MANNHEIM, Germany -- More than 2,000 fans gathered in the standing-room-only fest tent to cheer on their favorite performers as the Mannheim Idol competition came to a close at the German-American Summer Fest July 4.
The crowd declared 8-year-old Victoria Raymond the Youth Category Idol; Mechalonte Delapierre, 14, became the Teen Idol; and Danny Adams, 28, was crowned the adult category's Mannheim Idol.
The 38 original competitors in this military community's first-ever Mannheim Idol contest spent a grueling three weeks battling each other for a place in the "Final Five" of their respective category, and on this night, the finalists took their turn on the main stage in an effort to win over the crowd.
What was at stake on that humid summer night' Aside from the title and a standing invitation to perform at numerous upcoming garrison events, contestants were vying for $1,000 in cash prizes donated by Discount Auto Parts, $150 in AAFES gift cards, and for the adults, the additional bonus of a two-night stay at Sea Pines Lodge, courtesy of the Armed Forces Recreation Center's Camp Darby, Italy.
In the youth category, Victoria prevailed after a three-way tie with Psalms Doucettperry and Tommy Howe failed twice to be broken through the use of a sound meter.
The judges were called upon to cast the deciding vote based on the overall score each contestant earned for their performance, and it was Victoria's brother, Jimmy (also a finalist in the youth category), who crashed the stage first to envelope his baby sister in a congratulatory bear hug.
Mechalonte claimed her teen title for her rendition of the '80s hit, "Let's Hear It for the Boy," originally performed by Deniece Williams and made popular by the movie "Footloose."
Ashley Kopcho, also 14, gave Mechalonte a run for the money with her high-energy rock rendition of Rhianna's mega hit, "Umbrella," but in the end, it was Mechalonte the sound meter favored.
With tears streaming down her face, combined with a, "did I just win'" look, Mechalonte was declared the military community's second winner of the night.
In the adult category, dark horse contestant Adams stole the show with a rock-solid performance of Lee Greenwood's, "God Bless the USA," neatly wiping contest favorites Joan Fortin and Deborah Michael right out of the competition.
Adams received the one and only standing ovation from the spectators crammed into the tent for a glimpse of a live "American Idol"-type show performed by American service and family members.
The finals of the competition were held at Benjamin Franklin Village as part of the U.S. Army Garrison Mannheim's Annual German-American Summer Fest, which this year celebrated 53 years of bringing local national and American neighbors together for food, carnival rides and entertainment.
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