A happy Holiday (Photo by Brian Fox,
The Daily Campus)

Program Council presented Mustang Idol III in the Hughes-Trigg Theatre Friday evening. Nine students competed for the $1,000 prize, won by John Holiday, by performing a wide variety of songs, from Al Green to Luther Vandross.

Action Jackson, a local radio personality from 97.9 FM The Beat, emceed the event while doing his best to cajole positive responses for the contestants from the three judges.

Rogers Healy, an alumnus currently working for a residential real estate/apartment locator company, Brett Warner, a senior journalism major and last year’s Mustang Idol second-place winner, and Erica Miles, an analyst for the federal government who has produced several solo blues albums, critiqued the competitors’ performances and provided tips on improving their vocal and physical presentations.

Lawanda Grant, Jordan Bolch, Joel Canales and Jenny Hutchinson performed in the first round but were cut by the judges. All four received a mixture of positive and negative comments such Miles saying, “You would be great at karaoke night…but your runs have to have notes all the way through.”

Amen Amachigh, Kevin Donahue, John Holiday, Malcolm Hudson and Alex Roberto wowed the crowd and the judges and advanced to the second — and final — round of judging, this time done by the audience.

Amachigh wowed all three judges with his first — round performance of a Marvin Gaye classic. Healy called his performance the “best so far,” Warner complimented how he had his own style, and Miles said she enjoyed his range and his comfortable appearance on stage.

Canales’ rendition of “I need to know” by Marc Anthony impressed the ladies of the audience, but Healy seemed skeptical of Canales’ dance moves and costume.

“You touched yourself a little too much, and you could use a different shirt. That one reminds me of the wallpaper in my bathroom,” Healy said.

Hudson fired up the audience with “Musicology” by Prince. His energetic dance moves propelled him off the stage into the audience as he danced up and down the aisles. Healy commented, “Someone took advantage of the Red Bull in the back.”

The audience applauded Roberto as he corrected the program, announcing he was going to sing Josh Groban’s “You raise me up.” He presented Miles — arguably the toughest, most Simon Cowell—esque of the three judges — with a single red rose to soften her criticisms. The rose didn’t prevent Miles from commenting that some of his notes were “just awful,” and that she would love to see him in a college-rendition of the musical Oklahoma.

Donahue sang and danced to the current hit “Your love.” He received generally positive feedback from all three judges.

Healy said, “You dance like I dance, which is amazing,” Warner complimented his stage appeal, saying, “You’re precious,” and Miles said Donahue had he had done “that one pretty good justice.”

Holiday’s acappella rendition of “His eye on the sparrow” hushed the crowd.

In the final round, Holiday’s acappella performance of “I believe” by Blessed Union of Souls won him the competition. “It was very nerve wracking,” he said, “but very exciting at the same time.”

A happy Holiday (Photo by Brian Fox,
The Daily Campus)