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Spotsylvania singer Anthony Campbell and his hometown fans will learn whether he is 'Today' show's top vocalist. Date published: 11/20/2003 By MARTY MORRISON Editor's Note: UPDATE - Spotsylvania singer Anthony Campbell was selected as the 'Today' show's top vocalist this morning.
NBC cameras won't be there, but Anthony Campbell fans can still cheer him on this morning at Chancellor Baptist Church when he competes in the final round of the "Today's Superstar" in New York City. On Monday, the King George County native was named one of two finalists in NBC's "Today" show contest. The top crooner will be named during today's 8:30 a.m. segment of the show. This time, Campbell will sing a song he selected, Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed," before the winner is announced. His competition is 24-year-old Ryan Rothe of Piaza, Ill. The contest started with eight contestants chosen from 6,000 audition tapes. Since then, two performers a week have been eliminated by Internet vote. The "Superstar" winner will headline the performance next Wednesday morning at a "Today" show concert at Rockefeller Plaza outside NBC studios. All eight finalists will have a part in the show. If he wins, Campbell will sing an original song written for him by singer-songwriter Billy Mann. Mann has written songs for renowned singers including Carole King, Celine Dion and Chaka Khan. The top vocalist will get a recording session with Warner Bros., which could lead to a record contract. After snagging the final two spots Monday, Campbell and Rothe were ushered to Mann's Manhattan studio for rehearsals of their songs. "He was very excited about the song he's written for me," Campbell said yesterday. "It's a very nice song." Meanwhile, area friends and supporters already have filled two buses for a whirlwind trip to Wednesday's concert should Campbell win. Chancellor Baptist Church's pastor, the Rev. Eric Goforth, said plans are in the works for reserving another bus if there's enough interest. For more information, call the church at 786-6927. Campbell can count on having his own local cheering section today in New York. Campbell's mother, Louise, godmother, Anna Hughes, and sister, Alice Moore, will join his wife, Ruth, and 20-month-old son, Elijah, in the plaza. It was Moore who coaxed her brother into recording an audition tape to enter the talent search. Until then, he hadn't known the contest existed. Campbell's quest for the "Superstar" spot has captured the interest of his favorite professional football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. A notice on the Steelers' official Web site carried the headline "Vote for Anthony Campbell," with a link to the "Today's Superstar" Web site for voting. Campbell was quoted in a recent Free Lance-Star story as saying that his dream is to sing the national anthem at a Steelers game at Heinz Field. To reach MARTY MORRISON: 540/374-5423 mmorrison@freelancestar.com
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