Karaoke Scene – What's New

With huge crowds and exceptional singing performances, KaraokeFest 2011 has now come to a close. But what a day…the biggest and best KaraokeFest ever!

First of all, we would like to thank our major sponsors, Ace Karaoke, VocoPro, ProSound and Karaoke Kruise for their generous support of this event. These fine companies make it possible to have this day-long celebration of Karaoke every year for all of us to enjoy. Please show them your support for all they do for Karaoke.

And then there are our prize sponsors, Ace Karaoke, ProSound, VocoPro, Sound Choice and Chartbuster. The generosity of these companies speaks for itself and they are also certainly deserving of everyone’s support.

The overflow crowd was treated to an exciting day of fantastic singing and entertainment! The children in the Crème de la Kids contest wowed the crowd with just about every genre of song from Rock to Show Tunes. The Crème de la King competitors were next paying tribute to the memory of Elvis as they graced the stage with their colorful costumes and exciting renditions of some of the King’s most beloved tunes. And, of course, the Crème de la Creme Finalists rocked the Plaza de las Americas Stage for nearly 5 hours with terrific, concert quality performances.

Special thanks go to the multi-talented Marshall Thomas of KFROG 95.1 FM for another fine job of hosting the Crème de la Crème Finals Competition again this year. Thanks also to our good friend, Manny Pacheco, the best event emcee that anyone could ask for. And in his 2nd year at KaraokeFest, the popular host of “What’s Up Orange County,” Scott Stewart, hosted the Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King Final Competition. Thank you, Scott for another excellent job! And our gratitude goes to Crème de la Kids coordinator, Candice Worl and to Crème de la King Coordinator, Tony Christina, for their tireless efforts in making the dream come true for all of their talented contestants.

And HUGE thanks go to every single one of the gracious volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy to make KaraokeFest such a special event for everyone. We are deeply appreciative of your efforts.

Don’t forget that, for a limited time, you can purchase your own professionally produced DVD of all of the exciting shows at KaraokeFest this year…a perfect memento of all the fabulous performances that made KaraokeFest 2011 such an entertainment extravaganza. The Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King DVDs are only $20 each and the Crème de la Crème DVDs are only $30, or you can order all 3 for only $60 (all prices are +S&H). Order yours today right here at KaraokeFest.com or by calling (714) 826-2212.

Our gratitude also extends to our fabulous Karaoke Stage hosts at KaraokeFest this year, Ace Karaoke, Helen Scheuplein and Christine Wheeler. These special people make KaraokeFest so much fun for everybody all day long and they are truly appreciated.

DONT FORGET! Apps for Karaoke Scene Magazine are now available for your IPhones and IPads. Now you can have all of the features and information in Karaoke Scene Magazine right at your fingertips, wherever you go, 24-7. I already use it on my IPhone and it’s fantastic! The apps are FREE so visit the App Store today and get yours now!

For all you KJs out there, our “KJ Directory” at http://karaokescene.com/kj_directory/ is the perfect way to promote your business. People from all over check it out to find Karaoke hosts when they need one. This is your chance to advertise your KJ business to the entire Karaoke world. For a limited time you can still join for only $25 for the first year. What a bargain!

And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to subscribe to the new “Digital Edition” of Karaoke Scene Magazine. The “DE” offers everything that appears in our print edition plus much more! And it is always available to you online 24-7. Just click on this link http://karaokescene.com/order_magazine/ to subscribe now…and best of all, it’s FREE!

By the way, Manny Pacheco’s book, “Forgotten Hollywood – Forgotten History,” (an amazing study of some of the most important character actors and actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Years and their relationship to American historical events) continues to sell across the country at major retailers (Costco, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and many other locations). We highly recommend this book to everyone, either for yourself or as a perfect gift for a friend or loved one (Christmas is coming). You can check it all out at www.ForgottenHollywood.com.

And finally, if you live in Southern California and are looking to make some extra money in your spare time, we are looking for ad sales reps for Karaoke Scene Magazine. Experience is helpful but not mandatory. If interested, please call (714) 826-2212 or contact us

The excitement level is really building for KaraokeFest 2011, “the greatest Karaoke show on earth,” and it’s spreading all over Southern California. By popular demand, his year’s “Fest” will again take place at the L.A. County Fair in Pomona on Saturday, September 10th. That’s right, Saturday. And you know what that means…it means not having to get up the next morning to go to work so we can all party, party, party!

