Karaoke Forums

I wanna know if there was ever anyone who hit the big time when a talent scout walked into a karaoke bar and heard them sing?

I know that many have been discovered through karaoke contests, and YouTube videos and some have peddled karaoke recordings to get discovered. That's not what I am after. I am looking for a good old fashioned magic discovery story.

I have been filling in details on my blog:

http://john-the-revelator-does-karaoke.blogspot.com/2010/01/getting-discovered-through-karaoke.html

Thanks in advance for any information!

John the Revelator

I dont know of any personally who had happen what you specifically describe.

However I do know several who started singing Karaoke, some became KJ's then made the jump to live performing, got into bands or started thier own bands, paid their dues the OLD FASHIONED WAY and now perform at major blues festivals either as featured vocalists or fronting thier own bands.

AND they still like to pop in and do Karaoke(sometimes at my shows in Portland, Oregon)

Here are the ones I know personally:

Olivia Warfield: Tours as back-up singer for PRINCE(or the artist formerly known as)
and fronts her own band-The Liv Warfield Project and performs with other prominent blues acts.

Rae Gordon: Has her own band-The Rae Gordon Band, and appears as Guest Vocalist

Gretchen Mitchell--Has her own band and appears as Guest Vocalist

LadyKat---Featured Vocalist with NW Women In Blues(she has even appeared as a featured singer on KS THAT'S KARAOKE)

Barbara Cecil--Has own country/western band.

And these are some of the more prominent ones.

On a lesser scale[/u]:
Myself--have now sang in 2 bands: The Northside Blues Band and Bluesmoke
pics at: www.myspace.com/swingcatkaraokepdx

ALL have been regular Karaoke singers/and or KJ's/DJ's and used it as a training ground and then took it to the next level(or various next levels). Most of the more prominent ones have recorded and released thier own CD's.

So it wasn't "Discovery" as such, but they all have taken it to the next level by HARD WORK AND PAYING THEIR DUES IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.

Just goes to show ANYONE can do it if they are WILLING TO DO THE WORK!!

I mean after all, IF I OF ALL PEOPLE CAN SING IN A BAND.............

_________________
"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

It looks like Boston got a lead singer from a Myspace karaoke rendition: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4971065&page=1

I believe Sugarland singer (Jennifer Nettles) was discovered singing karaoke.

http://www.mindymccreadyofficial.com/bio.php


Read up on Mindy McCready! She is probably the biggest known singer to get plucked from a karaoke crowd. Easy on the ears..very easy on the eyeballs, too!

Just about everyone on X Factor, Pop Idol, American Idol e.t.c.

Hey... I really appreciate all the replies.

SwingCatKurt - I agree with the sentiment. You gotta pay your dues. Maybe that was the thought in the back of my mind when I asked the question? A message to people who have delusions about making it the easy way? I dunno if that was the thought... I don't spend much time in the back of my head.

Tommy DeCarlo of Boston?
This is truly a touching story. But it was a MySpace video that got him the big gig, and not walking into a karaoke bar.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4971065&page=1

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland?
It looks like she started her own band (twice) before joining Sugarland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Nettles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarland

Mindy McCready?
It looks like she discovered country through karaoke, rather than country discovering her through karaoke.
"After learning her craft with private opera training from a retired Julliard School Of Music professor, McCready discovered country music from the karaoke scene and decided to sing country rather than opera in 7 other languages."
http://www.mindymccreadyofficial.com/bio.php


My conclusion so far... apparently no one has been discovered by singing in a karaoke bar!

So, you are looking for someone who has never been in a band...never had any formal training, etc? Basically someone who has never done any singing of ANY kind other than local Karaoke and was then discovered & became a superstar?

THAT Might be tough.

Hey Bazza...

Yeah, maybe my net for my little game is a bit too small! Lemme try to clarify.

I guess I am looking more for the way someone got discovered... If they were in a local band, and had studied voice at Juliard, and dated Taylor Swift's sister, and ya-da ya-da... I would count them as "discovered through karaoke" if they were on a karaoke stage when the talent scout said "hey kid, lemme talk at ya a minute."

But, if they sang karaoke every night of the week and twice on Sundays, and finally got discovered because of a YouTube video, or because Ed Sullivan rose from the dead and heard their band, or because they called every phone number in the Nashville phone exchange... I would not count them as "discovered by karaoke".

Revelator

Ah... if the story is true. Taylor Swift got started like that.

