Australian couple
Mark and Jay O'Shea have reached the final 10 of
Can You Duet, the American country music equivalent of Australian Idol.
More than 5000 country star hopefuls auditioned, but only two performers will make the final cut to become country music's next great duo on the second season of the popular CMT music competition series.
The show is from 'American Idol' producers FremantleMedia North America and attracts an audience of more than 2 million each week.
After rigorous auditions, the O'Sheas, who are performing under the band name O'Shea, are among the final 10 duos that will perform weekly at the famed Nashville Wildhorse Saloon.
Identified as a future star when still a teenager at the 1993 Gympie Country Music Festival, Dalby boy Mark O'Shea has been looking for his big break in Nashville in recent years, along with his wife Jay, who hails from Adelaide.
The O'Sheas are the only competitors from outside North America to reach the final 10.
The winner will not only walk away with massive exposure to the lucrative US market and immediate stardom, but also a recording contract with Big Machine Records.
Hosted by Lance Smith, Can You Duet's panel of celebrity and expert judge/mentors, including country superstar Naomi Judd, one-half of the multi-platinum country duo Big and Rich, Big Kenny, and president and chief executive of Big Machine Records, Scott Borchetta, have the challenge of finding country music’s next great duo.
Unlike other talent competition shows, each contestant on Can You Duet will compete as part of a duo, sometimes working with different partners as the competition progresses.
As a result, viewers will witness first-hand all the on- and off-stage drama to be had in creating a dynamic musical duo.
In addition to critiquing each performance and deciding who will advance to the next round, be sent home, and ultimately be crowned country music’s next great duo, Judd, Borchetta and Big Kenny will also serve as mentors to guide, groom and develop the duos along the way.
The Top Ten Duos are:
• Chelsee & Rob; Chelsee Oaks, 22, Traverse City, Michigan, and Rob Bolin, 22, Traverse City, Michigan;
• Harmon Creek; Spencer Bartoletti, 22, Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and Dessa Zuccaro, 21, Burgettstown, Pennsylvania;
• O’SHEA; Mark O’Shea, 32, Dalby, Qld, and Jay O’Shea, 35, of Adelaide, SA;
• STEEL MAGNOLIA; Josh Jones, 28, Charleston, Illinois, and Meghan Linsey Moore, 23, Ponchatoula, Louisiana;
• THE STELLAS; Brad Stella, 35, Whitby, Ontario, and Marylynne Stella, 34, Oshawa, Ontario;
• JB ROCKET; Jonathan Cox, 18, Lenoir, North Carolina, and Brandon Green, 23, Lucedale, Mississippi;
• MATT & KEEIRA; Matt Boggs, 23, Richardson, Texas, and Keeira Lyn Ford, 24, San Dimas, California;
• ABBY & HOLLY; Abby Fender, 25, Tyler, Texas, and Holly Jackson, 30, Pekin, Indiana;
• RYAN & AVALON; Ryan Larkins, 22, Nashville, Tennessee, and Avalon Peacock, 25, Woodstock, New York; and
• MEMARIE & KASSIE; Memarie Gayle, 37, Baskin, Louisiana, and Kassie Miller, 26, Somerville, Alabama.
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