Most Fame Starts Locally

Contestant at Jackson MI Teen Idol

Before many get famous they hone their skills at churches singing gospel or at high school musicals singing and acting for a possible shot at double fame. Actually I'd have to say it even starts much earlier than this. At age 3 or 4 very enthusiastic parents steer their children towards promising careers. Some with good intentions and some with ideas of living vicariously through their offspring. While many children can benefit from this others probably are disillusioned and crushed by all the constant pressure. A good parent is one who will know when to back off if the pressure is changing their child negatively. Let the kid do his thing in his own time. If they are ready to fly then strap the wings on them :-] Even after finding fame they can still fall to corrupt managers and bad drugs. I have heard that drugs helped some musicians to be more creative. With the untimely deaths of many music stars , I would have to disagree with this approach. The risk is greater than the reward and when you are high or drunk, you only think you are being more creative. The American Teen Idol competition has grown along with the American Idol one. It seems odd to need a Teen Idol competition since American Idol contestants age can range from 15 to 28. Then again the Teen Idol might be born out of a desire for a more local contest. It brings in money to the community and had an even greater chance to find talent. After all the Olympic Gymnasts win gold medals at 13 or 14 years of age, why cant singers win a contest also? The Teen Idol I attended went off rather nicely, though a 5 minute downpour
interrupted a singer in the middle of his song. When the rain stopped, the judges, bowing to the strength of Mother Nature, allowed him to start his song over again. The Judges were all local people as were the teen singers. I suspect most of the audience was local as was I for sure. They even had cheering sections for their favorite singers. All in all a good time for a free event.