Studio seeks local singers for competitive TV show

Comedian Mark K. Brown will be the host of ‘Your Time to Shine.’

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — “Your Time to Shine,” a locally produced talent competition television show, is looking for singers.

The show is the brainchild of Deb’orah Benton, host of the “Valley Gold Show” and the head of LinMar Strategies for Entertainment, a broadcast production company based in downtown Youngstown.

Once a large enough pool of talent is assembled, “Your Time to Shine” will begin airing on a local television station, said Benton.

The show will be hosted by comedian Mark K. Brown of Youngstown.

Brown is an East High graduate who also works as an insurance adjuster.

The competition is broken down into five categories: male and female soloists, group, spoken word and teens and under. The winner of each category, which will be selected by the audience, will receive a cash prize.

Auditions are held each Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in LinMar’s offices in the National City Bank Building, 16 Wick Ave., Suite 621.

For more information, call (330) 746-1109, or go to linmarstrategies.com.

The show is designed to showcase the Mahoning Valley’s talent.

“People are so surprising,” said Benton.

“Even the shyest individuals seem to rise to the occasion when they realize that those cameras are rolling. And when they don’t feel they’ve done very well, they aren’t ashamed to cry, regardless of age.”

Benton said that celebrity guests that she’s interviewed on “The Valley Gold Show” have agreed to serve as talent judges during the final phases.

The regular panel of judges for the show will include recording artist Booker T. Newberry; gospel singer and talent agent Gwen Morgan; singer-songwriter-producer Jeff Green; recording artist Joyce Jones; and classical vocalist Karen Clark Green.