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Thank you all for coming.

I welcome you to our annual

singing contest for teens,

The Alabama Teen Starquest.

[Cheers and applause]

Um, please welcome with me,

if you would,

This year's host

for the Starquest.

Um, he is one of

the five original MTV VJs

And of course,

pride of Birmingham,

Mr. Alan Hunter.

[Cheers and applause]

Mr. Shelton.

Good job, Mr. Shelton.

I am so happy to be here.

And I do want to recognize

A true patron

of the cultural scene.

That would be

Dr. Jack Schaeffer.

Stand up and take a bow.

[Polite applause]

Thanks for supporting

the event today.

First up,

let's get to know our judges.

From Huntsville, Alabama,

a professional vocal coach

And former winner of the

Birmingham senior talent show,

Mrs. Darlene Mayer.

Hello, Darlene.

All right.

Alabama's most beloved

radio host,

Bubba Stancer of Radio 101's

Bubba Stancer show.

Thank you.

[Cheers and applause]

All right,

a couple rules here.

All contestants must sing live.

They can be accompanied

by their own tracks,

Live musicians,

or backup singers.

Judges will score points

from one to ten

After each performance.

The eight contestants

with the highest score

Will be invited to part two,

which will take place tomorrow.

Lastly, if you stop

in the middle of a song

Or you forget the lyrics,

The judges will deduct one point

from the score.

So first up on the stage,

A young man

by the name of Todd Simpson.

Todd Simpson.

[Cheers and applause]

[Slow guitar chords strumming]

# Oh, I died when I met you

# I've been

trying to forget you #

# I know you're meant

# To feel all alone

# Baby, it's hell

# When you were leavin'

# Broke my heart,

so deceivin' #

# Broke my heart

# When you walked out my door

[Melancholy music]

# Darlin'

I guess we should decide

what you're gonna play next.

All right.

Um...

Not Usher.

It's too hip.

Luther?

No, bud.

You got to think

differently here.

Bubba is a huge '80s fan.

He plays it on his show

all the time.

'80s.

[Melancholy music continues]

# Now I'm crying

# Oh, to that Alabama line,

yeah #

# Oh

[Cheers and applause]

Wow.

Let's see some scores.

Nine from Bubba.

Seven from Darlene.

Remember?

That one's awesome.

That'll show off your voice.

[Scattered applause]

# I don't know

if you ever thought that #

We're gonna do it together,

right?

Of course.

We're gonna kill it.

Definitely.

I thought he was really,

really good.

Yeah, and he clearly

knows it.

# We were friends

right from the start #

# He made me happy

# He made me laugh

# So I don't care

what they say #

Do you know

when this happened?

[Sighs]

I think yesterday afternoon.

[Sniffles]

He hasn't been home since.

Okay.

Well, I have a few friends

at the police station,

So I'll go down there

and report Henry missing.

In the meantime,

I think you should make

A missing persons flyer

here at the church.

Do you have a recent picture

of Henry with you?

Yeah.

Okay.

It's okay.

Mrs. Matthews,

do you have a place to stay?

I don't think it's safe for you

To be going back

to your father's house tonight.

[Stammers]

I'll find someplace.

Please, we have enough room

here at the church.

We'd love

for you to stay with us.

Mrs. Declaire?

Yes, pastor?

This is Lisa Matthews,

Henry's mother.

She's gonna be staying

In our guest quarters

for a little while.

Would you take care of her

for me, please?

Of course.

Come with me, baby.

Thank you.

[Sighs]

# Come on

# Come on

# Come on

- # To giggle town

- # Come on

Both:
# Giggle

# Town

[Smattering of applause]

Huh.

All right.

A rainbow of talent

here in the contest.

Darlene, this has got to be

up your alley.

Well,

I didn't think it was bad.

What?

Bubba,

what did you think, my friend?

I would rather crap hot manure

And serve it to myself

for lunch

Than to ever hear

you two windbags perform again.

[Chuckles]

That's just mean, my friend.

So what's your score?

One, Al.

Only 'cause there's no zero

on this on this panel, pal.

No surprise there.

Darlene?

What do you got for us?

An eight.

A total of nine.

Congratulations, kids.

They seem happy.

Next up on the show,

it's Henry Matthews.

Henry Matthews, come on up.

[Applause]

Do you want me

to connect that for you?

No, thank you, sir.

My dad'll do it.

I'm singing "Forever Young"

by Alphaville.

My father's supporting me.

[Lively music blast]

Whoo!

# Let's dance in style

# Let's dance for a while

# Heaven can wait,

we're only watching the skies #

# Hoping for the best

but expecting the worst #

# Are you gonna drop the bomb

or not? #

# Let us die young

or let us live forever #

# We don't have the power

# But we never say never

# Sitting in a sandpit

# Life is a short trip

# The music's for the sad man

# Yeah

# Can you imagine

when this race is won #

# Turn our faces into the sun

# Praising our leaders

we are getting in tune #

# The music's being played

by the madman #

# Forever young

# I want to be forever young

# Do you really want

to live forever #

# And ever?

# Ugh, come on

# Forever young

# I want to be forever young

# Forever, y'all

# Do you really want

to live forever #

# And ever?

# A wise man once told me

# That the key to soul

# Is throw caution to the wind

like a three-year-old #

# You're giving 100, give 110

# And always look out

in front of you #

# Not to see where you been

# And when you leave,

then remember #

# That you'll always be caught

# You got to trust in your guts

and the power of thoughts #

# It's the very beginnings

# Where my feelings are true

# That's the magic passage

to the fountain of youth #

# Come on

# Forever young

# I want to be forever young

# Do you really want

to live forever #

# And ever?

# Forever young

# Forever, y'all

- # I want to be

- # It's forever, y'all

- # Forever young

- # Forever, y'all

# Do you really want

to live forever #

# And ever?

# It's forever, y'all

# La

That's what I'm talking about.

Henry did it again.

[Cheers and applause]

I liked it.

Good job, my friend.

Nice job.

Let's see what the judges say.

Bubba?

What's your name again, kid?

Henry.

Henry.

[Chuckles]

I think god sent you here today,

Henry, to restore my belief

In teenybopper

singing competitions.

[Chuckles]

I was considering

faking a heart attack,

Bad flatulence,

anything to get out of here.

But, boy, I sure am glad

I discovered you today, kid.

Darlene, what'd you think?

Well, I'm not familiar

with that song...

But I thought

you had a beautiful voice.

Looks like you might have

restored peace

In the gaza strip there.

Let's see some scores.

Ten.

Bubba's got a ten.

And Darlene is a nine.

Great.

You did good.

- Congratulations.

- Thanks.

[Cheers and applause]

The results in now

for the final eight contestants

In the big Alabama

Teen Starquest contest,

So when you hear your name,

please hop on up here.

And in advance,

Congratulations to all of you

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