Last updated 19:17, Sunday, 28 December 2008

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Pete Thompson receiving his first prize. 23rd Dec 08 JOE RILEY REF: 0464223

A VETERAN cabaret singer was crowned the Search for a Star winner.
Pete Thompson took home the £2,500 prize after two emphatic performances in front of a packed Canteen Media and Arts Centre in Barrow.
Pete sang Mark Cohn’s Walking In Memphis and The Devil Went Down To Georgia by country group The Charlie Daniels Band.
But despite receiving just 27 web and text votes out of a total of 17,832 pledged, he was selected as the judge’s favourite on the night.
In second place was 17-year-old James Stewart, whose combination of vocals and expertly playing a 12-string guitar impressed the judges.
Kerry Lacey came third, after her powerful voice wowed the crowd during renditions of Amy Winehouse’s version of Valerie and Eva Cassidy’s Fields of Gold.
Before his second performance, 39-year-old Thompson explained he had entered the music scene at the tender age of 14.
He said: “I first went on stage when I was 14, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Thompson entertained the Canteen crowd with an energetic jig during his rendition of The Devil Went Down To Georgia, encouraging the revellers to clap and join in.
The contest is a partnership between the Canteen and the Evening Mail.
Entrants were whittled down from 100 to 10 for last night’s finale, after thousands of supporters cast web votes on the Evening Mail website and mobile phone text votes to keep their favourite in the competition.
The evening, presented by Abbey FM DJ Pete Murphy, saw each artist perform two of their favourite songs, ranging from Mariah Carey to Oasis to Spandau Ballet.
After the show, Mr Murphy said: “We want to thank every single one of you who’s voted, turned up tonight and supported the artists.
“It’s not easy getting up on stage, and for some of these singers it’s something they’ve not done before, so it’s great to see people clapping and supporting them.”
Gary Robinson, main organiser of the event, said: “It has been very difficult choosing between things like someone on guitar and someone singing Celine Dion.”
Thompson’s prize includes £250 cash, a trophy and the icing on the cake – a professional single video recording session.