opportunity to sing one last song for the judges. First, second and third place will be determined from the three finalists, with the People’s Choice being selected from any of the Top Ten contestants.
Singers are urged to have three different songs available for performance, as it will be required to sing a different song in each round. Either instrumental or pre-recorded accompaniment is welcome. Contestants will be scored on vocal ability, stage presence, appearance and audience response. The decision of the judges will be final.
“We want the best talent from all over to come to the DeKalb County Fair to be a part of this year’s DeKalb Idol,” said Duggin. “Being so close to Nashville and having myself seen so much local talent up close, I know there’s no shortage of good singers out there. We hope to put on the best DeKalb Idol yet for visitors of the DeKalb County Fair.”
For more information on DeKalb Idol, contact Tom Duggin at (615) 464-2402.