By Marcie C. Wright Special to the Times
Posted: 09/03/2010 12:00:00 AM MDTFORT BLISS — Soldiers or their family members battled it out on the stage recently in a competition to find the best talent at Fort Bliss.
The monthlong Fort Bliss’ Got Talent series, hosted by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, came to an end Aug. 26 at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center, where six finalists gave two performances in hopes of winning the $500 grand prize.
Of the six finalists, five explored vocals, some with an additional touch of talent.
Lykisha Gooding sang two original pieces.
Rachel Hurtado added a guitar and pleased the judges with her strumming along with her singing.
Gregory Barnes performed uniquely — beating on his drum kit and pounding its pedals with shoeless feet.
“It’s great to see when someone brings their A-plus game out tonight to start the show,” Garrison Commander Col. Joseph Simonelli said of Barnes’ drumming. “I’d like to see what you can do with your shoes on.”
Simonelli was one of three judges for the competition. The other two were Rusty Burns, runner-up in last year’s Operation Rising Star, and Mark Cauthers, director of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Judges and audience members enjoyed entertainment across genres of rock, pop, country, soul, gospel, and rhythm and blues. Some participants wrote and produced their own songs, while others performed well-known songs such Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing.”
The grand prize winner, by popular vote and judges’ decision, was Arnita Christy, a public affairs specialist with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. Charmakeitha “Kiki” Smith took home the second-place prize of $250, and Quashika Taylor received $100 for her third place.
“It finally paid off to not be nervous and to get in front of the crowd, and, with my brigade being a new brigade, I’m glad that I could bring them (together outside of work) in a positive way,” Christy said.
The Mobilization and Deployment Brigade earned the $250 spirit award for being the most supportive unit. It members offered banners, balloons and loud cheering in support of Smith.
At the event’s close, the crowd cheered one last time as Simonelli presented Chris Bohn, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s special events coordinator, with the key to Fort Bliss for his work in organizing this spectacle and others. Simonelli said Bohn is “the key to the success we have as Team Bliss.”
Marcie C. Wright is a writer for the Fort Bliss Monitor.
