Serenading the crowd

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Kenny Dansby, a supply Airman from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Support Squadron sings to an audience member during Operation Rising Star, Oct. 26, 2009. ORS is a joint American Idol-type singing competition and this was the first year it was held in Afghanistan. Sergeant Dansby, a Stockton, Calif., native deployed from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., performed R. Kelly's "Bump and Grind" and Train's "Drops of Jupiter" during the finale here, winning over the audience, the judges and $500. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Maurice Luckett)

Tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet?

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Kenny Dansby, a supply Airman from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Support Squadron sings Train's "Drops of Jupiter" during the finale of Operation Rising Star, Oct. 26, 2009. ORS is a joint American Idol-type singing competition and this was the first year it was held in Afghanistan. Sergeant Dansby, a Stockton, Calif., native deployed from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., "has been singing before he could talk,' according to his mother. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Maurice Luckett)

Bagram Airman wins singing competition

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Kenny Dansby, a supply Airman from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Support Squadron raises his arms in celebration after winning Operation Rising Star, Oct. 28, 2009. ORS is a joint American Idol-type singing competition and this was the first year it was held in Afghanistan. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Nelson (left), the third place finalist and Spc. Jessica Rennells (right) cheer and clap for Sergeant Dansby as the results were read. Sergeant Dansby, a Stockton, Calif., native deployed from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., "has been singing before he could talk," according to his mother. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Maurice Luckett)

Bagram Airman wins singing competition

Published Oct. 30, 2009
By Senior Airman Susan Tracy
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- This is the first year of "Operation Rising Star" in Afghanistan according to Army Sergeant 1st Class Marvin Williams, the host and coordinator of the show. Operation Rising Star is a joint American Idol-type singing competition. Much like the original show, contestants sing weekly, receive feedback from a panel of judges and then at the end of the show the audience votes for their favorite singer.

The winner of the competition was Staff Sgt. Kenny Dansby, a supply Airman from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Support Squadron deployed from McDill Air Force Base, Fla. The Stockton, Calif. native had impressed the audience from his very first song, "I'll Make Love to You" originally by Boyz2Men in the impromptu concert hall here at Bagram.

When asked how long he has been singing, Sergeant Dansby laughingly said that according to his mother he was "singing before he could talk." His favorite performance was in 2007 at a South Korean-American Friendship Festival in front of a crowd of more than 2,500, because he felt "it was a blessing to be able to use a natural talent as a representative of the Air Force."

During the course of the singing competition, Sergeant Dansby showed a wide range of vocal stylings. The week he was the most concerned about was when he had to perform a country song, because his preferred style is R&B. He sang Rascal Flatt's "Bless the Broken Road," and while the judges commented that he seemed a little nervous, he made it to the next round.

For the finale each contestant sang a song chosen for them by a judge, and also one that they chose for themselves. His judge, Staff Sgt. Rachael Garneau, an Armed Forces Network radio DJ chose Train's "Drops of Jupiter" for his first song, which had most of the 300 plus audience singing along with him. Sergeant Garneau complimented his performance, saying that she "couldn't stop smiling the whole time." The song Sergeant Dansby chose was R. Kelly's "Bump and Grind," where he danced up and down the aisles singing directly to several audience members. He chose that song because he has "performed it many times before, and the crowd always loves it."

When he found out he won, Sergeant Dansby smiled and shook many hands, commenting that it was exciting as an Airman to win an Army-sponsored competition. He said that throughout the competition, he would "look out into a crowd before I went out and I do see a lot of Army Combat Uniforms's, but at the same time I've been making it through and it's kind of cool that the Soldiers are supporting someone that is in the Air Force." Army Spc. Jennifer Lee, who placed 4th in the competition, said "It's no surprise that Kenny won. When he came out singing 'Bump and Grind' we [the other contestants] knew it was all over. He had it in the bag."