They're cuckoo for karaoke

The best in the country will gather at Knott's.

When karaoke jock Tom Terrific summoned Susan Matoon to the dimly lighted stage, Manny Pacheco slapped his forehead.

"Oh, no," he groaned. "Not Susan."

He was rooting for Matoon to win the competition this week at the Atrium Hotel's club in Irvine. But Pacheco, the contest coordinator, knew that performing first among 18 others can be karaoke suicide.

Matoon knew she had to set the bar high. She belted out Cher's "I Found Someone" while flailing her arms and gliding across the room full of spectators and judges.

The same judges will determine which singers will advance to the 10th annual KaraokeFest on Sunday at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park.

More than 10,000 fans from all over the country are expected to attend. After seven weeks of qualifying at 21 venues in five Southern California counties, the final 42 singers will compete on seven stages set up around the park for female and male vocalist of the year titles, cash prizes and a radio appearance.

There will be a children's karaoke stage in the Camp Snoopy area.

Karaoke gets so popular every year," said Peter Parker, publisher of Cypress-based Karaoke Scene Magazine, which hosts the annual event. "You got a doctor and a janitor sitting at the same table talking about Frank Sinatra stuff."

Last chance

The Irvine venue was the last of nine clubs in Orange County to host a semifinal round. And it was Russ Duke's last chance to secure a spot at Sunday's "Creme de la Creme" competition.

The Buena Park resident wore a cowboy hat and crooned "How Am I Doing." He hopped onto a table and sang until the audience roared. He was a shoo-in.

"If he thought he could win by dropping his pants, he'd do it," Pacheco joked.

For Tawny Robinson, 25, who works at Wal-Mart, it's about the attention.

"I want a record deal. I want to sing for a living. Anything I can do to get myself out there. I'll do anything," said the Orange resident.

She had already won a contest at TomKat Lounge in Buena Park but came to support her boyfriend, Vernon Fernandez, also a singer.

A friendly bunch

The support that the karaokers give one another is amazing, Pacheco said. They go to different venues, some as far away as Ventura County, to root for one another.

"Karaoke is so friendly," Parker said. "What's silly about singing? Don't you hum in the shower or car? Singing is at the core of peoples' essence."

Greg Henss, 53, of Corona, who had already won a place in Sunday's competition, said the hobby gets his mind off of things - like the malignant melanoma he has battled since last summer.

He first dabbled in karaoke when his co-workers dared him to sing a song four years ago during a business trip in Denver.

"After a few drinks, I realized that this is kind of fun. Before that, I thought it was stupid," he said.

Matthew Brydon of Buena Park first imagined karaoke as a hobby for Japanese businessmen singing in front of a television on the 32nd floor of a Tokyo high-rise.

But he's long changed his mind. He was recently voted to represent San Pedro's Romeo Room during the finals.

Tuesday, the contestants chose show-tunes gal Kelly Lynne Harris, 30, of Laguna Niguel and high-pitch-voiced William Jordan, 41, of Anaheim to represent the Atrium Club.

"Thank God," Harris yelped after Pacheco announced the results.

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