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Jacobs grad wins karaoke contest

Lake in the Hills native Josh Scholl is the best karaoke singer in the country.

That’s the verdict of the judges of ABC’s “Karaoke Battle USA,” a national singing competition that aired its season finale Friday night.

Scholl’s rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” won him the crown after he made it through qualifying rounds on the local, state and regional levels.

Scholl, a H.D. Jacobs High School graduate, taped the final episode in Los Angeles last month and had to keep his victory a secret. But on Friday, he was able to officially celebrate with about 200 family members, friends and fans who joined him for a viewing party at Buffalo Wild Wings in Algonquin.

“I knew they would go crazy,” said Scholl, 28, who now lives in Chicago.

He says friends from high school and college — even ex-girlfriends — showed up.

Scholl won a one-song recording contract with Hollywood Records, and he is scheduled to return to Los Angeles to record the song in the next three months.

He says he hopes to woo the label into a longer term deal. His ultimate dream, he said, is to do a stage show that combines Lady Gaga’s beats with Alice Cooper’s rock.

“I love rocking out, affecting people and getting them out of their seats,” Scholl said.

Lake in the Hills singer seeks international karaoke fame

Josh Scholl
  Lake in the Hills native Josh Scholl won ABC’s “Karaoke Battle USA” singing competition. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com