Karaoke Forums

My first time doesn't count because I was used to singing in front of crowds by the time karaoke was available to me.

I know someone who I saw sing karaoke for the first time.

My wife and I brought me dad to a little karaoke club in Grand Prairie. My dad refused to sing but my wife kept telling him that he was going to sing. When we were sitting in the club GiGi and I were singing and the table behinf us had a marine and his date. This marine kept treating my dad like an E-9 (Navy Masterchief) but still insited that he sang. His date talked my dad into doing a duet, she was a cute young thing. My dad didn't stand a chance between the four of us.

He was hooked on the first song. After he finished the song he asked Roy if he could see the equipment up close. It only took him TWO HOURS to look at Roy's setup. The next time I went to visit my dad he a setup that to this day nobody would be ashamed to call their own.

When did the addiction first start for you?

chuck saw me sing karaoke for the very first time too and it was all phatrat's fault. phatrat and i went out for a beer after a rehearsal for a play we were staging, and it was the same karaoke place in grand prairie. (also the same one where we had the get-together earlier this month.) an old boyfriend had told me i would love karaoke and i figured i would give it a shot. i loved it! i sang every night for two weeks straight, but then stage-fright took hold. after two weeks of not singing, i couldn't stand it any longer and HAD to get back up there. i HAD to, i tell you...HAD to....

Word.

I always have to have the last word.

I'm so glad I was your first GiGi. That's so sweet. Made me wanna cry but I didn't.

My fisrt time was at a place in Arizona..I have no idea what the place was called...I sang like a virgin by Madonna..I was really drunk and I don't remember too much except I know it was MY idea....How wrong is that???

I didn't sing again until I went into this little place in Grand Prairie, TX a couple of years later and some people talked me into it...But I still had to be drunk.  After singing drunk for about 6 months I decided I needed to learn how to do it without all the hops and barley in my system....

It took me six months to stop visible shaking while on stage...Now I sing whenever, where ever... I don't care who hears me or sees me..I just love to sing....

So if you don't sing this should be a lessen to all...Don't go to that little place in Grand Prairie cause you will be singing before you leave.....

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Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

My first time was at the base club on Great Lakes.  A buddy of mine SWORE he was dayum good...and proceeded to BUTCHER "I Go To Extremes" by Billy Joel.  I don't even remember anymore what song I picked, but, I did OK.  But, I didn't hit a karaoke place again for 5 more years, until I went to a place in Arlington...that no longer exists.  The Addiction really started for me that night at Coyote's.  I sang "How Do You Like Me Now?"  and I was hooked!!  It's going on a three-year binge now.

As for the little place in Grand Prairie, my ex-grirlfriend and I were looking for a place to go sing for our first date.  We found the place online, and when I lost the girl, I kept the bar.

I think I got the better end of THAT deal!!!  LMAO  :oh yeah:  :dancin:

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[glow=white][scroll]Live, laugh, and love today--just in case tomorrow doesn't make it[/scroll][/glow]

my first time singing karaoke was in Yokosuka (ya koh skah) Japan in '83.  Back then you put a yen coin in the slot and the bartender pushed a button for the song you wanted to sing (most were written in Kanji(?).  You sang the words from a book...no on screen text.  You ever see a bunch of drunk Japanese business men sing My Way?  They usually paid for all the drinks and such...it was a blast.

Didn't sing again until they had it in this little bar in Grand Prairie (sound familiar?!)  Wound up KJing on and off there for about 10 years!!

By the way, that's where I met Isis.  She thought I was the biggest jerk walking.  I think she still does, but she loves me anyway.  :oh yeah:

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[scroll]we're men, manly men, we're men in tights[/scroll]

Well I have been to a few parties and such where karaoke was going on...but never worked up the nerve to try it.  Then last September some friends of mine who operated the pool hall where my pool league plays bought some karaoke equipment.  Well they practically DRAGGED me up there the first night...oh and I wouldn't sing alone no wayyyyy...they had to sing with me too...hehehe.  LOL  Well after the first night I was easy to persuade.  But hey, I had never tried singing in front of an audience before then...my singing experience was pretty much limited to me singing along with the radio in my car...so I'm amazed I ever got up there.  I'm glad I did though....I had a blast!  

