Thursday May 15 at the Northern Lights Theater in Milwaukee.

The Colgate Country Showdown is designed to find the most promising country music talent in America and give these performers a chance to launch their music careers. In a nutshell it's a contest to find the most marketable Country music performer in America.

The winner will go on to the state Championship, then Regional and finally the National contest being held in Nashville. Michael didn't win, but his performance of Jason's Song was wonderful. One of the officials said, "Michael's guitar playing was absolute perfection and his voice was solid, smooth and strong."

With 26 contestants participating in the Milwaukee event, this contest was actually won by Brianna Skye, a High School Senior who appeared with her own band. Her voice and stage presence was excellent and the judge's choice for a marketable Country personality was right on targets. Michael said, "I knew I was in trouble when the curtain opened on Brianna and her band."

Colgate Country Showdown Final Footnote:

Out of 50,000 contestants in the Showdown Brianna Skye made it all the way to the final six contestants and was televised nationally on April 17th 2004.

Brianna Sky - This 18 year-old began singing at the age of five and has been performing ever since. Currently attending school to become a cosmetologist, Brianna has performed more than 70 shows this past year alone, including at Country Thunder for an unprecedented second straight year. Brianna has shared the stage with Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson, Sherri Austin, and JoDee Messina. She won the WMIL competition at Northern Lights Theater in Milwaukee, the Wisconsin State Final at the State Fair and then the Midwest Regional at the Royal River Casino in Flandreau, S.D.

And the Winner is:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 19, 2004) --- The Drew Davis Band sponsored by KXFG Radio in Temucula, CA has won the grand prize of $100,000 and the title “Best New Artist in Country Music.” The band includes Drew, Jaysen Hawks, Loren Ellis, Mo Levone, Robert Malinowski and Micheal Drake. They blend their music with country, pop, rock, bluegrass into a contemporary style of West Coast Country. They won the South California State Final at Pharaoh’s Lost Kingdom in Colton and the Northwest Regional at the Granada Theater in The Dalles, OR.

The Stage of the Northern Lights Theater in Milwaukee


Michael playing his incredible sounding Tacoma guitar