At the start of the fair, 80 contestants aimed for the fame and career boost that would come with the title of Missouri State Fair Idol. After today, it’ll be down to the final 10.
But as the field shrinks, the event gains prestige. This is a state that has produced an American Idol (David Cook, of Blue Springs, in 2008), so Missourians take their competitive singing seriously.
kAm“%96 42=:36C @7 D:?86CD 92D 8@EE6? 36EE6C 6249 J62C[” D2:5 9@DE 2?5 4@@C5:?2E@C %9@> uF==6C[ H9@ H:== @G6CD66 E96 =2DE AC6=:>:?2CJ C@F?5 E@52J 2?5 E96 7:?2= C@F?5 @7 `_ @? $F?52J] “(6 92G6 2 76H C6A62ED 7C@> AC6G:@FD J62CD[ 2?5 :E’D CF? :? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 E96 r@=82E6 r@F?ECJ $9@H5@H? — E96J D6?5 D@>6 @7 E96:C 4@>A6E:E@CD E@ FD — D@ E92E 8:G6D FD 4C65:3:=:EJ]”k^Am
kAm|:DD@FC: $E2E6 u2:C x5@=[ H9:49 3682? :? a__e[ D9@F=5?’E 36 4@?7FD65 H:E9 2 EJA:42= q24<H@@5D q2C x5@=] %96 D:?86CD E2<:?8 E96 DE286 :? E96 AC6=:>:?2CJ C@F?5D 925 E@ H:? 2 C25:@ 4@>A6E:E:@? @C 92G6 2? 2F5:E:@? E2A6 2AAC@G65 367@C6 E96J 4@F=5 4@>A6E6] %96J 42? D:?8 2?JE9:?8 E96J H2?E W>@DE 49@@D6 4@F?ECJX[ 3FE E96J 92G6 E@ 36 8@@5]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 A2?6= @7 ;F586D H9@ >2<6 4@>>6?ED[” D2:5 uF==6C[ ?@E:?8 E96 D:>:=2C:EJ E@ “p>6C:42? x5@=]” “%96 5:776C6?46 :D[ C2E96C E92? E96 2F5:6?46 A:4<:?8 E96 H:??6C[ E96 ;F586D A:4< 2 H:??6C H:E9 2 D4@C:?8 DJDE6>]”k^Am
kAmvC68 |2?:D[ E96 =625 D:?86C @7 $E] {@F:D 4@F?ECJ 32?5 w:==3:==J pFE9@C:EJ[ H2D @?6 @7 E96 7@FC 8F6DE ;F586D 5FC:?8 (65?6D52J’D AC6=:>:?2C:6D] w:D 32?5 H@? E96 a__g |:DD@FC: r@=82E6 r@F?ECJ $9@H5@H?[ 3FE 96 H2D 92AAJ E@ 36 @? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 ;F58:?8 E23=6 E9:D E:>6]k^Am
kAm“~?6 @7 E96 5:776C6?46D :D x H@?’E 36 766=:?8 2?J AC6DDFC6 E@52J[” 96 D2:5] “&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96C6 42? @?=J 36 @?6 H:??6C[ 3FE E96J’C6 2== 8@??2 92G6 7F?] x’> 8@??2 =@@< 7@C G@42= E2=6?E[ 492C:D>2[ DE286 AC6D6?46[ 9@H E96J 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 E96 2F5:6?46 — E96 H9@=6 A24<286]”k^Am
kAm$E2E6 u2:C x5@= D:?86CD :?4=F56 E66?286CD 2?5 J@F?8 25F=ED[ 2?5 >2=6D 2?5 76>2=6D[ 7C@> 2== 4@C?6CD @7 |:DD@FC:] |@DE @7 E96> E2<6 :E BF:E6 D6C:@FD=J]k^Am
kAm“*629[ x H2?E E@ H:?[” D2:5 r92C=@EE6 y24<D@?[ @7 }6H r2>3C:2[ @?6 @7 E96 C6A62E A6C7@C>6CD] “x =:<6 E@ D:?8[ D@ E96 492?46 E@ 36 :? 7C@?E @7 A6@A=6 :D @?6 E92E x’== 2=H2JD E2<6]”k^Am
kAm“x’> E@E2==J =:DE6?:?8 E@ >J :!@5 — =:DE6?:?8 E@ E96 H@C5D[ E9:?<:?8 23@FE 9@H x’> 8@??2 >@G6 2C@F?5 @? DE286[” D2:5 $J5?6J vFE9C:6[ `e[ @7 {2 |@?E6]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ ?@E 6G6CJ@?6 :D D@ D6C:@FD — @C D@ E96J 4=2:>]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 E@ 5@[” D2:5 %C2G:D v:3D@?[ @7 (2CC6?D3FC8[ H9@ E@@< E9:C5 A=246 =2DE J62C] “x D2?8 2 4@FA=6 E:>6D :? E96 32D6>6?E 367@C6 x 8@E 96C6]”k^Am
kAm“p 7C:6?5 @7 >:?6 D2:5[ ‘*@F ?665 E@ 8@ 5@ E9:D] (6 2== H2?E E@ 4@>6 962C J@F D:?8[’ ” D2:5 $E246J y@?6D[ @7 r@=F>3:2] “x 7:8FC65[ ‘(9J ?@En’ ”k^Am
kAmu@C H9@6G6C H:?D[ :E H:== 36 2 <6J 42C66C DE6A] %9:D J62C’D x5@= H:== 86E E@ @A6? 2 8C2?5DE2?5 D9@H 2E ?6IE J62C’D 72:C]k^Am
kAm%96 a__g x5@=[ r2C:DD2 s2H? q:6=6[ 92D D:?46 >@G65 E@ |6>A9:D[ %6??][ H96C6 D96 :D AFCDF:?8 2 >FD:4 42C66C]k^Am
kAm“%96 F=E:>2E6 E92E H6’C6 =@@<:?8 7@C :D D@>6@?6 H9@ 42? A@E6?E:2==J 86E @? E96 8C2?5DE2?5 DE286 2?5 9@=5 E96:C @H?[” uF==6C D2:5]k^Am
