GREEN COVE SPRINGS — Although it was a cold and rainy Friday evening, that didn’t stop contestants from singing their hearts out at the Clay County Fair’s Star Search competition on April 11. 

Following a brief shutdown due to severe weather, the remainder of the annual event went on without a hitch.

With the coveted "winner' title at stake, 15 adult and youth singers took to the T-Mobile Community Stage in front of a vast crowd of supporters and strangers alike.

Along with custom ribbons, contestants were given cash prizes. First place received $250, second place $125 and third place $75.

Resembling the popular singing competition American Idol, each contestant was brought to the stage to perform their act and listen to comments from the three esteem judges of the night — executive director of the Thrasher-Horne Center Bob Olson, Northeast Florida Publisher for Clay Today Clarice Touhey and Fair Entertainer Dennis Lee.

Following that, the contestants left the stage for a live post-performance interview. 

With a soundtrack ranging from R&B, jazz and country to famous film and musical hits, soulful ballads and electronic dance chart toppers, the singers used their vocal talents to put on a show to remember. 

The Youth Division featured five performances. Ella Heck began the competition with a rendition of “Part of Your World” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Abigail Blackwell followed with “What Does the Fox Say,” Payson Saige with “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” Kali Kersten with “Country Strong” and then Millie Prosser with “I Love Play Rehearsal.” 

In the end, Prosser took home the first-place title, while Saige garnered second place and Kersten won third. 

For Prosser, being on Broadway has always been a dream of hers; hence her song choice, which comes from the stage musical Be More Chill.

"I talked to my voice teacher about it and she recommended that song, and I thought it was a pretty perfect song," Prosser said. "Because I really relate to that song in many different ways." 

She said winning came as a surprise, considering the amount of other skilled singers occupying the competition. 

"I was pretty surprised when I won because there were so many other really talented girls," she said. 

What's in store for her big cash win? A lot of shopping and probably some saving. 

Ten performers competed in the Adult Division. Carlee Raven began with a heartfelt delivery of The Wizard of Oz’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Olivia Rowe followed with “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” Jessica Miller with “Something’s Got A Hold on Me,” Dale Levesque with “Liar,” Michelle Jones with “My Church,” Trennis Miller with “Black Sheep,” Tayler Nichole with “I Care,” Cheylan Amber with “Flowers,” Lillian Michel with “Zombie” and Chuckie Pratt with “The Fireman.” 

Raven took home the first-place title, while Jessica won second place and Trennis earned third. 

Raven said winning the competition was shocking but nonetheless amazing. 

“It’s super exciting. [I’m] quite humbled because I really didn’t think I was going to win,” Raven said. 

She said being a nurse isn’t the only thing that keeps her going. 

She has always had a thing for musicality, singing in church as a little girl. She said it stems from her father, who was a deacon and played music often.

“Our fun time was Sunday afternoon sitting on the porch,” she said. “He played guitar, I [sang], and my dad would play guitar and harmonica. We just had a little family band thing, but we never did anything with it, of course.” 

As for her song choice, Raven said it’s sentimental in more ways than one. 

She said that when she was a little girl, The Wizard of Oz came on every year at 8 p.m. on the dot. But her bedtime was always 9 p.m., cutting her cinematic experience a little short. 

“My big brother knew I loved this movie, and he would always watch it with me and he would always go to bed when I did,” she said. “So, we watched it together as adults for the first time when I was 16 and he was 25. So, it just has a special connection.”

She said he tragically passed away last year on April 11.

“He was like my biggest fan. The person that really pushed me to reach outside my comfort zone. And I just felt like since the date was what it was, that I needed to honor our relationship. I know he’s somewhere over the rainbow.” 

Raven said she plans to donate her cash prize to a special cause. This year, her 15-year-old daughter won her first beauty pageant.

Just like her brother, Raven said she pushed her daughter to get out of her comfort zone and do something she would never do.

She said she hopes to spread some goodness by keeping that mantra going —donating to the pageant's scholarship fund for next year’s winner.