First off, Karaoke Scene would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to our major sponsors, Ace Karaoke, VocoPro, ProSound (Priddis Music Resource Co.) and Karaoke Kruise! KaraokeFest would not be possible without the generous support of these fine companies so please show them your support. A big thank you to our prize sponsors as well, Ace Karaoke, Priddis Music Resource Co. and Chartbuster Karaoke!

The excitement begins at 12 noon with the Crème de la Kids Singing Competition Finals. Contest coordinator, Candice Worl, and her staff have done a remarkable job of looking after the youngsters and providing them with this opportunity to show off their talents…and are there ever some fabulously talented kids competing this year. This show promises be a huge WOW!

At 3pm, the enormously popular Crème de la King Singing Competition Finalists take center stage. We at Karaoke Scene are devoted Elvis fans and always look forward to this one with great anticipation. The incomparable Tony Christina is back as the coordinator of this exciting and colorful event and we’re delighted to have him. The qualifying rounds for this contest will begin on Wednesday, August 10th at Dimples in Burbank and continue through Sunday, August 21st at the Orange County Market Place with 4 more great venues in between. If you like Elvis, make it a point to attend these highly contested qualifying rounds.

The multi-talented Scott Stewart, host of the hit TV show “What’s Up Orange County,” will be back to emcee both the Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King shows. Welcome back Scott!

The Crème de la Crème Singing Competition continues to rock at the 25 venues across Southern California. It looks like it’s going to be another sensational show at KaraokeFest when the 50 finalists (25 male and 25 female) will compete for thousands in cash and prizes and the coveted title of Male & Female Karaoke Singers of the Year, not to mention being flown to Salt Lake City for their very own recording session at the fantastic “Home & Castle” recording facility, courtesy of the fine folks at ProSound (Priddis Music Resource Co.). And look out! “The Marshall is back in town!” That’s right, returning for his third “Fest gig” is popular Southern California radio personality, Marshall Thomas, as the host of the Crème de la Crème Finals Competition. The Crème de la Crème finals will begin at 6pm (please note time change from last year).

As most of you know, our Male Karaoke Vocalist of the Year for 2009, Abraham McDonald, was scouted by the Oprah Show team at KaraokeFest 2009 and went on to win $250,000 at Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge. And last year’s Male Karaoke Vocalist of the Year, Clint J. Gamboa made it to the top 24 in the recently completed American Idol. Who knows what may happen this year’s contestants?

Be sure to check out the KJ of the Year Award nominees. These are extremely talented individuals that have been voted the best by the Southern California Karaoke community at large from 4 areas: North L.A. County, South L.A. County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. The winners will be announced and the awards presented at KaraokeFest by radio and television personality, KJ extraordinaire, and now author, Manny Pacheco. The truth is, each of these nominees is already a winner just by having been selected as a nominee from the huge number of KJs in Southern California. The KJ of the Year Awards will be presented at 8pm. It is very important that the nominees be present at the event to receive their awards. Please plan to be on hand to show your support for these talented people who make such a positive impact on your Karaoke experience.

EVERYBODY SINGS! Don’t forget, in addition to the main show, there will be multiple Karaoke stages located throughout the Fairgrounds where everybody can sing all day long and into the night. Last year a whole bunch of folks made it a point to sing at each and every stage at least once. We wonder how many of you will be able to do that this year?

All you need to enjoy all of the special events and activities of KaraokeFest 2011 is a ticket to the L.A. County Fair which can be purchased at the gate or by visiting www.LACountyFair.com. The tickets are very inexpensive and will be your passport to a thrilling day of the Fair, singing, deep fried everything and tons of fabulous fun! Gates open at 10am and the “Fair” is open till midnight.

See you all at “KaraokeFest!”

“IT’S CONTEST TIME!” That means it’s time for the “BIG 3” KaraokeFest singing competitions to begin. The hugely popular and highly prestigious Crème de la Crème singing competition will be held at 25 venues throughout Southern California beginning on July 2nd and continuing through the month of August. This is the huge one, the most prestigious of all Karaoke contests everywhere, so don’t miss your chance to compete for thousands in cash and prizes, your opportunity to perform on the main stage at KaraokeFest 2011 and be named “Male or Female Karaoke Vocalist of the Year.”

Remember, 2009 Male Karaoke Vocalist of the Year, Abraham McDonald, was “discovered” at KaraokeFest and went on to appear on national television and win $250,000 at Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge; and 2010 Male Karaoke Vocalist of the Year, Clint Gamboa made it to the “top 24″ on the recently concluded American Idol. You could be next!

