Nina Storey & Melissa Montgomery
Melissa Montgomery, an 18-year-old high school student from Choctaw, Oklahoma was the winner of the preliminary round in tonight's Adult Singer category. Nina Storey from Boulder, Colorado took the stage first and sang "Summertime" from the musical Porgy and Bess. Melissa sang next, singing LeAnn Rimes' "We're on the Side of Angels." Naomi declared that "she's got commercial appeal," and Melissa moved on to the next round, beating Nina's four stars with a score of eight stars.
Melissa called out former music teacher Vickie Natale from the Winners' Circle, who belted out "I Never Loved a Man," made famous by diva Aretha Franklin. Vickie wowed the judges and retained her position in the Winners' Circle, which means she returns on Saturday, February 6 at 8pm ET/PT.
WINNERS' CIRCLE:
The competition continued offstage for the Adult Singers Winners' Circle members as they faced off in an interview challenge. They've proved they can sing, but how do they handle the press? "Extra" celebrity interviewer Jon Kelley sat down with Freedom first, asking him about his son's reaction to his appearances on STAR SEARCH. Freedom replied: "My son's my biggest fan, and also my biggest inspiration." Next to interview was Jake, who was asked about his relationship with his father, to which he replied "I really got to know my dad last season." Finally, Jon sat with Vickie, asking her where her role as a teacher ends and her role as a competitor begins. Vickie responded that she tries not to worry about the competition, focusing on being competitive with herself.
After the interviews, it was time for Jon Kelly's expert opinions. He advised Jake to reign in his energy a bit, and noted that Vickie offered up answers to unasked questions. He chose Freedom as the best interview, saying he was the "total package." Buzzing with anticipation, each of the singers expressed their eagerness to compete again, and Vickie said if she's not challenged she's "going to explode!"
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