The next Byway Idol is ...
(from right) Denis Felton awards junior contestants Kameron Goetz, Madisyn Lybbert, Nick Garcia and Rachel Bresee during the 2011 Byway Idol. Kameron Goetz from Coulee City won the $500 prize for best in category during Saturday's show.
Kameron Goetz warms up for his performance at the 2011 Byway Idol contest. Goetz won first in the juniors category and $500 for his performance of "Long Black Train" on Saturday.
MOSES LAKE - Talented singers from along the Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway belted out their best song at the third annual Byway Idol contest in Soap Lake.
Saturday's competition featured eight contestants performing country, Broadway and pop songs for more than 100 onlookers in the Soap Lake High School gym.
The event is hosted by the Coulee Corridor Consortium and is part of a long tradition of "big events" stretching back to the 1990s, says Consortium Chairman, Denis Felton.
"This is the big event," says Felton. "It's always been the fundraiser and outreach event. We thought this was a different way to attract people to a fun event."
Rules for Byway Idol stated performers had to live along the Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway, be an amateur vocalist at least eight years old and perform at the Byway Idol event.
Performers in the adult category varied as much as their musical selections and included Dave McClure, a rancher, logger and piano enthusiast; Miranda Cloyd, a student and barista who performed in several other competitions around Grant County; Ray Glover, the front man for 'The Dime$tore Prophets' and Deborah Roeber, a voice teacher from Moses Lake.
"I tried out for American Idol this summer," said Cloyd. "I think I might try again. I won the SpringFest Idol in Moses Lake in 2009 and in Omak I placed sixth at Nashville Country Star. I sing a lot for church and I really enjoy that a lot. I pretty much sing whatever fits my voice, so I sing pretty much anything."
New to this year's event was the juniors category which featured 12-year-old Kameron Goetz, who recently performed the role of Oliver in the Masquer's Theater production, 14-year-old Madisyn Lybbert, who played "Violet" in Moses Lake High School's "Willy Wonka" production, 16-year-old Nick Garcia, whose repertoire already includes singing on stage in Seattle, and 13-year-old Rachel Bresee, who has been in musicals and talent shows as well as singing competitions.
"My dad did this last year and when I heard there was going to be a kids category I wanted to do it," said Bresee. "I'm always nervous for singing competitions but this one is a little different. I had a singing competition two weeks ago and I did the same song so it was like a warm up for this one."
Encore performances were by the 2010 Byway Idol "King of the Road" Tim O'Donnell and "Queen of the Coulee" AJ Longo.
After the entire audience voted for their favorite, Felton announced this year's winners: Deborah Roeber, with her Broadway rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade" from the movie "Funny Girl," and Kameron Goetz, with "Long Black Train" by country singer Josh Turner.
"When I was really young, God just gave me a big knack for singing," said Goetz. "I grew up listening to the greats on CMT like Clay Walker and George Strait. I started singing in church and then other places, too."
Roeber took home $1,000 prize and Goetz received a $500 prize. The other three junior performers received a $50 gift certificate from The Bookery in Ephrata for their efforts.