Edgewater native wins $5K in Chicago Sings Karaoke competition

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Edgewater native Jason Jackson is now the newly crowned champion of the Chicago Sings Karaoke competition.

His choice of song brought down the house at Park West in Lincoln Park.

"Everybody was fantastic, so I knew that every person was going to figure out a way to make themselves stand out. And, that was the way that I knew to make myself stand out. And, I love opera. I appreciate classical music very much. I got some training in that," Jackson said.

The 45-year-old beat out more than 500 contestants vying for the top spot.

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And no, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was not a contestant. She and the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events kicked off the citywide competition last month, holding auditions at 18 venues across Chicago.

Six performers made it to the finals, but after competing in two rounds, that six came down to only one.

Chicago has announced six finalists in the first-ever citywide karaoke competition.

As the winner, Jackson walks away with $5,000. His advice to competitors next year is to just have fun.