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Sep17
Key to Kevin Skinner win was not being a Susan Boyle (or Adam Lambert)
Filed under: American Idol, Music, Television; Tagged as: Adam Lambert, America's Got Talent, American Idol, Britain's Got Talent, Garth Brooks, Kevin Skinner, Simon Cowell, Susan BoyleClick the play button to hear our chat with Kevin Skinner:
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When I first heard about the singing chicken catcher from Mayfield, Ky., I said, “Oh, no.”
My fears had nothing to do with cultural stereotyping, or anything like that. It was that Kevin Skinner was starting his run on America’s Got Talent hot on the heels of two spectacular reality show flameouts.
There was Susan Boyle, the frumpy Scottish woman whose first appearance on AGT’s sister show across the pond, Britain’s Got Talent, became a YouTube sensation. And then there was Adam Lambert, the enormously talented American Idol contestant whose performances put him in a class by himself.
Both looked like shoo-in’s to win their reality/competition series, and both did not.
Not to take anything away from Boyle and Lambert’s worthy competitors, but it felt from Internet chatter and general commentary that their losses were due in part to voter fatigue with them — with Boyle’s come-from-nowhere story and with Lambert’s boundless talent. In competitions like this, viewers don’t like to be told whose going to win (or who should win, in the case of Simon Cowell’s Lambert endorsement) and they can turn on frontrunners.
Skinner’s debut on America’s Got Talent (that’s the clip, above) was somewhat Boyle-esque. He came from exceedingly humble roots, had judges and the audience cackling over his accent and his accounts of chicken catching, and then blew viewers away with his rendition of Garth Brooks’ heartbreaking ballad If Tomorrow Never Comes. Right away, his clip was being singled out on morning talk shows that referred to him as an American Susan Boyle.
But fortunately for him, that didn’t happen — not that Boyle’s done bad for herself since BGT.
Now, I didn’t keep up with AGT religiously. It’s been a crazy summer. Skinner buzz sort of subsided, and there was even a moment I wondered if he was still in the running. Other acts caught the public’s attention, from opera singers to 75-year-old comedians, most of them very talented people in their own respects.
Skinner, like a humble guy from Mayfield, kept his head down and played his music, and ultimately still had the most viewer-voters on his side at the end of the competition. He avoided a trap of overexposure that had swallowed two talent show darlings earlier this year and came out a $1 million winner.
13 Responses to “Key to Kevin Skinner win was not being a Susan Boyle (or Adam Lambert)”
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I hadn’t thought of it in that way. Spot on!
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katchi-k September 17th, 2009 at 10:23 am
he was my pick from the start! No pretense - just a beautiful voice and downhome presence about him… Love the guy…
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The man has talent and deserved this win. He held his own through the entire program. Best of luck and a bright future to him!!!
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Mike Morphew September 17th, 2009 at 11:44 am
When I first saw him and heard his voice, I instantly thought of Randy Travis. He just has that Randy Travis look and sound.
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im always proud to be a kentuckian but especially last night. i am a “city” girl, but i know most of people are more familiar with the more “rural” aspects of our state. i am very proud and happy for kevin skinner’s success and that i am from the same state. kevin has brought a welcomed positive spotlight on kentucky. well done, kevin!
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kasy crespo September 17th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
it is always nice to see someone who is so talented yet so humble. Hope he never changes, Great voice Kevin Skinner, you deserved to win
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It’s become almost the norm that the most talented people do not win contests about talent. Because it’s not about talent any more — it’s about a sob story or being a so-called underdog or being so-called ‘relatable.’ For sure, it has something to do with rooting for the ‘underdog’ and childishly spiting the victim of praised talent. But it also has to do with the fact that our culture no longer prizes superior talent and skill; instead we are more comfortable with middle of the road talent or even, mediocrity. We want to see ourselves — without much talent — win, so we pick folks like Kevin Skinner who originally interested me quite a bit, but over time proved that his voice was at bet raw and whose Monday night performance was, frankly, deplorable. I’ve heard better at my county fair.
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It, of course, is all a matter of taste, but I prefer raw talent to trained voice.
I also have always been for the underdog, and Kevin Skinner was my pick for raw talent and underdog, therefore, I was very pleased that he won. It will mean a lot to his family, I’m sure. -
He was my pick the first week and did not disappoint. The real deal.
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Kevin Skinner had my vote from the beginning and every week thereafter. Maybe it can be called “raw talent” but whatever it is, I absolutely loved it.
We already have too many “ME” worshipers. Kevin Skinner is such an humble performer and his sincerity is what I think the world needs more of right now.
I wish him and his family nothing but the very best. I only hope he gets an
honest agent who will promote KEVIN and not try to promote “SELF” more.GOOD LUCK KEVIN. STAY EXACTLY LIKE YOU ARE!!!
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Talent is more than technical expertise in a profession - Kevin adds heart and soul to his performances and makes you feel the song, not just hear the song. He’s going to do a lot of good for the music industry, if they are paying attention. Personally I love his voice. Plenty of superstars aren’t known for their golden tones - Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson - they are know for style and substance and introspect.
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WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PERSON YOU ARE KEVIN SKINNER. MY MAIN PRAYER WOULD BE THAT YOU STAY YOUR SAME TRUE SELF!! YOU SEEM TO BE A SINCERE FAMILY MAN AND I PRAY THAT DOESN’T CHANGE.YOU ARE TRULY TALENTED, SO DON’T FORGET TO GIVE ALL THE PRAISE TO GOD FOR YOUR GIFT OF MUSIC. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
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Betty Higgins September 20th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
As for Kevin keeping a low profile, during the competition, those of us from Graves County just don’t like to count our chickens before they’re hatched.
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