I sure do miss it now  :(

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[glow=violet] **Sing like nobody's listening...live like there's no tomorrow**[/glow]

I sang for the first time about 10 years ago.  I was so embarrassed and scared.  And like a lot of you had to be drinking to do it.  Met my boyfriend at a karaoke.  He said he could hear me sing when we were in the car and that I would be good at it.  Still was scared to death.  But finally after attending his Karoake jobs and doing some serious practicing at home, I got quite comfortable singing.  Don't do it as much now, but still love it.  Have noticed that after you stop for a while you sort of lose the voice.  Why is that?

First time singing was about 12 years ago.  I was so scared but it looked like so much fun I wanted to give it a go so the KJ brought the cordless mic to me at the table I was sitting at and I stared at the wall the entire time I was singing.  I sang "We Just Disagree" by Billy Dean... and thank God I knew it so well since I wouldn't look away from that wall.     As it ended up I did shows for this KJ for almost 7 years before getting my own set-up and going into business for myself.  Beware... Karaoke is VERY ADDICTIVE!!

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Be Alert!  The world needs more Lerts!

15 years ago I was dating a girl.  Her and her friends decided they wanted to go to karaoke one night.    She informed me that we were going.    OK guys you know how this goes.    If you don't go you may as well kill yourself, because you'll never have any........ PEACE      again.

I remember my exact words.    "Who the  He** would want to go do that."    I said this to myself.

We went and I sang my first song.   People clapped.....   O- oh......    What's that addicted feeling that's coming over me???????    Sang another.....strickly for test purposes...            Oooooohhhhhh  Nooooo     I'm... Hooked on this stuff.

I started going to karaoke 4-5-6 nights a week.   I was a junkie.   Before a year had passed, I had $20,000 worth of karaoke equipment and I never looked back.

Did I ever tell you, I hate karaoke?

Boy, you could of fooled me.  I have read a lot of your posts.  I think your in this for the duration.  No matter what!  You have a lot of good ideas.  And like myself, I think you have been doing this for some time.  
I got to a point where I hated it!!  Too many nights, too many of the same songs sung over and over.  And if it is one I really liked listening to, I could almost feel myself praying that the singer wouldn't screw it up.  But we can't all be good.  And I will always believe this is for fun.  Not a contest.  Have to say, have had many a great singer following.  And that does make it worthwhile.

Not until I was around 21.  I first drank to self-medicate, than I habituated and started increasing the amount.

Unless you are talking about Xanax.  Addiction started at about 15mg.  It has a short half-life and is quite addictive !




Karaoke ?   Oh yeah..

I find it indespensible as a tool aiding me in trying to learn how to sing, IN PRIVATE... Trying to "find my voice".. When I was in a band,  Microphones near me for some reason always seemed to disappear.  Than the restraining order came... (I couldn't get within 10 feet of anything that amplifies vocals), after my backup vocal parts I had to get far away from the microphone, or it'd just vanish someplace... But what I like about Karaoke,  Is that if I don't play back any recording of my abominable voice while trying to sing,  and if I can get thru a song without animal control throwing a net over me... or causing birds to migrate south in the hot summer.. If I don't get charged with causing cats to scream in tree's  (dogs too, they run up tree's when I sing)...... Karaoke is the type of thing where I can pretend I am a front singer in a band,  something I'll never be in real !!!   I can delude myself to think I sound good  (as long as I don't have a recording device that I play back making it evident to even me, that I genuinely suck)    Karaoke is a clever idea,  I like jam tracks for we musicians as well, the backing without the lead guitar, drums, etc... Karaoke for guitar is a blast !!!

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

hello.  my name is steve and i'm  addicted to karaoke


(hi steve)