We are very proud to welcome back radio & television personality (and now author), Manny Pacheco, who will be coordinating the event again this year. And remember, you may qualify at as many venues as you wish in order to increase your chances for making the “Finals” at KaraokeFest 2011. All of the Crème de la Crème venues are listed on page 13.

Then there are the “Crème de la Kids” singing competition for juniors 17 and under, and the “Crème de la King” singing competition for Elvis singers/impersonators. ???? will be coordinating the “Crème de la Kids” contest and we’re so happy that Tony Christina will again be handling the “Creme de la King” competition. Please see page 11 for all of the exciting details.

Note: Be sure to check out the special late dates for qualifying for all three contests at the Orange County Market Place.

All three contest “Finals” at KaraokeFest (“Crème,” “Kids” and “King”) will again be streamed live to our website, KaraokeScene.com so that anyone, anywhere in the world, can enjoy the program. This is a terrific way for the families and friends of contestants who cannot make it to KaraokeFest to be able to watch the show as it happens. Live streaming will start at noon on Sunday, September 12th.

KaraokeFest would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. I would like to take a moment to personally thank the Major Sponsors for KaraokeFest 2011, Ace Karaoke, Priddis Music, VocoPro and KaraokeKruise.com. We sincerely appreciate their support in making this the biggest and best “Fest” ever! We strongly encourage you to show your appreciation to these fine companies and their products.

Here’s some more big news! Our world class website, KaraokeScene.com, has been completely redesigned from the ground up and is chocked full of brand new and redesigned special features such as: Karaoke Forums, Singer’s Showcase, world’s largest Karaoke Club Directory, KJ Directory and much, much more! We would like to thank Phill Cross with Cross Web Tech for doing (as always) such a spectacular job. Please, take a moment and visit the entire brand new KaraokeScene.com. You’ll be very glad you did.

PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE! It’s that time of year for everyone (now including San Diego County) to support their favorite Karaoke hosts for KJ of the Year from their respective area. The KJ of the Year voting has already begun (May 15th) and you may cast your votes through June 30th at KaraokeScene.com. In the interest of fairness, only one vote per valid email address and two votes per IP address will be accepted.

For all you KJs out there, our “KJ Directory” at KaraokeScene.com is the perfect way to promote your business. People from all over check it out to find Karaoke hosts when they need one. And now you can join for only $25 for a whole year. What a bargain! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

Don’t forget, our newest innovation, apps for your iPhone and iPad are now available at the App Store. Now you can have instant access to Karaoke Scene Magazine 24-7 right in the palm of your hand. Want to know who offers Karaoke shows on a given night? Want to review an article or check out an ad for a product or service? Grab your iPhone or iPad and check it out. What could be cooler than that?

And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to subscribe to the extremely popular “Digital Edition” of Karaoke Scene Magazine. The “DE” offers everything that appears in our print edition plus much more! And it is always available to you online 24-7. Visit KaraokeScene.com to subscribe now…and best of all, it’s FREE!

Here’s some BIG NEWS! Apps for Karaoke Scene Magazine are now available for your IPhones and IPads. Now you can have all of the features and information in Karaoke Scene Magazine right at your fingertips, wherever you go, 24-7. I already use it on my IPhone and it’s fantastic! The apps are FREE so visit the App Store today and get yours now!

KaraokeFest 2010 is now in the books…what a day! With our new stage location at the L.A. County Fair, the crowds were huge and the singing performances superb making this the biggest and best KaraokeFest ever.

First of all, we would like to thank our major sponsors, Ace Karaoke, Priddis Music and VocoPro for their generous support and enthusiasm for this event. These fine companies make it possible to have this day-long celebration of Karaoke every year for all of us to enjoy. Please show your support for them for all they do for Karaoke.

And then there are our prize sponsors, Ace Karaoke, Priddis Music, VocoPro, Sound Choice, Chartbuster, KaraokeWH.com and MadBoy Audio. The generosity of these companies obviously speaks for itself and they are also certainly deserving of everyone’s support.

82 singers competed in the finals for the Crème de la Kids, Crème de la King and Crème de la Crème Singing Competitions. The overflow crowd enjoyed a huge day of fantastic singing! The children in the Crème de la Kids contest touched everyone’s heart as they performed just about every genre of song from Country to Pop to Show Tunes. The Crème de la King competitors truly honored the memory of Elvis and really lit up the stage with their colorful costumes and exciting renditions of some of the King’s most beloved tunes. And, of course, the Crème de la Creme Finalists scored about a 8.5 on the Richter Scale as they rocked the Plaza de las Americas Stage for nearly 5 hours putting forth sensational, professional quality performances.

