Who's Got Next? (Home Run Edition)

Chapter 1: A kid with a Cause

Star Search

A sign hung on the dressing room door. It was the kind of sign that would usually have a famous name written on it--a name like Mariah Carey, Madonna, or Jennifer Lopez. Instead, in large bold letters, was the name Joelle James.

True, the dressing room was tiny, but that didn't matter. When Joelle opened the door and walked inside, she couldn't help but giggle. "Can you believe all of this?" she asked her mother. Mrs. James responded with a hug. They were both excited. After all, Joelle was about to sing on television for the first time. She was only twelve years old.

Carol Jones stepped inside the dressing room. She was one of the producers of the hit television show Star Search. Carol looked at the clipboard in her hand. She said to Joelle, "In a few minutes, somebody will be coming in to do your hair and make-up. You're going to be fantastic tonight!"

After Carol left, Mrs. James closed the door to the dressing room. Joelle started getting ready. It was then that she really began to feel the pressure. In less than two hours, she would be appearing on live television. For a moment, she became so nervous that she thought she might be sick. "Mom, I don't know if I'm going to be able to sing. I'm kind of freaked out right now."

"It'll be okay, honey," Mrs. James replied. Picking up a hairbrush from the table, she started combing Joelle's long blonde hair. "Once you get out on stage, you'll feel better. You're always nervous beforehand."

This was true. Joelle's nerves usually went away when she hit the stage. She had been singing in front of people since she was five years old. It had started simply enough, singing in the church choir. Back then it was only for fun, of course. Joelle just loved to sing--whether it was in the shower, at home with her family, or in front of other people.

Within a very short time, Joelle improved tremendously. Her parents quickly set her up with voice lessons. Joelle was determined to be the best singer she could possibly be. She knew that she wanted to make a career out of music. She daydreamed that one day she would sing in front of a large crowd. Joelle would sit in her room and listen to the radio for hours. She enjoyed singing along, pretending to be performing at a concert.

Right around Joelle's eleventh birthday, she got her first big break. She was invited to sing the national anthem at a baseball game. This was a good opportunity. Joelle hoped she could pull it off.

Getting up there in front of 10,000 fans was a new experience. "To be honest, it was pretty scary," Joelle recalls. "Once I hit that first high note, though, I really calmed down. I fell in love with performing in front of a big crowd." A minute later, Joelle finished singing "The Star-Spangled Banner." The crowd cheered. Everyone in the stadium agreed that she had done a beautiful job. Joelle had every reason to feel proud. People were coming up to her to say how impressed they were with her singing.

Joelle was asked to sing the national anthem for many other sports teams. These included the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. She even appeared at a NASCAR racing event! Joelle had a blast every time. She was proud to sing America's national anthem. It was also fun going to sporting events with her family. It was especially cool going as a VIP (Very Important Person)!