News

Army Entertainment draws kudos for Military Idol competition
Date Posted: 10/25/2005

By Kristy Davies
Fort Gordon Signal

FORT GORDON, Ga. – Only one could win.

Hundreds of Soldiers worldwide competed to make it into the first Military Idol competition. Each of the 36 participating Army installations sent forth one competitor to the final Military Idol competition held here.

After a week of head-to-head showdowns, being judged by country recording artist Michael Peterson, retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley and Debra Byrd, vocal coach and arranger for American Idol, the competition was narrowed down to five finalists for a live webcast Oct. 22.

The finalists were Staff Sgt. Ron Henry, Fort Eustis, Va.; Staff Sgt. William Glenn, Darmstadt, Germany; Capt. Ron Carden, Fort Knox, Ky.; Spc. Festus Togbeola, Schweinfurt, Germany; and Spc. Richard Sianoya, Wurzburg, Germany.

The event was emceed by Leeann Tweeden, host of “NASCAR Nation” and correspondent for “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” on FOX Sports Network, and hosted by Marine Corps Cpl. Brian Buckwalter, anchor for the Pentagon Channel.

Henry stirred the audience with his own rendition of “Back at One,” originally sung by Brian McKnight and Mark Wills, country recording artist and the celebrity guest judge for the finals Saturday.

Togbeola sang “Stand by Me.” Carden lent his voice to “Let’s Stay Together.” Glenn roused the audience with “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” Sianoya brought his version of Elton John’s “Something About the Way You Look Tonight.”

Peterson was booed as he criticized the performances, but explained that he was there to help the Idol contestants grow their talent. Wills turned to Togbeola after the performance and said, “You entertained the hell out of me.”

Voting for the final competition was held through Army Knowledge Online for two hours and was open to all AKO account holders.

The process of bringing Military Idol to life was credited to several individuals including Victor Hurtado, artistic director for U.S. Army Entertainment Division and co-creator of Military Idol.

“I worked with American Idol before, doing consulting,” Hurtado said. “We actually had a relationship with the [American Idol] production team and with Debra Byrd and Randy Jackson as well.”

Being able to use the “Idol” name became a great asset to bringing the pilot program to life.

“We do have a licensing agreement to use the ‘Idol’ name,” said Doriann Fengler, business consultant for the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center. “We are the only entity, other than a country, that has the right to do that.”

Alexander Hall was transformed into a television studio, a sight never seen before.

“Twenty years ago, I was sitting in that seat as an AIT student listening to briefings and now I’m in here working on a program which is a whole different program,” Hurtado said. “You breathe life into a building out of context and you change it completely.”

Being a new program, Military Idol set a new standard for Army entertainment.

“I think the Military Idol is great,” Tilley said. “What was nice about this [is] it allows the military to showcase all the talent that they have. … They have a lot of talent. I had a wonderful time and I hope they invite me to come back next year.”

“It’s been incredible the response and excitement that people have for this,” Fengler said. “We certainly never expected it to get this big. This is phenomenal.”

“It’s been a huge success,” Hurtado added. “The sky’s the limit after this.”

The winner was announced Oct. 23 during a special 30-minute review and reveal show.

Link for more info: http://www.militaryidol.com