Nashville: Amanda Tittle Wins 7th Annual Orpheum Star Search Finals

Amanda Tittle, a Memphis native and current sophomore at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, was chosen as the winner of the seventh annual Orpheum Star Search Finals. Tittle won with her vocal performance of Black Coffee. Tittle won a $3,000 EE savings bond and the opportunity to perform at the 2010 Jefferson Awards in Washington D.C.

Ashley Wieronski, a Southaven native and current sophomore at the University of Alabama, placed second with her rendition of Astonishing. Wieronski received a $2,000 savings bond.

Henry Lui, a junior at Madison Academic Magnet High School in Jackson, Tenn., finished third with his piano performance of Danzas Argentinas, Movements I & III. Lui received a $1,500 savings bond.

In addition to the three winners selected by a panel of celebrity judges, this year's competition featured a People's Choice winner that was voted on by the audience. Rakeem Sprinkle, a senior at Bolton High School and a Bartlett native, became the first recipient of this award for his vocal rendition of A Change is Going to Come. Sprinkle won a $750 savings bond.

Eleven local finalists represented the entire Mid-South, performing with a live band accompaniment on the Orpheum stage in front of family, friends, fans, and Memphis music insiders.

The annual Orpheum Star Search is more than a talent competition; it is a chance to showcase the finest young musical talent the Mid-South has to offer. With more than 100 participants auditioning each year for the opportunity to perform on the Orpheum stage, the program continues its commitment to preserving the musical heritage of Memphis.