Beech Bend SuperStar Contest: Dynamite Comes In Small Packages!

Whether you’re a “workin’ girl, a cowboy sweetheart, alone, waiting for tomorrow, or singing the blues from Folsom Prison,” you’re a SuperStar! Whether you’re “an American Honey, writing you own love story, or hanging up on a relationship…hallelujah…do it, or sing it anyway!” … because you are a SuperStar!

This week the SuperStar contestants ranged in age from 8 to 80 and sang songs from country to rock and from blues to musical theatre. The competition was stiff, the applause was loud, and as of week 11, only Heaven knows who will be chosen as the 2011 Beech Bend SuperStar winner. One thing is certain. Dynamite certainly came in a small package today as Skylar Cain, age 8, from Philpot, Kentucky became the American Honey as the ever popular Lady Antebelum song proclaimed, and sang her way right into the hearts of the judges and the audience. Skylar won the Daviess County, Kentucky Fair Talent Competition in 2010 and 2011. She was the winner of the 2011 Heritage Festival Talent Competition in Lewisport, Kentucky as well as the Hancock County, Kentucky Fair Talent Competition. She took top honors in 2009, 2010, and 2011 for the Talent Competition in Girls, Inc. of Owensboro, Kentucky and also competed in the 2010 Kentucky Farm Bureau State Wide Variety Contest, placing 4th. Skylar recently participated in Missoulas Children’s Theater production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She is currently learning to play the piano and when she is not singing she is playing softball. Skylar is a born entertainer. She is very kind and courteous to her fellow competitors. Even when she does not win, she congratulates others on a job well done.

Judging the superstars of week 11 were Jonell Polanski, Heather Key and Brandon Wilson.

Jonell Polansky is the owner of DaCapo Music. She is a Producer, recording engineer, publisher and recording studio owner. She has multi-Platinum publishing credits with Tim McGraw and has developed artists who have obtained major recording contracts with Warner Brothers, RCA and Universal. She also specializes in working with young performers.

Heather Key is the owner and a voice/piano instructor at 145 Performance Studio. She is a graduate of Belmont University with a B.M. in performance, specializing in voice, piano and music business. Since then she has toured the United States and Europe, released 3 albums which charted on the Roots Music Chart, Texas Music Chart and the Progressive Music Chart. She has played numerous venues in Texas and Nashville. She has recorded demos for artists as well as singing background vocals for local artists in the studios and at showcases. Heather has been teaching in Texas and Nashville for 7 years.

Brandon is a 08 graduate from Western Kentucky. He is now an Admission Sales & Service Coordinator for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. He is a specialist in the history of RCA Studio B the original Music Row studio. Brandon organizes group visits to the museum as well as a variety of sessions that allow groups to interact with Nashville’s elite songwriters.

The scorekeeper for week 11 was Allen Layman. Allen is currently part of the Quality Control team for Gibson/Epiphone Musical instruments. He has been a Singer/Songwriter/Musician for over 20 years. Allen has performed in front of audiences around the country and been on the bill with many of the top stars in country music including Colin Raye, John Anderson, Jo Dee Messina and many more. He has lived in Nashville for nearly 10 years and continues to work on demo recordings for major songwriters and music publishers including Sony, Universal, EMI and others. Allen was signed to an artist development/production deal with Sony/ATV from 2007-2009.

Hosting Season 3 Beech Bend Superstar Contest is Renita Cook. Renita is with 95Live WGGC, “The Goober.” You can connect with Renita each weekday morning at 6:40 a.m. on “Fleabay” as “Emmy Lou!”

Join us next week for one last competition before the finale on September 3, 2011.

For more information about Beech Bend Superstar Contest, log onto the Beech Bend website at www.beechbend.com or send an e-mail to beechbendsuperstar@gmail.com.