Ray Barnett never really considered himself a rock star, but some friends of the general manager at Harley Davidson of Ocala knew he could
sing. Before he knew it, he was a contestant in Marion County’s pseudo-“American Idol” contest. Barnett and eight other Ocala residents will show off their talents Friday evening at Rock Star Ocala, a rock ’n’ roll charity event to benefit the PACE Center for Girls. “I try to do what I can to help kids,” Barnett said. “It’s a wonderful charity, and it should be fun.” Rock Star Ocala will feature a round of nine and then a round of five, with votes being bought for $5 each. Contestants will sing a song karaoke-style in the first round, while the five finalists will sing a song with Nite Call, a band made up of local physicians. This event replaces a battle-of-the-bands format that PACE used previously, PACE Academic Adviser Megan Stone explained. Contestants have diverse backgrounds, including Jimi Lee, a local musician and singer, and Ken Daley, the president of Bernie Little Distributing who just happens to shred on a guitar but is a little unsure about his vocal capabilities. “At least I have aged better then Keith Richards or Steven Tyler, so I’ve got that going for me.” PACE’s Stone herself is a participant, representing the nonresidential, gender-specific program for girls experiencing conflict in school and at home. The organization is geared toward preventing high school drop-outs, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy and drug addiction, she said.
Stone plans on singing “Me and Bobby McGee” in the first round and following it up with Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.”