By John Hall \ El Paso Times

FORT BLISS — The Centennial Club came alive with the sound of music as soldiers, spouses and military children auditioned for the first-ever Fort Bliss’ Got Talent contest.Auditions took place Monday and Tuesday evening at the club. Because turnout has been light — only about a dozen entries so far — a second round of auditions will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the club.

The talent show is open to a variety of performers, including singers, dancers, musicians and disc jockeys.

Just about anything goes, and individuals and groups can audition.

Following the audition, the competition will continue through out August with performances on Aug. 5, Aug. 12 and Aug. 19. The final will be on Aug. 26.

The competition will take the format of television show “American Idol,” with a panel of judges choosing the field of official contestants. Judges and audience voting will determine who advances through the competition.

The contest replaces Operation Rising Star, an annual competition focusing solely on vocal performances.

Lora Diem, special events coordinator for the Fort Bliss Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, said she wanted to expand on the Operation Rising Star format to draw more contestants.

“We wanted to branch out to try to revive the program,” she said. “We decided to open it up to more variety for the soldiers on post.”

Amber Duncan, 16, was the first contestant to audition Tuesday, belting out Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.”
Duncan, the daughter of a sergeant serving at Fort Bliss, said she has spent much of her youth singing in church choirs. She went to the audition to prepare for a run at television stardom. She plans to attend the Aug. 11 auditions for “American Idol” in Austin.

“People have said I touch them with my voice. I like that because I love helping people,” Duncan said. “I just get a thrill out of knowing that I can touch someone with my song and the way I sing and I can make them think differently.”

Despite years of performing in front of audiences, Duncan said she still gets nervous and looks to her mother or over the crowd to stay focused.

“I just remember that this is what I love,” she said.

Pfc. Gregory Barnes, 35, brought pure rhythm to the auditions with a high-powered impromptu drum solo.

His first experience on the drums came at the age of 6, when a neighbor taught him a snippet of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Music and percussion have been a part of his life ever since. He plays mostly metal and played in several bands and toured before joining the Army a year and a half ago.

“The military is something I’ve always wanted to do, but it always took a back seat to my music,” Barnes said. “So when I turned 34, it was like now or never if I want to do this.”

He said he misses playing regularly, but he’s proud to be in the Army.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Davenport, who auditioned Tuesday by dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” said although he likes to sing and dance, he has never really taken it seriously.

“However far I make it, I’ve already taken a big step for me,” he said.

Whether on stage or in the audience, he said he would be at the shows to support all of the contestants.

“What they need is support to do the things that they could be great at,” he said.

Davenport said that events like Fort Bliss’ Got Talent and others are important to keep soldiers active and engaged.

“A lot of military members that don’t have outside hobbies, they usually sit in their room and either drink or play video games, and this social atmosphere that they’re missing out on reflects in their character,” he said.

“It provides an opportunity for soldiers to get away from work. Whatever your hobby is, you need to have something so you’re not constantly stressed about what’s going on,” he said.

For more information or to register to audition, contact Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at 588-8247. Contest rules and an application form can be found at www.blissmwr.com.

John Hall can be reached at jhall@elpasotimes.com; 546-6371.