Karaoke still rolling with 20 years of fame

By Bob Behme / Staff Writer

ARROYO GRANDE -- Unlike most Japanese imports, karaoke has become so thoroughly Americanized we think of it as our invention.

In Pismo Beach, it dominates Thursday nights at Harry's Night Club & Beach Bar, and at Bill's Place in Arroyo Grande, it draws crowds of happy aficionados five nights a week.

There are even specialists who can bring karaoke -- complete with special music, flashing lights and a sound system that delivers more decibels than the ear can comfortably accommodate -- straight to your office, birthday party or bar mitzvah.

It's at sanctuaries like Harry's and Bill's Place that true karaoke can be found. There, the music is supplied by trained professionals, and one of the oldest, biggest and best-known is the San Luis Obispo-based California Karaoke, owned by "Doc" and Nancy Thompson. It is their show that keeps crowds returning to Bill's Place.

For anyone unsure what karaoke is, it has been called the new grass-roots music, Mitch Miller for the 21st century, a high-tech form of audience participation and the perfect choice for anyone who likes to sing but is afraid he or she can't.

Paulina Burton, a mortgage broker with Chase Manhattan, has been singing karaoke for five years. She follows the Thompsons from venue to venue and is a Bill's Place regular. Her photo is on the wall, in a place reserved for "Star Performers."

"There is a sense of family here," Burton said. "Doc, Nancy and other regulars are just like family."

Debi Makley, an Arroyo Grande housewife, has been a regular for four years. Until three weeks ago, she was afraid to sing.

"I finally got up the nerve, did it and it's great," Makley said.

Now, Makely can be counted on to belt out two or three songs a night.

August Gabriel, who manages the Nipomo Swap Meet, has a special reason for attending. "I don't drink, but I love to sing in bars," Gabriel explained. "Karaoke is the answer."

Critics see karaoke as the musical equivalent of Andy Warhol's 15 minutes of fame, and Thompson agrees.

"Everyone wants to be an entertainer, and karaoke gives them their three minutes of stardom," he said.

The Thompsons have a library of nearly 4,500 tunes from country-Western and blues to rock, rap and reggae. Each song is specially recorded without a vocalist but with words, digital graphics and special effects dubbed in that show up on a television screen the singer can see.

According to Thompson, when a tune is played, the result is good enough to showcase even the most inexperienced singer.

The concept began in 1984 in a converted boxcar in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Its coined name combines two Japanese words, "kara" and "oke," meaning "empty orchestra" when combined. But as Thompson points out, it is not history but conviviality that draws the crowds.

The rotation of singers is determined by their arrival. Their names are written on slips and placed on a small board.

"It's like a batting order, one singer after the other," Thompson said. "Even on a busy night, each person gets to perform several songs."

While karaoke makes all singers sound good, some seem to have a natural magic.

Rory Aylward, who's nickname is "Hawk," is a television producer from Morro Bay ("Silent Night" shown on Hallmark Theater is one example of his work). One night at Bill's Place, Aylward gave his rendition of the Sinatra standard "The Best Is Yet to Come." His voice, phrasing and rhythm were so close to vintage Sinatra that it seemed almost as though "Old Blue Eyes" had returned.

"Sax," who wouldn't give his real name, is so passionate about karaoke he drives all the way from Atascadero to sing at Bill's Place in the Village of Arroyo Grande. A Japanese import some claim was actually inspired by a 1950s American television show, karaoke offers amateur singers a moment in the spotlight. " TPR photo by Glenn Bolivar.

Joining voices in a karaoke duet at Bill's Place on a recent Monday night are Debi Makley, left, and Nancy Thompson. TPR photo by Glenn Bolivar.

The Thompsons are improbable entrepreneurs. They grew up in Fresno and spent time working in the mental health field. Doc has a doctorate and was a certified psychotherapist for 25 years. Originally he was program director of mental health in Fresno County, and when he moved to private practice, Nancy came with him as office manager.

"We went through a series of events that resulted in a complete change in lifestyle," Thompson said.

The two moved to the Central Coast and, in 1990, heard about karaoke. Almost overnight, Doc bought the necessary equipment. Now, the couple operates five fully equipped systems with clients from Atascadero to Arroyo Grande. Sometimes they work together, as at Bill's Place, and at other times Doc handles one venue while Nancy handles another.

On occasion, they'll even perform. Nancy has a large repertoire, but Doc classifies himself as "a three-song wonder."

"I can do 'Mack the Knife,' 'Love on the Rocks' and 'Blueberry Hill,'" he said.

Their schedule, as well as show times, can be viewed on their Web site, californiakaraoke.com. Shows at Bill's Place run Friday through Tuesday.

One busy night, bartender Ronny Goodgine, prompted by a happy crowd, proclaimed Bill's Place "the karaoke capital of the world."

On a busy night, with a good song playing, a singer at the microphone and line dancers boogying across the floor, one can almost believe it.


February 27, 2004