2 eastern Idahoans will compete for $6,000 in Swift Idol competition
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STAR VALLEY, Wyoming — Eight contestants have been selected for the 4th annual Fall River Propane Swift Idol, held in Star Valley, Wyoming during the Lincoln County Fair. The eight contestants come from the intermountain region, with four from Wyoming and two from both Idaho and Utah. They will compete for $6,000 in prize money.
Contestants include:
- Tanner Adell – Lindon, UT
- Bethany Sorenson – North Ogden, UT
- Heather Hathaway – Shelley, ID
- Katelyn Turman – Rexburg, ID
- Josh Jardine – Grover, WY
- Bryant Erickson – Fairview, WY
- Joseph Shumway – Osmond, WY
- Makia Haderlie – Fairview, WY
Contestants were selected from an online audition process. Over 100 auditions were submitted during the open audition period. Auditions were received from Oregon to Texas. Swift Idol Judges listened to each audition and selected the top singers to compete as contestants.
The contestants will compete on Aug. 2 at 7 pm at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds. Swift Idol will take place on a professional concert stage in the rodeo arena. The format will be similar to American Idol.
All eight contestants will perform in round one. Four will be selected to compete again in round two, three by audience vote and one as a judge pick. The final four will sing again in round two, with the winner being selected by popular vote from the audience. Audience members will vote via text message. The winner will receive $6,000.
Joining Swift Idol this year as a judge is celebrity performer Alex Boye’. Boye’ participated in the selection process, along with the other two judges including last year’s Swift Idol winner, E.J. Pauni, and former Miss Wyoming Shelby Thatcher from Kemmerer, Wyoming. Boye’, Pauni and the 2017 winner, Case Tippetts, will also perform during the event.
Advance tickets are now available at LincolnCountyFair.info. The entire event will also be broadcast live with a multi-camera, high definition broadcast by SVI Media. It can be viewed at SwiftIdol.com or on the SVI Media channel on Livestream.
Fall River Propane Swift Idol was first started in 2016 and has grown exponentially each year. The first year carried a prize of $500 and was won by Mellissa Dickey of then Afton, Wyoming. Year two in 2017 doubled the prize to $1,000 and was won by Case Tippetts of Afton, Wyoming. The prize tripled in 2018 with E.J. Pauni from Cokeville, Wyoming winning the prize. The grand prize has once again doubled this year for 2019, with the next Swift Idol pocketing $6,000. The event has grown to be the largest vocal competition in the intermountain west.
Swift Idol is named after the local radio station that hosts the event, Swift 98.7 FM in Afton, Wyoming. The name comes from Swift Creek Canyon in Afton, home of the largest intermittent spring in the world.