Columbia, Pa. (June 9, 2009) – The weeks of practice and anticipation finally came to an exciting end Monday night as Donna Mark of Etters was named 2009 PA State Senior Idol at the finals competition held at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, Pa.
Fifteen semi-finalists, all Pennsylvania residents over 50, gathered for the evening’s sold-out event, produced by On-Line Publishers, publishers of 50plus Senior News, and emceed by Diane Dayton of Dayton Communications. Celebrity judges included Valerie Pritchett of abc27, Janelle Stelson of WGAL-8, Buddy King of The Magnificent Men and R.J. Harris of WHP-AM 580.
For her first performance, Mark impressed the judges and the audience with her rendition of “Superstar,” best known by the Carpenters. After the judges’ scores for each contestant were tallied, Mark was named one of three finalists, along with Michele Hendricks Weiss of Manheim and Diane Seeger of Philadelphia. Hendricks Weiss had sung “Georgia” by Ray Charles and Seeger had performed “All That Jazz” from the musical “Chicago.”
For their second selections, Hendricks Weiss sang “Since I Fell for You,” a jazz standard composed by Buddy Johnson; Mark performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” made famous by Judy Garland; and Seeger sang “American Medley,” a combination of patriotic classics. The judges as well as the audience then voted for their favorite, and Donna Mark was named the 2009 PA State Senior Idol.
As the winner, Mark will receive a limousine trip for two to New York City for dinner and a Broadway show.
Mark began singing at age 30 when she and a girlfriend harmonized to The Judds’ first album. Her first band, Head Over Heels, performed in clubs all over Central Pennsylvania. Fronting several bands over the last 25 years, she now manages and sings lead in Flashback, a five-piece variety dance band.
Advanced Tech was the spotlight sponsor for this year’s PA State Idol Competition. The audition sponsor was Bath Fitter. Media sponsors included abc27, Blue Ridge Communications, WHP580 AM and WHYL960AM.
For more information on PA State Senior Idol, visit www.SeniorIdolPA.com or call On-Line Publishers at (717) 285-1350.
Mark wowed the four judges with her smooth, silky voice.
Judge Buddy King, an alumnus of The Magnificent Men, a 1960s R&B band based in central Pennsylvania, said he liked the way she approached a song. "You don't try to do too much. You just sing it and let it go. It's just very special and a pleasure listening to you."
"Your voice is so crisp and clear, it's beautiful," said judge Valerie Pritchett, an anchor for Harrisburg's Channel 27 News. "You have great control over your voice. As you form your words, it just comes from your stomach all the way out."
"Your voice is so smoothy-smooth and you look perfect for it. You're the full package," said judge Janelle Stelson, an anchor at WGAL Channel 8. "I felt the heartbreak when you were singing." And judge R.J. Harris, a morning DJ on WHP-AM radio, said Mark gave "the smoothest vocal performance I've heard."
Mark said her advice to anyone who enjoys singing is to just "get up there and do it. If you dream and want to be on stage, try karaoke. I always encourage people to get on the stage. Get up there and try it. You only have one life."
Mark began singing at age 30 when she and a girlfriend harmonized to the Judds' first album. She performed in clubs all over central Pennsylvania with her first band, Head Over Heels, and fronted several more bands over the years.
Mark now manages and sings lead in Flashback, a five-piece variety dance band.
Mark has recorded two albums, "Vocality," a mix of rock and country, and "Cloud Nine," a collection of big band jazz tunes.
Mark said she had the rare opportunity of singing with Wynonna Judd in 2007. Her husband, Dan Miller, won a chance to visit with the country music superstar backstage after her concert at the Strand Capitol Theatre in York.
During the backstage encounter, Mark asked Judd to sing "Silent Night" with her. Judd instantly began singing a capella, with Donna jumping in with the harmony.
Senior Idol rewards midstater's joy in song
Friday, June 19, 2009
BY JULIA HATMAKER
For The Patriot-News
Pennsylvania Senior Idol winner Donna Mark has been captivating local audiences for years.
"Get out there and live your dreams," she said.
Those are the words of advice from Pennsylvania's latest singing sensation.
Mark, 56, won the Pennsylvania Senior Idol on June 9 after a heartbreaking rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
A Camp Hill native, Mark has fronted bands for 25 years, but she had never entered into a vocal competition. When Harrisburg posted auditions for the competition, Mark decided to go for it.
"I'm going to test myself and see if I do stand out above the competition," she said. Mark was thrilled when she saw how similar Senior Idol was to its television counterpart.
"I felt like I'd tried out for 'American Idol,'" Mark said.
Her audition piece, "Superstar" made famous by The Carpenters, caught the attention of the judges and everyone in the room. Kimberly Anderson of On-Line Publishing, the event's organizer, was impressed.
"I thought she was very talented," Anderson said. "I felt sure she would be in the top three for that area."
Although a veteran performer, Mark did not view herself as a sure win.
"I knew the competition was at a high level when we did the rehearsal on Sunday," she said. "Variety of talent in that show is amazing."
Winning caught Mark by surprise.
"Winning was a very strange feeling; it was surreal," she said.
Mark was born and raised in the Camp Hill area, graduating from Cedar Cliff High School. She began singing as a child, harmonizing with her sisters on records of the Lennon Sisters.
As she grew older, singing fell to the background as she focused on her career as a graphic designer and her family.
Mark was driving around with a friend harmonizing to the Judds when she rediscovered singing and decided to pursue it.
She and several friends formed Head Over Heels, a folk, rock and country band. They toured the Harrisburg area, playing at private clubs and VFWs.
Head Over Heels has since disbanded, but Mark continues her love of music by fronting the retro cover band Flashback.
The five-piece variety group plays at clubs in the Harrisburg area.
Mark will perform with Flashback on Sunday for the "New Singles Dance" at the Holiday Inn on Limekiln Road in Fairview Twp.
