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TV audience to tune in to local folk-rockers
By JORGE SANCHEZ
© St. Petersburg Times, DUNNELLON -- Folk-rockers Jon Semmes and the Florida Friends have won the final competition of the national Next Big Star television show, hosted by Ed McMahon. The local band, which plays regularly at many venues such as Rock Crusher Canyon and Jake's Bar and Grill, submitted a video of their song Raised Right at Home to the show. Fans who cast computer votes advanced the band through several early rounds of competition. The band won the final competition last week, Semmes said. They will fly to Las Vegas soon to appear on the show. "I'm very happy," Semmes said. "This contest was voted on by our supporters, and we have just a great bunch of fans." Semmes said he was also humbled to get votes from Next Big Star Web site, visitors who probably never saw the band perform live but voted for them after seeing the video. "Our shows just keep getting better and better, and so do our arrangements," he said. Semmes has been performing for many years in Citrus County, but in the past year, since forming The Florida Friends, his career has picked up momentum. The band plays practically non-stop at bars and restaurants as well as concert halls and festivals. Band members are Semmes, Ingrid Ellis, Pete Hennings and Pete Price. Semmes said he doesn't know many details about the show or what prizes it offers. "We won, that's my prize," he said. Next Big Star is carried by PAX TV, channel 66 in Tampa. Neither Time Warner Cable nor Adelphia Cable, the cable companies serving Citrus County, carries the PAX television channel.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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