America's got talent, the lake's got Rick
Jennifer Hollis/Lake Media
By Jennifer Hollis
lakenewsonline.com
Posted Nov 04, 2009 @ 09:15 AM
Osage Beach, Mo. —
Rick Arnall spent part of last summer hoping singer Kevin Skinner would win on the
most recent season of "America's Got Talent."
"I'm for the underdog, I always have been," he said.
Skinner did go on to win the show's top prize — $1 million and a headline show in
Las Vegas.
Now Arnall hopes its his turn, and he's one step closer to making that a reality.
The process
Arnall pre-registered for the audition show about four months ago. They called him
up to Chicago for a preliminary audition. That in itself, Arnall said, was and wasn't
a surprise.
"We registered online," he said. "So, I was surprised and expecting it at the same
time."
On Oct. 16 he drove up to Chicago for the audition that would take place the next
day. Arnall said he waited in a line for hours to make it inside.
"(I waited) in the cold, in the rain, in the snow, in the sleet," he said, partially
joking.
He said the auditions were conducted in groups of five. For his, he chose to sing
the song "I Told You So," originally sung by Randy Travis, and although he came prepared
with background tracks, he sang the audition a cappella.
While in Chicago, Arnall said he also got to meet the show's host, Nick Cannon, and
watch some show promotions get taped.
But now, Arnall said he is waiting patiently for a phone call that will let him know
if he made it to the next round, which will include an audition in front of the three
celebrity judges and the coveted "ticket to Vegas."
He said the next taping is going to be in Chicago,but he won't know anything until
probably a few months.
"I hate waiting, that's one of my worst virtues," he said.
About Arnall
Originally from Marshfield, Mo., Arnall has been a police officer with the Osage
Beach Police Department for the last 10 years. He also served one year in the U.S.
Air Force after high school.
But Arnall has been performing since he was 10-years-old — that was the year his
dad bought him his first guitar, a Christmas gift.
"I've always loved listening to music, and I would listen to the Grand Ole Opry with
a little AM radio under my pillow at night," he said.
His performace resume includes playing on "Ozark Country Jubilee," and with Presley's
Mountain Music, Baldknobbers in Branson and guest appearances with KC Opry in Kansas
City. He opened for country legend George Jones in 1977.
"I had a band, and we got invited to front for him at the fair in Conway, Mo.," Arnall
said.
In his personal life, Arnall has been married for 28 years to his wife, Debra, and
they have two daughters, Lynn Harper, 26, and Alecia, 24, and four grandchildren,
Taylor, 6, Braden, 4, Titus, 3, and Jared, 1.
From here
Arnall said if he did get on the show and go on to win, the same way Skinner did,
he would find a way to share his winnings.
"I would set up an account so that the interest would be used to help people that
needed help with things," he said. "The rest of it would be spent paying bills and
fixing the house."
Though Arnall knows he's not yet on the platform to perform for the "nation's biggest
talent show," not getting on wouldn't kill his dream.
"My mom always called me being a ham," he said. "I love being in front of people.
I love to perform. I just absolutely love performing."
Contact this reporter at
jennifer.hollis@lakemediaonline.com

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