Special thanks go to the phenomenally talented Marshall Thomas of KFROG 95.1 FM for a first class job of hosting the Crème de la Crème Finals Competition again this year. We sincerely appreciate his talent and the extra boost he gives the show. Thanks also to our good friend, Manny Pacheco, the best emcee for an important event like this that anyone could ask for. And making his debut at KaraokeFest was the popular host of “What’s Up Orange County,” Scott Stewart, hosting the Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King Final Competition. Thank you, Scott for a job well done!

A special Karaoke Scene thank you goes to Crème de la Kids coordinator, Julie Woodcock (and her husband, Roger) and to Crème de la King Coordinator, Tony Christina (whom we were very pleased to have back this year), for their tireless efforts in making the dream come true for all of their talented contestants.

And HUGE thanks go to every single one of the gracious volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy to make KaraokeFest such a special event for everyone. We are all so appreciative of your efforts.

Don’t forget that, for a limited time, you can purchase your own professionally produced DVD of any or all of the exciting singing competitions at KaraokeFest this year…a perfect memento of all the fabulous performances that made KaraokeFest 2010 such an entertainment extravaganza. The Crème de la Kids and Crème de la King DVDs are only $19.95 each and the Crème de la Crème DVDs are only $29.95, or you can order all 3 for only $59.95 (all prices are +S&H). Order yours today at www.KaraokeScene.com or by calling (714) 826-2212.

Our gratitude also extends to our fabulous Karaoke Stage hosts at KaraokeFest this year, Ace Karaoke, Helen Scheuplein and PR Entertainment. These special people make KaraokeFest so much fun for everybody all day long and we really want them to know how much they are appreciated.

By the way, Manny Pacheco’s book, “Forgotten Hollywood – Forgotten History,” (an amazing study of some of the most important character actors and actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Years and their relationship to American historical events) continues to sell across the country at locations such as Costco, Borders, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com (as well as many other locations). We highly recommend this book to everyone, either for yourself or as a perfect gift for a friend or loved one (Christmas is coming). You can check it all out at www.ForgottenHollywood.com.

Here’s a heads up…we are in the process of having Phill Cross with Cross Web Tech creating a complete “re-do” of our immensely popular website, KaraokeScene.com. We hope to have it completed by soon. We hope you will enjoy all the exciting new features that will be available for you.

That’s it for now. All of us at Karaoke Scene Magazine would like to wish all of you and your families a happy Halloween and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Congratulations and our warmest thanks to all the wonderful people who made KaraokeFest 2002 such a special and successful event. Karaoke absolutely deserves a day like that… and we have even bigger plans for next year!

There are so many folks to thank that this page could easily be completely filled with just their names. So let me say, from the bottom of our hearts here at Karaoke Scene Magazine, we offer our most sincere thanks and gratitude to all of the very dedicated and talented people who worked so hard, both behind the scenes and on stage, to make this a truly special event. Thanks also to all of the folks who attended KaraokeFest 2002… breaking all past attendance records! After all, this event is for you.

An additional tip of the Karaoke Scene hat goes to all of the vendors at the Karaoke Expo portion of the show. It was gratifying to receive such strong support from fine companies like Gold Sponsors, Voco Pro and Audio 2000′s, and from Bronze Sponsors, Priddis, Music Maestro, Sound Choice, Top Tunes, Ace Karaoke and KZLA Radio. Thanks also to our non-Karaoke related vendors. You were all terrific!

And the winners are… the winners are actually all of the nominees, contestants and participants in each of the various categories and competitions. The Golden Achievement nominees were chosen by the Karaoke community, who cast literally thousands of votes, to be worthy of recognition. The Crème de la Crème Finalists were selected by their peers at a series of qualifying and semi-final rounds from 23 venues located across 5 counties throughout Southern California. Each and every one of you is a winner deserving of our respect and applause. We salute you!

And the winner is Karaoke itself… as we showcase Karaoke and its supporters in a positive, honest and meaningful way. We love Karaoke and all the good things it has come to represent. KaraokeFest is our chance to show it off to the rest of the world the way it should be shown. Not as some weird, gimmicky fad, but rather as the people’s music where, through singing, talent is discovered and developed, new and lasting relationships are forged, self confidence is enhanced and happiness and fun are the order of the day. An entertainment umbrella under which individuals from various and diverse walks of life come together to share their love of music as they sing to, and for, each other. Karaoke is unique. Anyone can do it. There is no other form of entertainment like it. Karaoke is here to stay and deserves its special day. We are honored to be able to provide it.

