New TV show seeks talented performers in Rockingham, surrounding counties

For some contestants, auditioning in front of a camera Friday night at Madison’s Brickyard Tavern was an unusual experience. For others, auditions had become almost routine.

“My mom told me about these auditions and I just had to come out and try it,” said Kelly Clark, as she and nine other contestants became the first Rockingham County auditions for a new cable television show, Talent Search TV.

Clark, an 18-year-old McMichael High School graduate, was one of the contestants who found the process commonplace. Like her “near namesake” Kelly Clarkson, Clark has tried out for American Idol. She also competed twice in Triad Idol.

“I really enjoy the experience and I always have fun,” she said. “I just love to sing.”

Clark brought along a friend Friday evening — fellow McMichael graduate and Phoenix choral student Josh Galloway.

“Kelly told me about this a couple days ago and I decided to give it a try,” said Galloway.

Unlike his friend, Galloway, 18, had never auditioned for a competition like Talent Search TV. As it turned out, he ended up being the first to stand before the lights and camera for Friday night’s inaugural taping session. Like the other contestants, Galloway selected a karaoke soundtrack from a large collection of computerized music, picked up the mike and started singing.

“It felt pretty strange, but I wasn’t too nervous,” Galloway said. “It really turned out to be a lot of fun.”

That is what Bobby Locke hopes more people will say in the weeks to come. Locke and his wife, Debbie, are the creators and co-hosts of the new weekly cable television concept.

The Winston-Salem couple hopes to expose more local talent to a broader range of viewers by holding weekly auditions across an eight-county area of the Piedmont. Using a wide variety of venues, including pubs, clubs and restaurants like Brickyard Tavern, the Lockes want to provide everyday people with the opportunity to be discovered “in their own backyard.”

“We’re taking the search out to the people, rather than waiting for them to come to us,” Locke said. “This is a pretty new concept, but I think it’s beginning to catch on.”

One auditioner Friday was a veteran karaoke singer but was new to the competition angle.

“I do a lot of karaoke, but this is the first time I’ve ever done it on camera,” said Jonathan Vernon, 36, of Madison. “It’s only the second time I’ve ever tried this song.”

Vernon went on camera Friday performing his version of the Santana — Rob Thomas hit, “Smooth.”

“Whatever happens, I had fun,” he said.

Vernon, Clark and Galloway were among 10 people trying out Friday evening in Locke’s first trip to Rockingham County. The best audition from that taping will compete against the top contestants from the other counties involved during a show broadcast Sunday. The other counties broadcasting the competition are Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin.

Locke said several music industry decision makers — including representatives from Sonic Records.com of Winston-Salem, iRadioLa.com of Los Angeles and more than a dozen Triad establishments that hire entertainers — will review the show weekly to select the winners.

Locke said audience responses will be used to decide tiebreakers, but would not be the primary method of judging talent.

A weekly talent search and taping session will be held at Brickyard Tavern in Madison on Friday at 9 p.m. One winner will be selected from each week’s session and that person’s audition will be broadcast the following Sunday on Talent Search TV.

Talent Search TV airs locally Sundays beginning July 6 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Time Warner Cable channel 58.

News editor Steve Lawson can be reached at or by calling 548-6047.