LaDarryl Winsley II, an 18-year-old rapper with a seamless flow and one of the crowd favorites, took home the first-place prize at the 3rd Annual Memphis Youth Got Talent showcase held at the Cannon Center.
Winsley snared the biggest prize of the night – $1,000 plus an additional $200 as a Bicentennial Bonus, a lunch with Mayor Jim Strickland and a 2-hour recording session with Royal Studios.
The song Winsley will record will be played on 88.5 FM, the Voice of SCS. Temmora Levy of Ms. T’s Music Factory on Lifetime and one of the judges of the evening, offered to help the winner film a music video for the song that he records.
The contestants sang, danced and rapped on the Cannon Center stage for the chance to win cash and other prizes. Hosted by Director Ike Griffith and the City of Memphis Office of Youth Services, the show was described as generating the largest turnout to date.
Admittance to the June 22 showcase required a jar of peanut butter to help support the Memphis Food Bank. At the end of the night 812 lbs. of peanut butter had been donated.
Terika Dean, whose powerful vocals landed her in second place, took home $500 plus an additional $200 as a Bicentennial Bonus and a 2-hour recording session with Booth Studios.
Mtown Image, a hip hop dance group, whose explosive moves won over the judges, took the third-place spot, earning $250 plus an additional $200 as a Bicentennial Bonus.
The showcase featured 12 contestants from ages 15 to 22. The other judges were:
* Ladia Yates of the Ladia Yates Entertainment Academy, a dance studio here in Memphis. She has danced alongside stars such as Usher and Missy Elliot.
* Steve Selvidge, known for his folks’ blues music and member of the Sons of Mudboys.
* Kameron Whalum from Bruno Mars’ Band of Hooligans.
* Memphis music legend and original member of The Bar-Kays, Larry Dodson.
