Featured photo: Terence Grundy as Stevie Wonder
Written by Tanya Terry, Photos courtesy of Mr. Grundy
WOW Outreach, Hasselbring Senior Center and other partners recently hosted a Motown Karaoke Contest. For it, on November 3, celebrity judges selected a first-place winner, who received $250. The second-place winner received $150, and the third-place winner received $75.
According to Founder of WOW Outreach Kenyetta Dotson, the event was all about working together in partnership and on behalf of the CommUNITY to change the climate, pulse & tone, utilizing music and creative expression to provoke action, peacebuilding and safe places for youth, families and residents to live, work and play.
“This intergenerational event raised awareness about changing the climate in our home and and community while celebrating our differences,” Dotson stated. “Music at the Motown event served as a bridge, joining us together. ”
Terence Grundy was ecstatic to win first place. Grundy heard about the contest when a couple people tagged him about it on social media.
“I didn’t know my chances, but I thought I probably had a good chance of winning 1st, 2nd or 3rd,” Grundy explained. “It had some good singers in it, as well. I was just hopeful. I did the best I could. I tried to be creative and come up with an idea that I thought would kind of stand out.”
Grundy regularly acts on stage as an actor at the ‘New’ McCree Theatre.
“I used my acting, my singing ability – and (went on stage) with the appearance, as well,” Grundy said.
Grundy choose to sing Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
“It has become one of my signature songs that I do at karaoke, and it’s from the Motown era. I also thought it would go hand in hand with me trying to embody the artist. I’ve never done it that way. I just did regular singing of it. I never did it with the whole ensemble or the wardrobe, the theatrics behind it and the props.”
Grundy prepared for the competition by watching videos of performances of Stevie Wonder.
“I kind of knew his embodiment because I watch a lot of him. But it took me about three days just to practice a little bit, look in the mirror and get the mannerisms of him being blind. A lot of times when blind people hear the audience cheer, they rock back and forth, get jiggly and stuff like that. So, I knew the call and response part pretty good.”
Grundy further portrayed Stevie Wonder by having a piano, mic stand, a wardrobe that looked like him, a wig with a Stevie Wonder hairstyle and sunglasses.
“I did his mannerism and his little ‘thank you, thank you’ and ‘come on everybody.’
Grundy wanted people in the audience to feel like they were looking at Stevie Wonder, 20 years ago.
“It did just that. Praise the Lord. I heard people say ‘Go head, Big G’ and ‘You beta sing!’ One lady said ‘I know you can’t see, but you beta know how to sing! Then, the MC said something to the extent of: The competition has started. The bar has been raised.”
Grundy wasn’t the only contestant whose hard work paid off.
Denise Bullock placed in 2nd singing Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady,” and Montrall Carr placed in 3rd, singing “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by the Temptations.
It was a fun night for all – to be cherished and remembered!
