STANDARDS/SHOWTUNES and OLDIES:
Westminster Lanes and Piano Piano in Claremont.
(Three finalists per category, per club)
STANDARDS include classic and modern crooners singing all-time favorites, such as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett; and even Michael Buble and Josh Grobin are reliable artists of the genre along with many others. Folks singing in this category will compete against wonderful Broadway, Disney, and Movie tunes. Remember, a song from stage or cinema must have originated from the production. Numbers from Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, or even American Graffiti are actually OLDIES.
OLDIES consist of a wide variety of music from the years between 1955-1980. The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Monkees and Aretha Franklin are great examples of artists that fall into this category.
COUNTRY and ROCK:
The Starting Gate/Los Alamitos and Linbrook Bowl/Anaheim.
(Three finalists per category, per club)
COUNTRY is a wide variety of traditional American music including Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, as well as Garth Brooks, The Judds, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, The Dixie Chicks, etc. all in one category.
ROCK is a broad category with a definite edge. Everything from Chuck Berry to Led Zeppelin; The Doobie Brothers to Bryan Adams; Janis Joplin to Nirvana; Bruce Springsteen to Def Leppard; and The Go Go’s to Pearl Jam and many others.
R&B/SOUL and TOP 40:
Epic Lounge/Downey and Gem City Grill/Monrovia.
(Three finalists per category, per club)
R&B/SOUL is rhythmc sounds that includes Motown, disco, and modern dance music. The Coasters, Etta James, The Temptations, Donna Summer, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Michael Jackson, Prince, Beyonce and many others represent the genre.
TOP 40 consists of the finest tunes from 1981 to the present, the biggest hits from a wide spectrum of styles, including hits from Stevie Wonder, George Michael, Journey, Madonna; plus, Adele, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and many others.
Strategy to consider:
- This contest is a wonderful opportunity to try different genres of music in your repertoire throughout the preliminaries.
- Your best chance to win your category in the finals is to qualify in your strongest genre. For example, if you are a Standards/Showtune singer, you may not want to end up qualifying for the finals in Country.
- Two out of the six finalists in each of the categories will win cash and/or prizes. I really like your odds!
- Have a second song (any genre) ready for the finals. All category winners will compete to become the overall champion of SongBurst 2018.
GOOD LUCK!