Your news: Blakely hits high notes, becomes Schaumburg Idol winner

Jessica Blakely hit her high notes. She belted-out show tunes, sang rock hits and won over the judges and enough voters to become the 2010 Schaumburg Idol.

Blakely edged out runner-up Rachel McKenzie and 10 others to take the crown during a competition that was influenced by 50,065 web votes.

"Looking back at Schaumburg Idol, I will remember how positive this experience has been," Blakely said. "The judges were so encouraging and all the people involved just wanted to see you succeed."

Blakely, 13, is no stranger to the stage. She has performed with the American Girl Theatre in Chicago and won other talent contests. Blakely sang "If I Ain't Got You" and "Orange Colored Sky" for her final judged performances. One of Blakely's earlier performances, "I've Got the Music in Me", proved to be an unofficial anthem for the show.

Idol candidates were expected to learn new songs in a matter of hours and blend voices for group performances. Even with little time for practice, the contestants were able to use their talent to offer strong performances and stand up to the scrutiny of judges' critiques and public voting.

"There was a lot of talent in this year's group of singers," said Elizabeth Waller, Schaumburg Park District cultural arts director. "I am sad to see this edition of Idol end because working with them has been a joy, but I am excited to see them improve and succeed in the future."

Blakely will appear at Septemberfest, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Schaumburg Marriott Music Stage.

All performances from Schaumburg Idol can be found at parkfun.com. Full episodes air on Schaumburg Park District television channel WSPD. Upcoming times include:

weekdays at 2 a.m., 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. and weekends at 3 a.m., 9 a.m., 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Television channels for WSPD are: Comcast, channel 15; WOW, channel 14; and AT&T, channel 99.

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