Karaoke Forums

I tried to post in the singer's forum but wasn't granted access? Anyhow, I find it interesting to hear how a person was drawn to singing in the beginning, kind of puts my own aspirations into perspective.
I read a topic in the singer's forum about "The original singers aren't all that good, we are just as good, or better". I read some interesting viewpoints and comments.
Myself, I started on a dare, but was quickly drawn in when I got my first applause. I'm not sure if it was a genuine applause, or just alot of drunk people who liked the song that I was mimicking. . The place that I frequent, which is only a couple times a month, seems to have a younger crowd that is more into rock/alternative music. But there is also alot of country singing to add to the mix. When I started, at the the time, I was listening to alot of the "new country" that is mostly referred to as "pop country" by many. And I agree with that to an extent. It has evolved since Hank williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon & Willie, Dolly, & Patsy, though I have always listened to "rock" music since a kid.
My first song was "Toby Keith", "I Love This Bar"....if that counts for anything, . And I mostly stuck with who I sounded like the most. I tried several other songs by different singers, but I quickly changed my tune and switched to "rock" because it seemed to generate more of a following I thought. And the only reason alot of us do this singing is because we "want" to entertain? I love to get a reaction when I sing. That may sound self-serving, but really, I'm not that self-confident. The only reason I continued to sing karaoke, and practice along the way was because of a beautiful, and very talented KJ that encouraged me to find my sweet spot and go for it. Without that encouragement or acknowledgement, I don't think I would still be doing this. To me, it's mainly, do I love this? Do other people like to hear me mimic actual  artists? Am I confident that I'm not making a fool of myself? Does it give spirit to my soul? The answers are YES, YES, YES, and YES!!  
I tend to take the whole thing way too seriously.
If I'm not singing up to parr, I can tell right away, and try to stop ASAP. This happens sometimes...I'll stop in the middle of a song like anybody really gives a darn...they're all there to have fun, whether or not they can carry a tune in a bucket. Not me, it's much more than that, and it can ruin the effect alot of times. I'll tend to look down on myself when I have an "off night", and it affects my confidence and enjoyment to a degree. Not to mention I look like a loser for not finishing what I started (so I think).
But all in all, I really look forward to karaoke night because it's my way of self-expression. It brings me into a social situation, helps me overcome any doubts about my personal abilities, gives me hope that life isn't all just work, stress, and duldrum. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment in a way.
People tell me what they want me to sing alot of times, and that is a good feeling because you know you're bringing something to the table that matters to someone, and they keep asking for more.
I do some "Pearl Jam" songs that brought comments from total strangers like...Man! You do that song better than Eddie Vedder...better than Vedder....
But I wouldn't say that Vedder is the best singer in the world, if at all, so that leads me to believe that yes, I was possibly better.
My favorite is "Audioslave". The singer Chris Cornell from "SoundGarden" & "temple Of The Dog" etc... A dude told me they were going to start referring to me as "Cornell"...I'm cool with it...hence my username here.
I do "I Am The Highway", "Like A Stone", "What You Are", "Be Yourself"(I absolutely love doing this song), A new one I haven't done yet, but will, "Doesn't Remind Me".
I've tried other tracks by Audioslave, the more screaming, intense ones, but would quickly run out of voice quality, so I stick to the ones I can easily do.
"Pearl Jam" "Better Man" is a song that I absolutely love to sing. When a song gives me, the singer, cold chills, I say stick with it. I've been told by a KJ that the song "chilled him to the bone"  
Others are "Daughter", "Black", "Last Kiss", etc... I would like to do "Yellow Ledbetter", but I can't put Vedder's mumbling into context...someday maybe. .
More is "Staind". I think Aaron Lewis has a strong voice and I mimic it well.
Songs like "Outside", "Epiphany", It's Been A While", etc...done 'em. Haven't tried the new one yet.
"MeatLoaf" "Paradise By The Dashboard Lights" is my favorite "duet" song, and when my favorite, beautiful, KJ duets it with me, it's magical....for me anyway.
I've recently tried "Two Outta Three Ain't Bad" and pulled it off. I love the song "Heaven Can Wait", but I'm a little hesitant to do this one in a bar full of young' uns, they may have never heard this stuff before (1977).
"Steppenwolf", "Born To Be Wild" is another one that I can mimic well.