Please check out www.karaokefest.com for all of the final results and lots of additional photos. Also available for viewing online is a video clip of KNBC, Channel 4 News coverage of KaraokeFest 2002. Just click on the KNBC icon and enjoy (for Mac use option-click).

Plans are already on the drawing board for KaraokeFest 2003 and several meetings have already taken place for advance planning of what is shaping up to be an even more spectacular “Fest”. We have begun negotiations with some major media entities for extended coverage of KaraokeFest 2003 and its participants from the Golden Achievement Award nomination process, through the Crème de la Crème Singing Competition, to the actual event itself (more to follow on this in future issues). Due to the success of KaraokeFest 2002, we have also been approached by some prominent national product representatives wishing to be involved in sponsorship positions of next year’s event. All in all, it looks pretty exciting. So stay tuned… we will keep you informed every step of the way.

Well, it’s KaraokeFest time again and what an event this one’s going to be! Our staff has been tirelessly working to put together a truly outstanding party for the Karaoke community. On Sunday, May 25th (Memorial Day weekend), the fabulous Queen Mary in Long Beach will once host this fantastic “celebration of Karaoke” in grand style offering all kinds of fun for all members of the family.

The Karaoke Expo promises to be bigger and better than ever with vendors of all kinds showing off their wares. Major Karaoke manufacturers will be there to display and demonstrate the latest and greatest in Karaoke hardware & software. VocoPro and Audio 2000s will be there as will Top Tunes, Sound Choice, Priddis and Music Maestro, just to name a few. Top Karaoke retailers such as Ace Karaoke and MTV Karaoke will also be on hand so you can purchase new Karaoke products of all kinds. And, of course, there will be many other vendors with unique and exciting products for you see and experience.

This year there will be two outdoor charity stages so everyone should have their chance to sing their favorite song with the Queen Mary as their backdrop for any sized donation to the Salvation Army. Martini Blues and Star Light Karaoke will each sponsor a stage and they’ll be rockin’ and rollin’ all day and into the night so we can all sing our hearts out.

The “Golden Achievement Awards” will be presented on the main stage to the individuals and venues chosen by the Karaoke community to be honored for their contributions to Karaoke. These awards are so important because they reward excellence in these respective fields of endeavor. Karaoke needs a way to recognize these extraordinary individuals and venues and we are proud to provide the “Golden Achievement Awards” for that purpose.

The prestigious Crème de la Crème singing competition will again take center stage as the top male and female Karaoke vocalists in Southern California compete for thousands in cash and prizes and the coveted title of “Male & Female Karaoke Vocalist of the Year.” See page 4 for the complete list of venues at which you can qualify. For complete contest information go to www.KaraokeFest.com and click on the Crème de la Crème link. And don’t forget, popular radio personalities Mark and Brian have again invited our top male and female winners to appear and sing on their syndicated radio show (heard locally, Monday through Friday, 6am-10am, on KLOS 95.5fm). This is truly a great opportunity to sing for a huge audience.

We have added multiple big screen TVs to the second level so that many more people can enjoy the show in comfort without any overcrowding. There will be many more surprises and exciting things happening at this year’s “Fest” so make your plans now to attend. Don’t forget, KaraokeFest 2003 explodes on Sunday, May 25th. That’s Memorial Day weekend, and with Monday being a holiday; we can party into the night without having to worry about getting up for work the next day.

Karaoke Scene has arranged for special rates for outside staterooms aboard the Queen Mary for those who wish to stay over on either Saturday or Sunday night (May 24th & 25th). For your special rate please call the Queen Mary Hotel at (562) 432-6964 and mention KaraokeFest for your special stateroom rate. We are trying to arrange for there to be Karaoke in one of the lounges aboard the ship on the Saturday night before “Fest” and there are several Karaoke venues in beautifully redeveloped downtown Long Beach for those who want to party there.

And here’s the best part. In an effort to make the KaraokeFest experience affordable to all, ticket prices are only $7.00 each if purchased or ordered before May 20th ($12.00 after May 20th and at the door). That’s less than a movie or a halfway decent fast food meal. You may order your tickets by credit card online at www.KaraokeFest.com or you may order by phone at (714) 826-2212. No one will be admitted without a ticket so ORDER YOURS NOW!