On February 9, the Ninth Annual Scotts Valley Idol contest that began on January 9, 2016 ended. Malone’s Bar and Grille was packed with patrons who came from near and far to witness the karaoke competition.
A new champion was crowned when Paul Gardner aka Sporty, a retired Air Force veteran and longtime karaoke singer, crooned his way to the top of the 11 semi-finalists, winning the top prize of $500. Mandy Jay, a flight attendant who also sings for charity (mandysings4charity.org) took second place and announced that she would donate a substantial portion of her winnings to her charity which supports disabled veterans.
Gadgetbox Studios in Santa Cruz donated two hours of recording studio time to one of the semi-finalists, and ScottsValley resident Bobbie Ward, who served as a judge, donated vocal lessons from Performance Vocal to another winner.
Cheryl Rebottaro from Edward Jones Advisors in ScottsValley sings in the local band Back to Nowhere, served as a judge.
Malone’s Bar and Grille, soon to celebrate its 36th anniversary, hosted the competition and provided the prize pool totaling more than $1,000. Patti Malone said, “We had a fantastic group of singers this year. We congratulate all who competed. Malone’s hosts the best karaoke in the county every Saturday night.”
