Finch drives fans 'Crazy': Teen takes first in talent contest
By Kirk Dickey (The Daily Citizen)
About 2,000 people watched 16-year-old Scout Finch belt out Patsy Cline's "Crazy" at the Colgate Country Showdown Tuesday night.
Being on stage was "awesome," according to Finch, whose real name is Amanda. Finch, a Batesville High School student, won the talent contest and the applause of the audience. Jason Coleman, a Searcy resident, was the first runner up. Brandi Shae, also a Searcy resident, took second runner up.
Finch said she has performed before, starting off in a karaoke club, but had never sung to such a large crowd. Finch said she was nervous the whole time she was backstage. And when the big announcement came, "I didn't even hear my name. I just heard 'From Batesville ..."
When she realized she had won, Finch was asked to sing another song, choosing another Cline number, "Walking After Midnight." Finch said she just enjoys Cline's music and her voice fits it well.
Cindy McCord, one of the talent show's organizers, said most of the performances were strong. Nine acts took to the fair's entertainment stage and created their own brands of magic."We had a lot of good talent this year," she said. "I am glad that I was not a judge." McCord said one performer in the contest wrote his own music. And Coleman was the only contestant with the distinction of playing an instrument as he sang a couple of obscure cover songs, which he said most people thought were his own.
Coleman said he used to perform regularly and won first place in the talent contest two years ago. He said performing in that atmosphere is completely different from performing in clubs, which he did for years.
"It is a lot different performing in front of 100 drunk people in a bar, compared to 1,000 sober people who are just there to hear good music," he said. "And that is why they are there, to hear good music."
Other performers were backed up by the band Positive Country, which learned all of the performers songs - including the original numbers - the week before the talent contest.
Finch will now advance to the state Colgate Country Showdown scheduled for October at the State Fair of Arkansas. There, she will compete for $1,000 and the opportunity to perform at one of six regional competitions in the fall.
Regional winners will be flown to a televised national final at Walt Disney World to compete for the grand prize of $100,000.
Finch said she is a little nervous about the state competition, but does not have any expectations one way or the other about the outcome. "As long as I don't set my expectations too high, I can just go out there and enjoy it," she said.
