VOCALIST FEATURED ON NATIONALLY-SYNDICATED SHOW

Andy Warhol maintained that everyone would receive 15 minutes of fame in his or her lifetime. If this is true, Kristin Swinford of Jackson has a few remaining minutes to collect but, for now, she's more than flattered with her most recent taste of fame.

Swinford, a junior at Jackson High School, was recently featured as a vocalist on the nationally-syndicated talk radio show of conservative commentator Ken Hamblin. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Lisa Swinford of Jackson.

Hamblin, featured on 70 radio stations nationwide including the local station KZIM, begins each day's broadcast by playing "The Star-Spangled Banner." Several weeks ago, Hamblin requested listeners to submit tapes of their own performances of the national anthem to be played at the start of the show. Swinford's mother Lisa heard the request and encouraged Kristin to submit a recording.

"I had performed the national anthem before during a basketball game and I thought this would be a good opportunity so we made an appointment at Riverside Recording Studio and recorded it," said Kristin Swinford.

Swinford mailed her acappella version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to Hamblin's Denver, Colo., studio and in exactly one week, on Feb. 16, the song was featured on the air.

"I found out about the song being played when I got home and had a message on the answering machine from [Hamblin's] production manager saying that the song had been broadcast and that they were sending us a taped copy," said Lisa Swinford.

Kristin and Lisa agree that Hamblin's complimentary comments were nearly as flattering as having the song featured on the air. When the song was finished, Hamblin compared Kristin's voice to those of the Sirens in Homer's "The Odyssey."

"I was very shocked," Kristin said when asked about her response to the broadcast. "It was exciting and it came as a big surprise."

Cecily Baker, producer of the "Ken Hamblin Show," said members of the program's staff were unanimously impressed with the young woman's voice.

"I think she has an exceptional voice and I think her version of the national anthem reminded all of us here of Sandy Patty's version and Sandy Patty has one of the best versions of the national anthem out there," said Baker. "[Swinford] is only 17 but she really has an excellent voice."

Before appearing on the Hamblin show, Kristin Swinford had distinguished herself as a vocalist by earning top ratings in state choir competition as a member of the junior high and high school choirs at Jackson. She has taken formal vocal lessons sporadically since the sixth grade and performed at a number of school, church and civic events. She hopes to make a career of music.

"I hope to get a scholarship in music and pursue a degree in performance," said Kristin Swinford. "Hopefully, I won't just study singing. I hope I'll study piano, too, because I would like to be well-rounded in music."