Lynnfield Has New Town Idols

Katie Nevils (middle school division), Katie Morelli (high school division) and Rich Sokolow (adult division) have been crowned Lynnfield Idol 2011.

Nevils, a 6th grader at Lynnfield Middle School, sang "Impossible" by Shontelle, and "Fireworks" by Katie Perry.

"I'm relieved. I'm happy that I've made it this far. I'm here to have fun," she said.

She watches American Idol all the time, the FOX TV show that Lynnfield Idol is based on, and said Scottie influences her with his nice personality and voice.

Nevils almost didn't make it to the preliminary auditions. She was at a soccer game that day, and asked her dad to leave so that she could audition - and she was glad she did. Her friends were contestants, too.

Judge Tom Page, whose 30- and 60-second music scores have been featured on Adidas, Nike, Wells Fargo and Budweiser commercials, announced to the audience: "'Fireworks' was the hardest song vocally, but it was the best performance of the night for me! You didn't forget to own the stage, you didn't lose control, you didn't falter -- from beginning to end. You rocked it."

Page was amazed at her maturity as a performer at such a young age.

Nevils admitted that she prepared herself in case she lost since there was a one in three chance of winning, which is less than the chances in the adult division: 1 in 2.

At the end of the night, judges announced that Rich Sokolow won for his performance, attitude, creativity, and energy.

Page announced to the audience, regarding his performance of "In the midnight hour": "You have more energy than the kids. You let that take you for a ride, and we feel that, too. There's a show called 'X-factor' coming up, and you should do it."

"This was fun. I would have been also happy if Linda, my competitor, won. It was enjoyable for her and all the contestants," he said.

His daughters, Amy and Janna, advanced to the semi-finals. He won't be able to participate in Idol again, but encourages Amy, a freshmen at LHS, who will be a junior, and Janna, a LMS student, who will be a freshmen, to audition again in 2013, the next time Lynnfield Idol will be held. Amy was his inspiration to try out, and Sokolow called the experience a great family affair.

"People came up to me, who I didn't know, at the Geranium Fest last weekend, and said they enjoyed my performances in the semi-finals, so that was pretty exciting."

Judge Robert L. Rucinski, music director and pianist, who has worked at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, told Morelli, who won the junior division in 2009, referring to "Somewhere over the rainbow": "This number was outstanding. It was tasteful. You took chances, which was wonderful."

Page agreed: "For a classic song, you were ridiculously good. Every note was spot on. It was vocally impeccable. It's a wonderful story."

The winners, depending on which divison, won a 3-hour studio recording contract, a framed picture in the lobby of LHS, and
$100 gift certificates.