Okay, enough of "all about me".... Lets hear some of "your" stories.
Perry




AH HA HA HA HA HA!! Ididn't realize that everytime I typed "lol" it showed up as a smiley....ooops I just did it again.

you weren't granted access in the Singer's Forum because you don't have 25 posts beneath you... and then you have to go to your Member Area to the "User Groups" settiing and request it...

pm webguru for more details...

Oh okay...thanks knightshow.

BTW...I have family named Knight on my father's side of the family, but they never really acknowleded me I don't think? Anyhow, thanks for the welcome.

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Karaoke with Full House Entertainment

[scroll]Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean...... [/scroll]

How did I get started singing Karaoke?

There was this gal I had my eye on...........We had made eye contact several times that night and I saw how everytime I glanced over at her, she was watching me.....And she was darned cute!

So rather than try some stupid line with her, I selected a slow-dance song and when called to the stage, I took the wireless mic ...and as the song started, I eased out to where she was standing with her boyfriend....Then I simply stepped up to her, took her in my arms and danced with her as I looked her in the eyes and sang to her.

I took her home that night.

After that, I was hooked.

Wow You stole her from the arms of her boyfriend?

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Jose' Quervo Introduced us.

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OK... It's been a while since I posted "My Beginnings."

It was around April of '95 that I was first exposed to Karaoke. I had just started hanging out at some local bar a few months before. One of the attractions that kept me coming back was this ONLINE Trivia Game by NTN.

Anyways, 1 night, I walked in, and these people were there setting up for Karaoke. I asked what was going on, and they explained that it was Karaoke night. I was handed a Song Book (The DK Library, numbers 1 - 90 at that time), and started thumbing through the pages. I always knew that I wasn't a great singer, but that I could at least carry a tune to some degree (even if my friends used to tell me not to give up my Day Job). Karaoke was something that I had wanted to try several years ago (although, I didn't know it as Karaoke then). There was some local Nightclub in the Manhattan called Sing-a-Long (it was there for about 2 or 3 years around 1990. I had heard about it, and had wanted to go. The problem was, I didn't want to go alone, and none of my friends (at that time) were interested in going there. So, that never happened.  

I started to think about it, and was trying to decide what song I might like to try. When I had finally decided on what song to attempt, and I was approaching the Hostess (I didn't know of the term KJ yet), someone was up there singing like they were the next "American Idol" (no, that show didn't exist yet, so I said it sounded like he was cutting his next Gold Albumn). I immediately wimped out (before I could hand up my song-slip) and went back to my seat to have another drink and play more trivia. As I was sitting there (and drinking), I started to think about how surprised and shocked I was that I did that. I mean, I have never felt intimidated in all of my Teen and Adult years! So, as drink number 3 was settling in, I started to approach the "Hostess" again, BUT..... , Yes! you guessed it! I WIMPED OUT again. Another person was up there cutting her next Gold Albumn.

OK, I had now resigned myself to not trying this. While I was sitting there, nursing my 7th Alabama Slammer, the "Hostess" announced the "Contest Winners" for the evening. Apparently, they had started an on-going Contest, where the "Best Singer" of the night was awarded a $25 Gift Certificate at the bar.... not that that mattered to me. She then announced that she was winding things down soon. At this point, one of the Bartenders got up to sing a song. He was horrendous! In fact, he was sooooo bad, I immediately rushed up with my Song-Slip, and (finally) handed it up. I just knew that I couldn't be as bad as he was.

I was called up next. I sang a song that I had no business singing... Karen Carpenter's "Yesterday Once More." I did a half-a$$ed job of the song and received some polite applause from the Audience. I knew I was bad (even in my rather inebriated state of being). The following week, when I saw that they were setting up for Karaoke again, I had decided that I wanted to (try and) redeem myself. This time, I picked out a song that I used to sing to death as an 8 year-old.... Herman's Hermits' "Henry VIII." This was a song that I used to play non-stop on the Family Victrola (am I aging myself here???). when I was 8. My older Sister had oncve threatened to throw the Victrola (along with that 45) out the window if I had played that song one more time.

I was cold-stone sober and I was very nervous when they called me up to the "stage," but I had told myself to just focus on immitating the accent as best as I remembered it, and not to focus on anything else. That's exactly what I did. When I finished the song, I knew I had aced it. Everyone in the place was applauding and cheering me on.  From that moment, I was hooked! Also, "Henry VIII" became my 1st "Signature/Trademark Song." Every week, I would try 1 or 2 songs listed in their book, and people would approach me and ask when I was going to sing "Henry VIII."

A few months after that, I started to discover that there were other places that had Karaoke. The rest is history!

