Brett Kroeger Wins WLIU Contest With Star Spangled Performance On Manhattan Mortgage Company’s Opening Day

Bridgehampton, NY - Local resident Brett Kroeger wowed the judges as well as the spectators with her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow to win the Hampton Classic/WLIU 88.3 FM National Anthem Contest on Manhattan Mortgage’s Opening Day.  The contest offered Kroeger the prestigious opportunity to perform the National Anthem in the Grand Prix arena prior to the featured competition, the $20,000 Nicolock Time Challenge.

Spectators stopped in their tracks while Kroeger sang and by the time she was through a sizable crowd had gathered.  Kroeger has been a resident artist at the Dicapo Opera Company for the past two years, but she only entered the competition because her mother “forced” her to enter.

“This is so exciting,” said Kroeger.  “Any chance to sing is great and I am so happy to be able to sing on the radio because my grandmother was able to listen in Kansas City.”

The competition was so fierce the judges decided that a second sing-off was necessary between Kroeger and Lee Olive Tucker of Hampton Bays, NY.  After some deliberation they chose Kroeger as the winner, but requested that Tucker sing on another day.  The three judges were: Christopher Robbins of Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs, Jaylaan Llewellyn, President of bluhammock music, and Helen Rattray, publisher of the East Hampton Star and member of the Board of Directors of the Choral Society of the Hamptons.  Bonnie Grice of WLIU-FM acted as host for the final sing-off and also interviewed Kroeger following the contest.

As the winner, Kroeger received a gift certificate to the Hampton Classic souvenir booth and a collection of CDs from bluhammock music.  All seven finalists received four one-week passes to the Hampton Classic, which will allow each finalist and three guests to attend the horse show from August 26 through September 2. 

The contest was a new addition to this year’s horse show and the brainchild of the Hampton Classic Executive Director Shanette Barth Cohen.