SING IT, FRANK

J.J. Edmonds roams the tables and gets his kicks singing songs made famous by Sinatra.

Citseka Staples and J.J. Edmonds were strangers until Edmonds captivated her attention with the tune "The Lady is a Tramp" during karaoke night at Papa Bear's Daquiris Tuesday.

"Sing it, Frank," shouted Staples, 21, as she swayed to Edmonds' convincing imitation of one of Frank Sinatra's hit singles. "He's got it down," observed someone from the crowd Tuesday night. "Ol' blue eyes is back."

Edmonds has become something of a local karaoke favorite at Papa Bear's, Port Cape Girardeau and Griffin's -- three of many local nightspots that give wannabe entertainers a chance to get up and sing along with well-known songs.

Edmonds, whose previous performing experience was as a member of the follies revue long ago presented by the city's Jaycees, first acted on the urge to pick up a microphone and test his pipes in front of an karaoke audience just over a year ago. He has been singing the strains of Sinatra and Bobby Darin ever since.

"I'm not trying to be discovered or anything," said Edmunds, a 52-year-old sales rep. "It's a lot of fun and it beats singing in the shower or in the car. It's playing off the people that makes it so enjoyable."

Edmonds' second song was "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin. He strolled to various tables and delivered the lyrics with the aplomb and relaxation of an accomplished nightclub singer.

Added Edmonds, "Ever since I saw Sinatra at Kiel in St. Louis I've wanted to see if I could sing his stuff. I'm not trying to pretend it's the same, though."

Staples thought Edmonds' version was close enough. "My parents played Sinatra records all the time when I was growing up in Decatur, Ill.," she said. "This guy is pretty good."

Perhaps it was just talent recognizing talent that enabled Edmonds to connect with Staples and her group of three other Southeast Missouri State students.

Staples, Trena Anderson, Natissia Wade and Eva Tabb arrived at Papa Bear's wearing sleek black gowns and quiet confidence. This would be their first taste of karaoke. The allure of playing to a revved up audience proved to be an unexpected bonus.

As the four students turned their backs to the crowd to prepare for their song, "Give Him Something to Feel" by En Vogue, patrons moved closer en masse as if drawn by magnetism. The song wasn't among those listed in the karaoke booklet, but that didn't keep the show from going on.

"I didn't even know what to expect," Anderson said after singing the song. "I couldn't believe it when I turned around and saw all those people so close to us. It was kind of exciting and maybe a little scary."

The quartet had won a lip-sync contest on campus earlier in the evening. "Someone said we should try the same song here, so we did," Staples said. "I think I'd like to try this again. Singing is a lot more fun than lip-syncing."

On Thursday night Jenny Adams cradled the microphone at Griffin's with the self-assurance of someone who is no stranger to the stage. Her first song was "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone.

"I first heard that song when I was 3 and loved it," Adams, a theater major at Southeast Missouri State, said. "I guess the reason I like karaoke is that it gives you the chance to put your personality into the song.

"Even if it doesn't sound like the original artist, the crowds are usually forgiving enough to not laugh at you or anything."

Adams said the karaoke singers she listened to a year ago have graduated to a higher level. "It seems like everybody is a cut above what they were when they first got started," she said.

Karaoke provides KGMO 100.7 radio personality Troy Treasure an outlet to relax after handling the microphone in a different capacity during the day. "I first got started on karaoke when I was working for a radio station in Pennsylvania," Treasure said. "I've been hooked on it ever since."

Treasure said he usually can count on seeing a few familiar faces when he participates in karaoke night at area watering holes. "The same kind of people seem to keep coming back," he said. "Not only is it a good time but you can make friends, too."

For Clayton Burnham and Randy Palen, karaoke satisfies an appetite for "something bluesy." Burnham and Palen entertained Thursday's crowd at Griffin's with the song "Soul Man" by Sam and Dave. "That's a good song to just let it all out," Palen said.

Both Burnham and Palen sang backup for the erstwhile band the Toneheads. They needed something to fill the creative void once the band broke up. "Karaoke was it," Burnham said.

An avid karaoke fan, Randy's mother Shirley has listened to J.J. Edmonds. "J.J. is a very good singer, but he's still not Frank Sinatra," she said. "My daughter was in a show in Vegas and she was able to get someone to introduce me to Sinatra. There's only one blue eyes."

Upon further reflection she added, "But J.J. does Bobby Darin about as well as anybody can. Yeah, he's definitely got Darin down, but nobody touches Sinatra."