Yep, it was like stealing candy from a baby.

To her, she was swept off her feet, to him, it all happened too fast....Heh, heh...Neither of them had time to react as like most "audience" members, they hesitated to interupt the stage act in progress.

That was the first and only time I stole some's gal without a fight.

Let's see, that was 6 years ago....I was going thru a divorce and had never been in bars....I stumbled on this nice bar that happened to have a great karaoke show every night.....I watched and listened night after night....I had managed to get a date or two but wasn't happy with my success rate, so out of desperation I just acted on impulse and instinct and it worked....My fast-learning instinct screamed those gals didn't want words, they wanted action, they wanted a man who didn't just say he was attracted...They wanted a man who took what he wanted.

Later, in that same bar, I had 7 fights where I broke seven noses and one jaw...always over a woman and her jealous boyfriend.....Two of those was where the guy saw her looking at me and decided he didn't like me and I never noticed the problem until he was in my face all bowed up and swinging.

I'm glad that I've built my own karaoke/dance club at home complete with dance pole and lighting....I don't venture out anymore, they come here instead.

Well I told my story about what my first experience was like (refer to thread tales from the karaoke crypt) *blush*  BUT!!! I can tell you how I started singing.  Ok Well I was about 4 years old and started piano lessons and from then on, I was HOOKED on ALL music, to this day I play 6 instruments *brags*  I didn't start singing until I was in high school, I joined the choir for one year just to learn how to vocally sightread and after that I just played around singing in the shower and whatnot. I spent all my money on sheet music and karaoke tracks .  I did get my first date because of my voice....... sorta...... the boy next door had a crush on me of course me being the perceptive person that I am... had no clue, well he heard me singing Oh holy night for my family one christmas eve and brought me a gift the next day..... Oh to be that young again hee hee hee

Wow! I actually started a conversation.....he he he. Those are some meaningful stories guys and gals, and I'll tell ya, to this day, I am still as nervous about singing in front of an audience as I was the very first time. Ya see, I have this thing called "beer courage".  :newlol:
I can't just walk right in and start my gig, and the KJ knows it too. I'll have a couple Bud Lights atleast before I ever submit a song......I lose alot of time in 4 hours.  :newlol:
But then, as the night rolls on, my 2 beers became 4, then 6, then 8.........in 4 hours!! And my ability to sing degrades eventually....I get winded. I'd be better off holding a beer for a longer period of time and cut it down alot. But when you're having fun........well, I'm sure some of you know. ( I should also mention that I'm not driving, the bar is in the hotel where I stay)
I never did the bar scene when I was younger....I've been married for 23 years, I have a 22 yearold daughter (Hi Butterfly  :oops: ), and a 13 year old daughter.
My wife knows about my bar scene karaoke stuff when I leave town and she's not real secure about it, so it has caused some disharmony. But I won't elaborate on that stuff, it's just life I guess.
I'm not really in the bar trying to steal another guy's girlfriend or anything.......(Keith......  :no:  :newlol: )
Anyhow, as soon as I learn how to submit my songs here, I'll get right on it. This is the coolest place, I think, so far. Unlike some of the other forums I go into, (auto-related)......no kid's stuff going on here, just alot of down-to-earth, mature adults who have a few things in common......the almighty microphone.  :worship:
Thanks for revealing your memories y'all, I have a feeling I'm going to like it here.  :wink:

I am rather new to the Karaoke part. However, I have been performing live music since I was 13, (Ow! It happens to be 36 years since I started performing live.) playing with many a band, in way to many liquor joints. I love singing and performing music. Music has consumed my life since I was very small.  At first I refused to be part of Karaoke set, just within the past 6 months trying it out, first with all original music that was written and recorded by me, right down to the last vocal harmony. The first several times I did a performance with a KJ I was willing to become a wallflower. I hadn't been that nervous about performing since the first time I stepped foot on stage. It took me several times of doing Karaoke to get my feet underneath me.  Now I am planning to perform with CDG's as backing material.  Of course being an utter gear head I have already started planning on what equipment will accompany me in the SUV.  I thin k that part of the nervousness has been that I am the only one up there having to sound right.  I am pretty particular about performing. My worst fear is being up there and hitting flat notes.  I feel embarrassed for some people that get up there and sound bad. I have to give them credit, they have to have brass nuggies to get up there with some of those voices.  For me, I won't even go out there unless I have practiced the song until I am blue in the face, or until I have committed the lyrics to memory so that I can move about without relying on lyric display.  I recently completed a compilation cd of singers in my little community and even though have performed the songs numerous times, they still needed the tv monitor to rely on the lyrics.  

