Karaoke Crazy: The Fad That Just Won't Go Away

Aug. 4, 2011— -- It may be Japan's favorite pastime, but more than thirty-five years after it arrived in the U.S. as a flash in the pan, karaoke is still a craze among Americans. At least 100,000 bars now host karaoke at least once a week, with an estimated 15 million Americans singing karaoke at least once a month. In recent years, online karaoke channels like Karaoke Lounge and dozens of mobile karaoke apps and video games have made it easier for karaoke addicts to channel their inner rock star, crooner, or diva at any time from anywhere.

And karaoke is not just popular with wannabe singing stars: the popular karaoke website karaoketraveler.com posts pictures and videos of celebrities singing karaoke, from "A list" actors like Jude Law and Angelina Jolie, to the often mocked former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who is ironically shown gyrating on stage to a karaoke version of Elvis Presley's "Treat Me Nice."

While Blagojevich will probably not turn his karaoke dreams into a singing career, megastars in the music industry like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood reportedly began their careers singing karaoke. That fact is not lost on the contestants appearing later this month on the first network television series devoted entirely to karaoke. "Karaoke Battle USA" on ABC follows everyday Americans across the country competing in a karaoke sing-off. Unlike reality shows like "American Idol" and "The Voice," which created singing competitions for television, producers of the upcoming "Karaoke Battle USA" wanted to document what goes on behind the scenes and on-stage at the nation's most prestigious karaoke competition.

Wendell Payne, President of Karaoke World Championships USA, says this year's competition is turning out to be the most competitive since KWCUSA began sponsoring the annual event in 2007. "With the television cameras trained on the singers, we're seeing a whole new level of talent turn out, and some of the contestants are blowing it out of the water," says Payne.

At the culmination of the ABC series in September, one male and one female contestant will be named America's Karaoke King and Queen. In addition to the title, the winners will also receive a recording contract and a trip to Killarney, Ireland to represent the U.S. at this year's World Karaoke Championships.

Holding It Together Before a National Audience

While most karaoke aficionados have the courage to sing in front of their family or friends, or even in front of strangers at a bar, what type of person has the confidence to compete for a karaoke title on national television?

Marlene Baruch, a 39-year-old school teacher from Los Angeles, showed up at the competition's regional final in Las Vegas saying, "it's a chance for me to prove to my students that we all have gifts that can be shared with the world." For contestant Lisa Fine, a 37-year-old nurse from Minnesota, karaoke competitions provided an outlet for releasing her anxiety and sadness after the death of her brother. "We have been surprised to see the variety of people who devote so much of their lives to karaoke," says Muriel Pearson, one of Karaoke Battle USA's executive producers. "From factory workers and police officers to scientists and farmers, these are just average Americans who happen to have a passion for karaoke because it brings joy to their life."

Fellow executive producer James Sunderland predicts audiences will be shocked at how well some of the contestants sing. "I can't believe some of these people have never performed outside their local karaoke bar. They're good enough to be playing stadiums."

"Karaoke Battle USA" premieres on ABC on August 12th at 9p.m./ 8pm Central

The Origins of Karaoke

Roughly translated from the Japanese, "karaoke" means "empty orchestra." There are several different theories about when and where the pastime began. One story holds that it started in the 60s in Japan when a local record store owner named Tisaga Takagi noticed how much people loved to sing along with the jukebox. He reportedly came up with the idea of creating music tracks to popular songs without lyrics so people could imitate their favorite singers. In 1999, TIME Magazine gave credit to a different Japanese man, singer Daisuke Inoue, who reportedly built the first karaoke machine in the early 1970s when he and his bandmates realized middle-aged businessmen wanted to sing along with their music. Whatever version you believe, Karaoke was exported to the U.S. in the 70s and became a booming industry here by the mid 80s when the first karaoke video game appeared. Through the years many organizations have tried to determine the most commonly requested karaoke songs of all time, but with no way to accurately record such data, lists are usually determined through polling. A survey of 2,000 Brits named Gloria Gaynor's classic 70s anthem "I Will Survive" the greatest karaoke song of all time, a testament perhaps to the longevity of what was once thought to be just a passing fad.

Saskia Jensen contributed to this report