Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wright Kids voted off NBC show
Supporters remain proud of the Franklin County musicians' performances.
After a day of voting, it was over within minutes for the Wright Kids on Thursday night’s edition of the hit television show “America’s Got Talent.”
The preteen trio from Franklin County, which had put aside its bluegrass leanings to play oldies pop songs for the show’s producers, were the first act eliminated among the 10 finalists.
One possible consolation: Show host Jerry “Ringmaster” Springer told the children that he was sure they’d be back on the show next year. In the meantime, he promised a visit to Roanoke.
“I’m going to come and see you at your ice cream parlor,” Springer said.
Note to the man the kids called “Uncle Jerry”: The parlor in question isn’t actually the Wrights’, but they have performed plenty at Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar in Raleigh Court.
Under the terms of their agreement with the show’s production company, the Wrights — Sage, 12, Baruch, 9, and Levi, 6 — cannot speak publicly until the show has finished its run. That will happen next week. But some of their biggest supporters say they are proud of the children.
One of their music teachers, Sharon Feury , was with them last week in Hollywood, helping them prepare for their final performance, a cover of the Jackson 5’s “ABC.” Feury said she figures some of the Wrights’ fans were disappointed that they moved away from their bluegrass songs, but the kids thoroughly enjoyed working up the pop songs, particularly “Rockin’ Robin,” which they had played the previous week.
They would’ve liked to have won the show or make the top 5, but now they have new fans from around the world, Feury said.
“They have achieved … even more than they imagined they might do,” said Feury, who owns Sharon Feury’s School of Guitar and Voice, just around the corner from Pop’s. “The world is wide open for them now.”
The kids’ friend, Jared Hall, said he was a little disappointed that they didn’t play more bluegrass, but he was pleasantly surprised at how they handled the pop music they were given to play.
“I think they did a really great job at what they did,” said Hall, 18, of Roanoke. Hall and his siblings, Rachel and Justin, are in the chamber music group the Hall Trio. The Wrights and the Halls became friends through the Roanoke Youth Symphony.
After the Wrights made the top 40 on the show, Hall started a Facebook page, Vote For The Wright Kids on America’s Got Talent. It has about 150 members, Hall said.
Another set of friends, Pop’s owners Anna Robertson and Brandon Davis, were sad to see it end but were happy the children got so much attention for their talent. The Wrights say they want to play at Pop’s again, but after all this, Robertson is not so sure the small shop can handle the crowd.
“If they’re interested in playing, we’d have to be kind of sneaky about it,” Robertson said.
As for Springer’s promise to visit the shop?
“We were just laughing” while watching the show, she said. “No way Springer’s coming here.”
The preteen trio from Franklin County, which had put aside its bluegrass leanings to play oldies pop songs for the show’s producers, were the first act eliminated among the 10 finalists.
One possible consolation: Show host Jerry “Ringmaster” Springer told the children that he was sure they’d be back on the show next year. In the meantime, he promised a visit to Roanoke.
“I’m going to come and see you at your ice cream parlor,” Springer said.
Note to the man the kids called “Uncle Jerry”: The parlor in question isn’t actually the Wrights’, but they have performed plenty at Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar in Raleigh Court.
Under the terms of their agreement with the show’s production company, the Wrights — Sage, 12, Baruch, 9, and Levi, 6 — cannot speak publicly until the show has finished its run. That will happen next week. But some of their biggest supporters say they are proud of the children.
One of their music teachers, Sharon Feury , was with them last week in Hollywood, helping them prepare for their final performance, a cover of the Jackson 5’s “ABC.” Feury said she figures some of the Wrights’ fans were disappointed that they moved away from their bluegrass songs, but the kids thoroughly enjoyed working up the pop songs, particularly “Rockin’ Robin,” which they had played the previous week.
They would’ve liked to have won the show or make the top 5, but now they have new fans from around the world, Feury said.
“They have achieved … even more than they imagined they might do,” said Feury, who owns Sharon Feury’s School of Guitar and Voice, just around the corner from Pop’s. “The world is wide open for them now.”
The kids’ friend, Jared Hall, said he was a little disappointed that they didn’t play more bluegrass, but he was pleasantly surprised at how they handled the pop music they were given to play.
“I think they did a really great job at what they did,” said Hall, 18, of Roanoke. Hall and his siblings, Rachel and Justin, are in the chamber music group the Hall Trio. The Wrights and the Halls became friends through the Roanoke Youth Symphony.
After the Wrights made the top 40 on the show, Hall started a Facebook page, Vote For The Wright Kids on America’s Got Talent. It has about 150 members, Hall said.
Another set of friends, Pop’s owners Anna Robertson and Brandon Davis, were sad to see it end but were happy the children got so much attention for their talent. The Wrights say they want to play at Pop’s again, but after all this, Robertson is not so sure the small shop can handle the crowd.
“If they’re interested in playing, we’d have to be kind of sneaky about it,” Robertson said.
As for Springer’s promise to visit the shop?
“We were just laughing” while watching the show, she said. “No way Springer’s coming here.”
