The waiting is almost over for the next Miami Valley Idol

Finals for the popular competition go down this weekend

Dale Buckner

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“The last performance I did really saved me, actually,” she said, referring to her double shot of “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt and “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan. “The other performances were good but they weren’t like ‘wow.’ These really blew people away. My voice can do different ranges,” she said.

Should she win, “I hope later on it would mean I’m getting farther and I’d get to sing more with a band. That would be nice to go somewhere with it because I love to sing,” she said.

BJ Stahl

Age: 58

Town: Southgate, Ky., originally from Middletown

Stahl is the most experienced of the contestants, at least as far as her birth certificate says. But she’s hoping for a shot at better future, like the rest of the contestants.

“I used to sing with bands a long time ago. I had fun but I didn’t go too far,” she said.

She’s gotten far in this competition, impressing audiences with her takes on songs like “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac and “Travelin’ Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks. The former won a lot of kudos, but Stahl felt best about the latter.

“If I win, it will pretty much mean everything to me. I’m 58, so I don’t have 20 years to wait,” said Stahl.

Tommy Williams

Age: 26

Town: Monroe

Williams has been in bands since he was 13, “I like rock. That’s what I do. I write music, I play bass. I love playing music,” he said.

That’s why he’s brought a wide range of styles to Miami Valley Idol. His song choices have veered from Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” to Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” to “Kissed by a Rose” by Seal.

“Don’t Stop Believing” turned out to have an apt title for Williams. At first some people didn’t believe he could pull off that particular tune,

“They said I couldn’t sing it as high as Steve Perry. And I said, ‘watch me,” Williams said.

Also in the contest is Michelle Faulkner of Middletown, who sings pop rock. She was not available for comment.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.

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