_________________
Okay, who took my pants?

After saying I know of no one who was "discovered" at a karaoke show, I would like to say that the day it happens, I will probably quite karaoke.

Why? Because the day that info hits the internet I can envision every American Idol Wannabee showing up a my show with their mother telling me how to set the mix, how loud to make the volume, where the future star should stand, and to make sure I have gotten everybody seated and quiet for their performance.

Then I will have to announce that they have CD's and T-Shirts for sale

Phulezze!

BTW: I do not believe that Taylor Swift came out of a Karaoke show.

Boy, you got that one right!! Have you ever seen one of those "Little Miss" contests? and how the parents act???? Can we all say "ARRRRRRRRRG" I couldn't imagine having to put up with one of those "little darlings" AND their "mommy/daddy". Same thing goes for karaoke superstar wannabees. I'm with you and would probably just quit karaoke altogether.

As far as Taylor Swift, nope she isn't even old enough to go into a regular karaoke show yet. She is definitely a good proponent of karaoke tho, and is smart in her marketing of her music, putting out a CD+G form of her cd's is a terrific idea. I wish other artists were on the same page.

It is very difficult to get through to people that even though they believe they or their child or their niece, or whomever, is the best singer in the world, that the road to musical success is long and hard, and you have very little chance of actually achieving the kind of success an artist like TS has had.

When the parent of a mediocre child singer comes to me bursting with pride and asks me if I believe their child "has a chance" my first questions might include these: Does your child play an instrument? Like guitar or piano? Have they reached the ability to play and sing at the same time? Do they know how to write lyrics (prose, poetry, etc.)? Are they willing to pursue their craft every single day, and do the practicing that it takes to make it? The lead player in my husband's band is only 23 years old and has only been playing since he was 14. When he realized how much he loved playing, he played for sometimes 10 hours at a time ... listening to the artists he enjoyed (he is an old school player), and perfecting every track that Iron Maiden ever released, amongst others. He bled profusely. He is a top-notch world class player and can only go up from there but that isn't because he just loved music and wanted to be famous.

I also suggest to people that success will never be achieved by singing songs that someone else has made famous -- unless you've already got 4-5 albums out and do a "tribute" kind of album.

There are a lot of 10-year overnight successes out there. Kudos to Taylor Swift for being so driven and highly motivated. Her writing is what has brought her success, not necessarily her singing. Same with Shannon Curfman, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga ... these women/girls have been at it forever, driven hard to perfect their crafts.

I think "discovery" is a pipe dream. I have run into a few singers who went on to some measure of music success but not on a grand scale. Many of gone to Nashville with stars in their eyes and returned a few years later with empty wallets. Many are singers in local bands and obviously enjoy what they're doing but as far as national success, not nearly.

It's the "original" thing that people don't understand. The talent and drive it takes to create your own music/sound, then impress others with it, and expend the time and energy in reaching those who may help you to more widespread success, is almost insurmountable but for the most tenacious of people.

I'd suggest that anyone who has the power to promote someone to national success isn't going to be found in the average karaoke bar looking for talent. Those people receives thousands and thousands of unsolicited tracks monthly.

There is a guy who comes to one of my shows who can mimic a pretty famous singer - it's a kick, really, and even though people oooh and ahhhh when he sings, his talent is extremely limited; however, his ego is overwhelming. He is the kind of guy who will look to be "discovered" but is big fish in a tiny pond right now and won't ever do anything but dream.

I could just choke the people who are impressed with marginal talent who persist in telling people over and over again, oh you should be on American Idol (as if that is the key to success in the music industry) or gosh, you should go to Nashville. How in the heck do you rein in those kind of egos at your show without being placating or patronizing? This one guy will come to me and tell me about this contest or that contest, and so-and-so beat him and how could that have happened? And on and on -- I just smile, tell him that we're all here to enjoy singing and the friendship of others who also enjoy singing. ARGGGG... I HATE CONTESTS!

(Obviously based on long posts I have submitted today, I have too much time on my hands. Time to get some serious fun time in.)

YES KAREN you DO HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS!!! Time for you to go out and GET SOME GIGS!!!

_________________
"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

And that comes as a big surprise?

Three nights a week is quite enough, thanks Kurt. Geesh, a girl needs a night off once in a while. When is our next get-together at Lonnie's show?

Keep an eye on Laura Broad, goes by Blahwah2000 on Singsnap and just was in LA recording some stuff two weeks ago. The girl has it and has been on youtube, myspace a while now...

Look for the singer signing autographs..