Elena Korol of Portland, TN sang "Cowboy Cassanova" by Carrie Underwood during the fifth week of Beech Bend's Superstar competition, and scored highest of the thirteen contestants. (Mary Reed,photo)

Portland, Tennessee singer Elena Korol is the latest competitor to qualify as a finalist for the Bowling Green amusement park’s Superstar competition.

Korol, a runner up in the 2009 competition sang the Carrie Underwood song “Cowboy Cassanova” on July 17th and edged out the field of singers to advance to the finals for the second year.   Judging the competition were WHSX radio personality Joe Berry, Country and Gospel music producer Dustin Jenkins, PCL Music President Lynne Connolly, and Country music recording artist Vickie Raye.

Elena’s journey to the weekly contest may have been the longest road of all competitors as she first came to the United States from Russia in 2000 to further her studies in the English language. As a child, she studied classical piano and later fell in love with the music of the Beatles. 

 “When I was six, I remember standing one day by the window in my pre-school building, my grandmother left for a minute, and a very beautiful lady came out from somewhere and asked the children who were in the same area I was if anyone was interested in taking piano lessons. Almost instantaneously I volunteered. When my grandma came back, she was surprised but supportive. That’s how my musical career started.”

This intrigue with the English language and music led Elena to enter the Foreign Language Department of the Teachers-Training University in Lipetsk. Immediately she began taking part in student stage performances, and because of her beautiful voice, she began singing the music she loved. Upon graduation, she moved to Moscow and with a local rock band started performing at restaurants and nightclubs. After singing for five years and with a strong desire to move on with a career in English and music, she left Moscow for the United States.

   “Life was good in Moscow; I was almost ready to settle down for playing cover tunes for the rest of my life and for a very good pay. Somewhere in the very back of my mind I had a dream about coming to America, stepping up as an original artist, creating a style of my own based on the music of my favorite English and American bands and artists, but all of that was just a fantasy-until one day, when my brother, who by that time had already spent a year in the US, asked me if I wanted to go with him on his next trip. I didn’t think long. That’s how I ended up in the Land of Opportunity, with no money, but desire to work very hard for my dreams to come true. Indeed, it was very hard for the first years, with no family and friends and 10-, 12- or sometimes 14–hour working days. I traveled through many states, but decided to settle in Nashville, music capital USA.!”

Music also led Elena to finding her husband, Greg, as the two met while singing Karaoke at the same establishment in Nashville.

After studying, working, and traveling in the US for three separate summers, Elena’s musical talents were noticed by guitarist Bill Piburn, whom Chet Atkins once spoken of as one of the best players he had ever known. Bill and Elena created a guitar-vocal duo and performed at Nashville and around the area restaurants and venues; Merchants, Café 1-2-3, Legends Club, Fairvue Plantation, Blue Bird Café, to name a few.  The duo had a chance to perform at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention, which took place at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in July 2004. Bill and Elena have recorded together a CD of standards “Autumn Leaves”.

Since then, Elena has focused on her piano-playing and artist development skills.  “In my own style, I hope people will hear the melodic sound of Eva Cassidy and rasp of Alannah Miles, passion of Aretha Franklin and the blues of Bonnie Raitt.”

In July 2007, Elena won “The Best Of Show” prize at the Nashville Star Search competition. In September 2009, she became a runner-up at the Bowling Green Idol 5 with her rendition of Heart’s “Barracuda.” In the same month, she took the second place at the BeechBend Superstar contest.

“I have come back this year to participate in the BeechBend Superstar, because I value so much this opportunity to be heard by a large number of celebrity judges.  This is a wonderful chance to audition in front of the music industry professionals and receive the feedback which will help you to polish yourself as an artist.”  said Korol.

 Currently, Elena performs at city events, restaurants, and private parties and hopes this season is the season she will take top honors at Superstar.  She will return September 11 to compete one last time against all of the park’s weekly winners this season to determine who will kick off the 2011 season of the park with a special concert in their honor in addition to a growing list of prizes donated by the show’s sponsors.