i've been singing karaoke for about 18 years.  my first time was in a sleezy little dive by my apartment.  i thought i'd hit rock bottom after the divorce, but then i started singing karaoke and i found out what rock bottom really is.  it got so bad, i'd even travel to other cities just to sing.  at one point i was sining karaoke almost everyday.  sometimes, i'd even forgoe sleeping, just so i could karaoke.  my work satrted to suffer because i was out late karaokeing.  i was ashamed to tell my friends and people i love that i am a karaoke junkie.  i moved on from the dives to the nicer karaoke dens once karaoke became a mainstream form of entertainment.  the worst part is, i can't stop. i couldn't kick karaoke even when i tried.  oh, sure i've quit for awhile, but i always go back.  i even got some of my friends into karaoke and now they're addicted.  i feel so bad.  fortunately my wife is very understanding and even supportive of my habit.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I guess it was a little over ten years ago, I had taken a bar management job in Daytona Beach, and went to a little place called the Ocean Deck. Stormin Norman was the KJ, and he was a super cool guy. We talked during one of his breaks and I was asking all kinds of questions about 'what is karaoke'. I told him of my live band experiences and that I was jonesing like a muther to get up in front of an audience. He gave me a book and said to give it a shot, since I didn't have a live band, this would be the next best thing to cure my fix. Well while looking through the book, I saw the song 'Cult of Personality' by Living Colour and it just blew me away that it was in there. I had done the song with bands, but was actually kinda scared about getting up in front of people without having a band to back me up, you know something to play off of energy wise.
Well I was nervous as hell, singing in front of a strange audience, solo for the first time.
I mean it was even to the point where I had to go to the bathroom and upchuck.. I kid you not.
So it was my turn. Norman told me he was gonna crank it up good and loud for me, just to relax and do my thing. All I can say is HOLYSHEIT. The tune started up and it was almost a note for note version of the song. After I got the first line out, the ole confidence kicked in and everything just fell into place. I already knew the lyrics, so I played to the audience as though it was a real concert and there was a full band backing me up. The place went wild and I was instantly hooked. After the song, I got a standing ovation from the crowd, especially from the bikers.
I started walking off the stage and Norman tells me that I'm not going anywhere, that I need to do another tune, and he had the perfect choice. He wouldn't tell me what he picked out, but just to stand by and get ready to rock. The tune was the ole biker standard 'Born to be Wild' and the place went apesheit. I didn't have to buy another beer the whole night.
So yeah my first experience was a great one. Now I'm not saying that I haven't had my hits and misses, but I'll save that for another thread dealing with Karaoke disasters.

So yeah I'm a junkie, but hell if Karaoke is the worst of my vices, then life if good.

James
Maninblack

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I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

Addiction? I have no idea what you are talking about. It's not addiction. I am not like other loser. I can quit anytime I want. See? I threw away all my discs. I am not addicted. /twitch /twitch

Excuse me, I have to go outside for a sec, just getting some fresh air. Yeah, that's the ticket (as I garbage dump dive).....

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Seize the day and SING!!!

well lemme see... erm..... well i think i got hooked on karaoke after the band i played with at the time sucked so bad and realised i could get the real deal backing band behind me .... i sacked them all pmsl..... i like you have been singing semi pro 28 years now so i guess i was around long before karaoke too....but i must say i enjoy karaoke far more now than i enjoy being a solo entertainer... i just sacked all my agents last week and have given up to concentrate solely on karaoke

I think my addiction started about 11 years ago during my Senior year of college. My sorority had a karaoke fund-raiser. Someone said "Hey, get up there and sing!!" So I did. Didn't do it again for almost a year. Some folks I worked with decided they wanted to go out for karaoke one Friday after work. I went along. They dragged me up to sing (Material Girl-Madonna) and I've been hooked ever since. I go at least once a week now, sometimes twice depending on what else is going on.

I didn't want to tell my own story because it is dull so I'll try to paraphrase it. The karaoke part was much more fun for me though.

I started singing on stage in musical theater when I was 6. It was all about blending my voice there. I did that off and on till I was 12.

At 12 I made a switch and decided I was going to sing in bands. Took gymnastics for 2 years in school, never got any good at it but I could do the jumps that David Lee Roth could do, most of them anyway. When I saw that I had no chance of making it a career because of lack of talent and motivation I joined the Navy. I still sang with some bands on base and back in my home town when I wasn't on active duty.

Skipping a few - years I was in Grand Prairie and noticed a sign that said karaoke weekdays 8 till close. I popped in and sang a song. Even though my back tightened up so much from singing with no band I was hooked. I can't live without music. I'm far from the best but nobody has ever complained about my singing loud enough to make me stop.

Nobody has ever complained about Aspires to Mediocrity's singing. Ever. Did I mention that I met him that first night I sang? That was 1992. We did our 5-7 nights a week stint, too, and KJed at that little place in Grand Prairie a bit (not as much as Phatrat) and have a modest home system for quick fixes. As for losing your skills a little when you quit singing regularly, it is like working any other muscles and you have to "stay in shape." A harder challenge, though, is learning to sing stone cold sober when you are used to a hefty dose of liquid courage. You can really hear how you sound. EEEECH!

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[glow=darkorchid]Musica delenit bestiam feram[/glow]

You're  so sweet GiGi.

BTW - She goes around and tells people not to give me a hard time while I'm singing so they are all nice to me.