Robert Combs wins final Sand Springs Sings preliminary

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The third and final Sand Springs Sings preliminary vocal contest went down Tuesday evening in the downtown Triangle District, advancing three more local singers to the November 24th finale.

Robert Combs (Tulsa) took first place. Makenzee Rader (Sand Springs) placed second and Alyssa Jason (Berryhill) placed third.

Troy Dixon, an Oklahoman National Guardsman from Sand Springs, entertained the crowd with a pair of classic Frank Sinatra songs. Ali Ellison (Cleveland) performed Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.” Roger Rister (Glenpool) gave a soulful rendition of “Long Black Train” by Josh Turner.

One of the most unique performances of the concert series was from Bulgarian native Mariana Rankin. Rankin performed an original a cappella song in her native tongue about her life growing up in an orphanage.

Miscee Smith, Heather Rogers, and Kimberly Bullard advanced from the first concert. Miscee and Dennis Smith performed as a duo in August, but only Miscee will be competing in the finals.

Alohilani Mayor, Bryanna Swan, and Mylin Gipson advanced from the second event. Gracee Shriver placed second in September but dropped out and Gipson was named as alternate. Combs was the only man to earn a top three-spot during the series.

All nine finalists will compete on November 24th prior to the Sand Springs Small Business Coalition’s Second Annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Festivities will begin at noon and the vocal contest will go from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sand Springs Sings: Mayor, Shriver, and Swan advance to finals

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The inaugural Sand Springs Sings vocal competition is shaping up to be a serious lesson in girl power.

Alohilani Mayor, Gracee Shriver, and Bryanna Swan took the top three spots at the September 4th semifinal competition and will advance to the finals in November.

The concert series is hosted by the Sand Springs Small Business Coalition in the heart of the historic downtown Triangle District. 

Mayor, 21, is a Hawaiian native living in Tulsa. She took top prize with a powerful rendition of Mack Gordon and Harry Warren's "At Last," a song made famous by Etta James in 1960. 

Shriver, a fifteen-year old rising star from Owasso, played acoustic guitar and sang "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane," written by Mark Alan Springer and recorded by Tanya Tucker. Shriver has been performing live since she was eleven years old and has nearly 5,000 followers on her Facebook page. 

Swan, also fifteen, visited from Pawhuska to finish third with a cover of "Cry Pretty" by Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood. 

Several Sandites competed in the event but failed to advance. Kristin Shipley, 16, adapted Linkin Park's "Invisible" for the ukulele. Kitty Fueshko, a Clyde Boyd Middle School math teacher, sang "God Bless the USA." Troy Dixon, a CPHS Class of 2003 graduate and National Guardsman, sang "Dream the Impossible Dream" while dressed in uniform. 

Other competitors were George Allen (61, Sand Springs), Ali Ellison (19, Cleveland), Jesse Kennard (Cleveland), Roger Rister (Glenpool), and Mylin Gipson (Tulsa). 

Mayor, Shriver, and Swan will join Dennis Smith (Sand Springs), Heather Rogers (Sand Springs), and Kimberly Bullard (Tulsa) in the finals on Small Business Saturday, November 24. One final preliminary will be held on Tuesday, October 2nd.