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Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
>^C-: •tamontEn ^^Mmsim 'ti££\®&$&mv&*mpsi?%W> ikm^m^Mmimmm^w^mm^m By Nicole Fay Barr ALTAMONT FAIR — Lindsay Stewart has always dreamed; of being a professional singer. Be? ing named Altamont Idol may have gotten her a step closer, but for her the title simply means she can buy a new vacuum cleaner. \I'm moving into a new apartment and I need a vacuum cleaner,\ Stewart told radio deejay J.D. Redman when asked what she'd do with the contest's $200 cash prize. JAMZ 96.3, a local radio sta- tion that specializes in hip-hop music, sponsored the contest Tuesday at the AltamomYrFair. Altamont Idol was advertised as a local version of the popular television show American Idol, although it was in many ways different from the show. . Oh American Idol, contestants from across the country audition and three judges narrow the finalists down to 24. From there, viewers call the show each week to vote for their favorite contest- ant until just one, the American Idol, is selected. Winners of past shows, who've been awarded recording con- tracts, have been successful in the music industry. For 12 days before the fair, Altamont Idol hopefuls tried out for the contest by singing on air. Each day, during the J.D. and Big Ray Morning Show on JAMZ 96.3, three people were chosen to sing for 15 seconds each. Then, with the singers on hold, the two deejays picked the best of the three and ended with 12 final- ists. On Tuesday, about 250 people sat at the fair's grandstand and listened as 11 of the finalists (one didn't show up) sang kar- aoke-style. Unlike American Idol, the judges — Redman and \Big Ray\ Dyer — didn't critique the singers after their perform- ances. They kindly asked the audience to applaud each con- testant. Most of the singers were their 20's, with the oldest 31-years old and the youngest 10. And, all but one of the finalists were women. Asked earlier why he thought this was, Redman said, \Because guys are too macho to sing or they're afraid to make fools of themselves.\ Also, he said, he believes more women aspire to be singers than men. The Enterprise — Nicole Fay Barr Cheered on by her family, Melissa Jones was first runner-up at the fair's Altamont Idol contest. \Men aspire to be rappers,\ he said. It wasn't so easy to find people to try out for Altamont Idol. \It was sometimes hard,\ Redman said. \People are shy to be on the air.\ Of the finalists, he said before the contest, \They're all pretty good, but a couple really stand out.\ The television show American Idol was made famous by judge Simon Cowell's harsh criticisms of contestants. He often humili- ates and ridicules those who don't sing well. Redman and Dyer didn't criti- cize anyone. \Some were real bad,\ Redman said of those who tried out for the contest. \They thought they were good and they weren't. But, we only let them sing for 15 sec- onds.... After, we put them on hold and Big Ray and I discussed who was the best. \We figured it was pretty obvi- ous which was the best,\ he said. \So far, no one's complained.\ To qualify, most of the con- testants were allowed to sing the song of their choice. Most picked rhythm-and-blues songs, Red- man said, which the radio sta- tion often plays. Sometimes, he said, he and Dyer chose the song for the con- testants. They chose tunes like, \I Believe I Can Fly,\ or \Happy Birthday.\ More than once, Redman de- scribed himself and Dyer as \two silly guys.\ They've hosted a morning show together on Jamz 96.3 for about a year and they aspire to be the most popular deejays on local radio. \We're trying to change people to get them to listen to our sta- tion,\ Redman said. \We want to be that show that everyone lis- tens to.\ Redman has always enjoyed music and got his first job as a deejay for the campus radio sta- tion when he attended Syracuse University. Dyer previously worked as a liason between re- cord companies and radio sta- tions, Redman said. For Tuesday's contest, the fi- nalists told Redman which songs they wanted to sing. He was able to compile those songs in a kar- aoke machine. Stewart won the contest by singing Whitney Houston's \I Will Always Love You,\ which the deejays noted was a difficult song to perform. \It's a hard song to sing, but obviously I doit well,\ Stewart told The Enterprise of why she chose the song. Also, she said, Houston is one of her favorite singers. \Her and Donna Summer, I've been singing as long as I can remember,\ Stewart said. Stewart would love 'to be a professional singer, she told The Enterprise. But, she said, she fears that, at 27, she's too old for the music business. \You have to start young,\ she said. \But if anybody wants to sign me to their record label, that'd be great.\ Stewart is an office manager who lives with her husband and six-year-old son in Schenectady. Her mother, Paula, and friends were at the fair Tuesday to cheer her on. \I sing karaoke every time I get the chance,\ she told The Enterprise. She said she's con- sidered trying out for American Idol, but she can't take time off of work to do so. \I have to pay my rent,\ she said. Stewart wasn't Redman and Dyer's first pick. The deejays chose Ron Peterson, the only male contestant, and Melissa Jones as finalists. The audience got to choose the third finalist and, with the loudest applause, picked Stewart. The three then sang shortened versions of the songs they per 1 formed earlier. Peterson, 26, sang 'N Sync's \Gone\ and Jones, 31, sang Mary J. Blige's-\I'm Goin' Down.\ Of Blige, Jones told the crowd, \She's a n inspiration for all of us women in troubled relation- ships.\ The Enterprise — Nicole Fay Barr \And I will always love you...\ sang Lindsay Stewart on Tues- day before she was named the Altamont Idol. f \ NEW SCOTLAND AUTO CTR. FOREIGNand DOMESTIC AUTO REPAIR • Tires Sold and Installed • Quality Pre-Owned Vehicles NYS Inspections Mon., Wed., Fri. 8:30 to 5:00 Tues. & Thurs. 8:30 to 8:00 439-3146 1958 New Scotland Road Slingerlands w- Across from trie Stonewell Plaza Be prepared Read The Enterprise CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ALTAMONT FAIR from ANIMAL HOSPITAL -20064 Dentistn, LiIf$Mpy ' * AAHAikfoods i TufrtpiKe 4 lb' ^Sffg?|5ff?BfS\ v-v^ft-v .»:**,>. > • i i l ii l iiiiMi|iwi^|u l iiiiuiiiiiiiir'ii6i))i V ' 'V
