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Idol Contestants Relive The '80s

Jesse Osbourne/Highlands Today

Jessica Herrera of Bowling Green sang “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston on Thursday night at Heartland Idol in downtown Sebring. Herrera won the People’s Choice award Thursday night for her performance.

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By Bill Rettew Jr. | Highlands Today

Published: October 13, 2007

SEBRING — Thursday evening's Heartland Idol competition on the Circle gave fans and 18 semifinalists a chance to relive the 1980s.

Idol contestants came dressed to reflect the style of the decade. Many wore black and spandex. Fishnet leggings were big with the females, while sequins often caught the spotlights.

An audience of 350 saw two singers eliminated, while emcee David Flowers kept the event running smoothly.

Fashion should again take center stage for next week's competition, which will feature Elton John and Madonna music and dress. Elvis tunes will be highlighted for the last semifinal round as performers continue to battle for a $2,000 top prize.

Most the music Thursday was Pop or Rock, with less than a handful of Country music songs performed.

Leslie Bass, of Sebring, performed an energetic performance of the Paula Abdul song, "Straight Up." Judge Liz Marabel exclaimed that Bass had "a lot of energy" and wondered how the performer danced and sang at such a level.

"Practice, practice, practice," said Bass, with a smile.

Jessica Herrera, of Bowling Green, was selected by the crowd as the People's Choice winner.

Dressed in a back sequined dress, wearing huge earrings shaped like stars that were and visible from the street, Herrera sang the Whitney Houston song, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."

Herrera was a top 10 finalist from a pool of 150 performers at Tampa Bay Idol Competition and unsuccessfully auditioned for American Idol in Miami.

"This is a chance to shine," said the 21-year old. "I'm really hard on myself, but I'm here to have fun and just let go."

Ben Turner, of Sebring, was dressed in all black, including sports coat, hat and shades, as he sang "For the Longest Time," by Billy Joel.

"When you finally get up there to sing it feels like a stone has been lifted," said Turner after the competition.

A couple of judges took heat on the steamy night for negative comments following several performances. Audible hisses and boos sprinkled from a fraction of the audience when judges declared how they really felt.

Judge Larry Moore has often been compared to American Idol's Simon Cowell.

"You can't please everybody," said Moore after the event. "It's the crowd we do it for."

Moore then offered advice for the singers: "Don't hold back. Either do it or don't do it."

Sixteen performers will sing and dress for Elton John and Madonna music at Thursday's 6 p.m. show. Singers must present a song selection to organizer and Heartland Idol founder Diana Walker by Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m.

The following is a list of singers who progressed to the next round, their age and home town and song from Thursday:

Carrie Adkins, 37, Sebring, Somebody Should Leave (Reba McIntyre)

Chris Allen, 18, Sebring, I Just Called To Say I Love You (Stevie Wonder)

Leslie Bass, 26, Sebring, Straight Up (Paula Abdul)

Cris Cwalinski, 23, Sebring, Don't Stop Believing (Journey)

Jessica Herrera, 21, Bowling Green, I Wanna Dance W/ Somebody (Whitney Houston)

Shawn Knowles, 23, Sebring, Footloose (Kenny Loggins)

Shannon Marrero, 30, Lorida, 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton)

Andrea Mathis, Sebring, Wind Beneath My Wings

Amy McCoy, 32, Sebring, How Will I Know (Whitney Houston)

Julia Newell, 50, Sebring, Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These (Annie Lennox)

Amy Roposa, 22, Sebring, Black Velvet (Alannah Myles)

Annie Sederback, 43, Sebring, Against All Odds (Phil Collins)

Tina Smothers, 26, Sebring, We Shall Behold Him

Jimmy Schell, 54, Sebring, Walk Of Life (Dire Straits)

Ben Turner, 22, Sebring, For The Longest Time (Billy Joel)

Kimberly Varis, 34, Avon Park, Out Of Your Shoes (Lorrie Morgan)

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