Three district singers find fame elusive

They came by the hundreds for a shot at fame and a recording contract, but by the time it was over, most went home with nothing but memories.
Local singers Jodie Allan, Alyson Booth, and Sarah Hebert were among 700 hopefuls who flocked to Winnipeg last week, and in some cases stood in line all night, in hopes of becoming one of the 10 finalists who would move on to the “Canadian Idol” competition in Toronto.
For some, it meant either sleeping on the streets or having someone save a place in line while the candidate grabbed a few winks in a car since hotel rooms were virtually unobtainable.
“I spent the night in line and slept on the streets of Winnipeg,” said Hebert, who lives here in Fort Frances. “At 8 a.m. on Monday, they closed up the line, so everybody who was asleep had to get up and stand.”
Hebert, an OAC student at Fort Frances High School, has been taking vocal lessons for nine years. She said she had hoped the experience would help her future endeavours.
She already has been accepted at Acadia University, where she intends to study musical theatre.
Hebert said the long waits and short auditions were worth it—even though she did not make the final cut.
“Yeah, it was lots of fun,” she said. “I met lots of interesting people who have the same passion I do.
“I did make the top 90 and I feel a sense of accomplishment for having made it that far,” she added.
Hebert made it past the first two rounds of auditions and into the final, where she sang before a celebrity panel consisting of Sass Jordan, Farley Flex, Jake Gold, and Zack Werner.
Booth, another Fort Frances resident, had a similar experience. “It was very good, very tiring,” she recalled. “Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous.”
Like Hebert, Booth spent Sunday night in line waiting her chance. She did, however, come somewhat better prepared to rough it.
“I had about three hours of sleep in a lawn chair before I went in,” she noted.
She also failed to make the final cut, she said she has no regrets.
“I’m happy that I did it,” she remarked. “If I hadn’t, I’d probably be sitting here wondering if I could have made it.”
Allan, an Emo resident, also made it to round three but no further. She at least got a decent night’s sleep before auditioning, however.
“My husband (Paul) was with me and finally sent me to the hotel room while he stood in line for me,” she said.
Allan said the experience was a good one, although there was some confusion regarding the song selection.
“I came in with two songs, but for the third round, I was told to choose from a list they gave me.” she noted. “I spent much of Sunday night learning one, only to be told I could sing one of my own after all.”
But Allan said she was not particularly disappointed by the results and still intends to participate in a recording session in Chicago in June with her friend, Kelly Moulik.
(Fort Frances Times)