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!

Well, summer’s nearly over and fall looks very exciting for Karaoke. More and more venues are popping up all over the place and sales of home Karaoke systems are on the increase as the popularity of Karaoke continues to surge. Karaoke Scene Magazine is consistently contacted by, and has been quoted in, major newspapers across the country that are doing major pieces on the Karaoke phenomenon. We think it’s all pretty terrific.

We are proud to announce that the Karaoke Fest 2002 winners for “Male & Female Vocalist of the Year,” William Jordan and Jenny Eisenhardt, will be singing on the popular Mark & Brian syndicated radio show on KLOS, 95.5FM. The tentative air date is set for Wednesday, August 14th at about 8:00 in the morning. Our warmest congratulations to William and Jenny as we wish them the best of luck on their performances!

There are several new and innovative events coming up including “The Original Music Experience” tour presented by Pilsner Urquell, an imported premium Czech beer. This is a statewide, fun event where all you have to do is just show up where the traveling studio stops and record your favorite song. You get a free CD copy of your performance just for participating. When the event ends (probably in October) the most outstanding performance will be judged by a panel of eminently qualified individuals and the winner have their photo in Karaoke Scene Magazine, a portion of their performance will be streamed onto our website and be awarded $1,000. But this is not just about the prize…it is about having a great time singing Karaoke, visiting new venues, and making new friends. This event will be held at approximately 100 locations throughout California. Check the special page on this site for a location near you.

Penguin Karaoke is presenting the first annual “All Karaoke Cruise” which takes place from January 17 – 20, 2003. “Big” Bob Malthouse & Phil Farmer, owners of Penguin Karaoke will be shepherding the event along with Manny Pacheco & Laurie Masters and Art & Lori Johnson. This vocal voyage will take place aboard the Carnival fun ship “Ecstasy” and if I know these folks, this cruise should be a riot. You won’t want to be left ashore…so for Karaoke Cruise information please call (800) 600-4548. Bon Voyage!

Karaoke Scene Magazine has been in talks with a production company for a major cable TV channel regarding the filming of a documentary chronicling the “road” to Karaoke Fest 2003. A film production crew will follow the path of contestants through the qualifying rounds and semi finals at venues throughout Southern California all the way to the finals at Karaoke Fest 2003. We will keep you informed on the progress of this project.

Finally, this August we observe the 25th anniversary of the passing of the biggest entertainment phenomenon of all time, Elvis Presley. There has never been anyone quite like him and probably will never be. He stands alone as the undisputed “King of Rock & Roll” and the most universally recognizable personality ever. His generosity is legendary, his appeal universal. His spirit lives on through his music and his memory…and his contribution to Karaoke is unparalleled. There are far more “Elvis” selections in Karaoke libraries across the United States and around the world than any other single artist with even more on the horizon. Karaoke Scene salutes “The King,” his music, and his memory.

Congratulations and many heartfelt thanks to all of the KJs, clubs, patrons and friends who came together to help our fellow Americans in need to the tune of $13,212.01. Every penny raised was presented to the Salvation Army’s representative, Warren Johnson, and will be sent, dollar for dollar, directly to their 120,000 square foot warehouse/headquarters located at “ground zero”. We have published a copy of the Salvation Army’s thank you letter to the Karaoke community in this edition.

A very special thank you and a big tip of the Karaoke Scene hat go to Manny Pacheco who devoted countless hours and worked tirelessly in helping to make “Karaoke Cares” a success. Be sure to look for his “Unsung Heroes” article in the current issue.

A warm welcome to our new editor/art director, Tony Avery. We look forward to working with Tony and anticipate many new and exciting ideas which he promises to bring to our publication. And best of luck to our departing editor, Julie Turnbaugh. It was a pleasure working with Julie on the past 3 issues and I thank her for sharing her talent and for all her hard work.

I would like to personally thank you for visiting our new, completely redesigned website. The site offers many new things including a remodeled and innovative discussion forum and a new “Ask Sammy” forum where you can get answers to all of your technical hardware & software questions. You may now subscribe to Karaoke Scene Magazine online, purchase merchandise (“Scene Gear”, decals, etc.) and even sign up for a free email address. The events calendar will guide you to contests and other special Karaoke happenings and don’t forget to check out the classified ad section.

We have designed the site to be able to grow and many other new features are being added all the time. For instance, in the very near future, clubs may purchase an entire page on our site so that when someone clicks on the name of that establishment, a customized page opens describing everything about that venue including pictures, logos, special events, etc. Club owners, this a great new way to promote your business. Also, there is still some space available for banner ads. This space is very limited so reserve yours now. For more information you may inquire by email at ads@karaokescene.com or phone us at (714) 826-2212.

Kudos and much gratitude go to Phill Cross of Cross Web Tech for all of his hard work and dedication in the building of this site. We can highly recommend him and his company.

Finally, many are asking about the dates for KaraokeFest 2002. At this time, we are still looking at late spring. We hope to make this the best “Fest” ever and plans are currently in the works to that end.

Thanks again for your visit and your support and please remember, we are here for you!