Diane Huntley listens to her son, Michael Huntley, perform. He impressed the audience Friday night, first with his version of Katy Perry's 'Firework' and later with Bob Marley's 'One Love.'

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'Love' lifts Huntley to win

Talented field competes in finals of 'Burg Idol

Date published: 5/2/2011

BY JESSE SCOTT

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

The 'Burg has a new idol, and his name is Michael Huntley.

Armed with a striped tie, infectiously raspy vocals and finely-tuned acoustic guitar, Huntley edged out nine other finalists on Friday evening to capture the title of 2011 'Burg Idol.

The 'Burg Idol competition, sponsored by radio station 99.3 The Vibe, started in late March with nearly 125 contestants from the Fredericksburg area auditioning for their moment in the spotlight and a chance at a $1,000 grand prize. The Vibe is part of The Free Lance-Star Co.'s Star Radio Group.

The final 10 endured several elimination rounds before making it to Friday's finale at Riverside Center.

After nearly 3 hours of somewhat pitchy and nerve-injected performances, it was Huntley's charisma and adaptations of popular songs that stood out.

In the first round, Huntley nailed a poppy acoustic rendition of Katy Perry's "Firework" to send the judges and packed crowd into a jubilant uproar.

Celebrity judge and 2003 winner of television's "American Idol" Ruben Studdard called Huntley a firecracker and commended him on a great performance. Fellow judges Ashleigh Chevalier and Patrick A'Hearn, associate artistic at Riverside Center, agreed and simply loved Huntley's ability to make any song his own.

Just as in "American Idol," there were a few moments of genuine comedy and angst among the 'Burg Idol judges, contestants and crowd.

After the first round of performances, Studdard performed a three-song set that was mediocre at best.

Fredericksburg's own the Deep Space Network, who had absolutely rocked their set before Studdard hit the stage, would have been a much better and livelier fit for Studdard's allotted time.

After his performance, Studdard left and didn't come back to judge the second round of performances.

After this incredibly un-classy move, no one was left wondering why the artist's career has failed since his "Idol" heyday.

Once Studdard left the room, the contestants refocused themselves for the second round. The contestants could perform any song of their choosing in a final effort to win over the judges.

Every performer nailed his or her second-round song.

Standout performances included a vocally pristine version of Rihanna's "Only Girl" by Julia Fanning and an impressive performance of Natasha Bedingfield's "Soulmate" by Paula Jenkins.

Fanning and Jenkins went on to place second and third in the competition, and first in the minds of many in the audience.

Ultimately, it was a shiver-inducing rendition of Bob Marley's "One Love" that sealed Huntley's triumph. Huntley brought a room of seemingly partisan strangers together for five minutes of pure, reflective harmony.

Though Huntley was crowned the only winner of the evening, there was a bit of a symbolic winner when all was said and done--Fredericksburg.

There is a ton of talent right here in our own backyard, and a nice chunk of it was displayed on Friday.

Jesse Scott is a freelance writer who lives in Fredericksburg. He often writes about music for Weekender.