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Belleville man is Walworth County Fair's first Senior Idol

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2010 Walworth County Fair

Photos taken by Gazette photographers at the 2010 Walworth County Fair.

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ELKHORN — It was a little bit country.

It was a little rock and roll.

But it was the yodeling that took the cake.

Four people competed Thursday evening in the finals for the first-ever Senior Idol competition at the Walworth County Fair. The show took place in the pleasant shade of the Park Stage, which was decorated in tie dye and paisley in keeping with the fair's "Gettin' Groovy" theme.

The song might not have been groovy, but it came straight out of 1965: John Fahey of Belleville won the contest, singing The Vogues' "Five O'clock World."

"Your song selection was great," said judge Gene Conelli with GNO Productions. "The falsetto flip and the yodel … you were right on the money, man."

For his efforts, Fahey was awarded $500 and the privilege of opening for the Beach Boys on Sunday night at the fair.

Senior Idol was a bit of a deviation from the fair's Country Idol contest, which wrapped up later Thursday night. It featured fewer low-rise jeans and sequined belts, for example.

None, actually.

Country Idol performers tend to be younger, but the Senior Idol contest was limited to people 60 years or older.

Nine people competed in the Senior Idol semifinals Aug. 6.

Thursday night's performances were a little more conservative than that of the Country Idol competition. But the four contestants had fun with the judges and the audience.

Second-place winner David Shelton of Lake Geneva was the performer who kept the audience chuckling. He started his show with a story about the Mexican vacation when his wife, Sharon, switched to tequila from her usual zinfandel.

"It's a beautiful ballad," Shelton said of his song choice—Joe Nichols' "Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off," which he dedicated to Sharon.

Giggling in the front row, Sharon said, "It was just one time," to the people sitting next to her.

Two judges thought fourth-place performer Gary Wolski of Delavan should have stuck to the Neil Diamond music he nailed during the semifinals.

But judge Jeff Auberger with Preservation Homes liked the change.

"I was glad to see you step out of your envelope a little bit," Auberger said.

Third-place winner Margaret Stewart of Antioch, Ill., wasn't afraid to make an age joke after she nailed Peggy Lee's "Alright, Okay, You Win."

"I can't see you guys," Stewart said to the judges. "I don't have my glasses on."

All three judges raved about Stewart's voice, calling it "sassy and silky."

"It makes our clothes fall off back here behind the judges' table," said judge Gene Covelli.