One suggestion is to not mimic someone else's voice. Many people can do that, but to take a song and make it your own is a true skill to have when performing the art of music.  The repsonse that "0riginal singers" aren't any better than Karaoke performers is in part correct.  That is the music bus. for you.  It isn't always the most talented that get to the top. If that is where you want to be. I have too many talented friends that epitomize the cruelness of the music industry. However, original musicians are those that have a unique quality that set them apart from other vocalists, then everyone falls in behind the leaders trying to mimic what is in at the moment.  How many bands/singers become part of the music bus. because they mimic other people. How many Dave Mathews singers are there out there now because he's in at the moment.  Once the industry is done with him there will be someone else right behind him with a newer, more improved voice for people to copy.  Look at what happened to the "hair bands" of the 80's. Once Kurt Cobain came along the industry and the masses dumped them on the street and now they play at state fairs instead of the arenas they used to fill.  Worse, they get on some nasty show like ... Dang! It was so lame I even forgot the name of it and it was on over the summer.  Funny to see fat Loverboys or a bald Flock of Seagulls. Worse than a fat Elvis. Keep on pluggin, FLashbax

Been a musician for [edited, Thanks Dr. D] 2 ½ decades. My wife loves to sing and dragged me along, now we're hooked.

Just remembered the  name of the show while taking out the trash. I wonder if there was any connection between my opinion of the show and the garbage??? Anyway it was "Hit Me One More Time."

An interesting choice of words. Sounds like you have been into music forever or at least 2 1/2 years

I have been a musician for 4 decades, but only started karaoke about 5 years ago. I wish I could sing as well as I can play

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

 :rotflmao: (@$%&#!), typo! OK, let's not be fancy, 2 ½ decades. Thanks Dr D!

My story is short. I used to sing in a band in high school. Did top 40 stuff. I was an avid pool player at a local bar and they started having karaoke. I hadn't sang in years and didn't want to seem like a know it all singer, so I would hide behind a pole to sing. My nerves were so bad I would shake when I was done. I'm not a drinker, so this was a great way for me to have fun and go out with friends.

Now I am the KJ for that bar and will sing any request I'm asked to do. If I know it or not. I love to show people not to be afraid of messing up. Everyone has that fear, but most of the time people don't notice what we consider obvious. I found people enjoy an entertaining person even if they sux.

Good songs to get the crowd going: sweet caroline, moutain music, born to wild, redneck woman, jump jive and wail, mony mony, margeritaville (I'm so tired of that one), What's goin on? (4 non-blondes), what I like about you

I can't think of any newer songs - I  generally have 30 and up crowd  :dancin:

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 :rotflmao:
And this reminds me of the movie
American Pie (1999)
... And this one time....at band camp...

Wings.

Actually, wings and beer.  Ok, wings, beer, and a friend.  My buddy used to (still does, in fact, though I've moved) host at a dive bar in West Philly.  He'd go on around 10, or halftime depending on the Monday Night Football game.  The bar had all you can eat wings and a pitcher from 8-10 for 8.95, with subsequent pitcher refills 25 cents (no sharing).  Being a poor student at the time, I'd show up, maximize my wing and beer capacity, and have a full pitcher and a buzz, usually, by 10:15 (I also got more 9:59 pitchers than anybody in the history of that place).  I eventually tried it, aided by the fact that he had two truly horrendous regulars, and I could usually ask him to put me up after one of them rather than after somebody who could actually, you know, sing.  I'd hang out, drink a bunch of beer, and usually help him break down and carry his stuff home, where we'd occasionally open the "karaoke cafe" for some more after hours singing.

Fast forward to that summer, when I shared a beach house with him, his girlfriend, and a few other people while I studied for the bar.  Friday afternoon when people started coming down for the weekend, I'd put away the books and we'd suck down a few cold ones, play a little whiffle ball, and head to the local bar that had karaoke 6-10 before the bands came on at 11. (we'd also do up the 6-7 happy hour with whatever drinks were on special and the half price appetizers-see a theme between the cheap booze and food and karaoke).  Since he'd been going to the same bars for about 5 years at that point, everybody in "the scene" knew him, and I quickly knew all the regulars.  Since it was my one night to really cut loose and relax, I took full advantage of it, which led to karaoke always reminding me of that dive bar and my summer at the beach, and consequently is always a good memory.