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Livermore Native Lights Up ABC Singing Show

Meredith McHenry makes her bid to become the winner of ABC's "Karaoke Battle USA."

Meredith McHenry dreamed of being a professional singer – she just went off the career track for a few years.

That all changed this year when the Valley’s Queen of Karaoke was plucked from auditions at Gallagher’s Dublin Pub to become a contender on ABC’s “Karaoke Battle USA.” On Aug. 12, she won the Las Vegas regional championships and advances to the semi-finals – which was shot at L.A.’s House of Blues – and airs at 9 p.m. Sept. 9 on ABC. The finals air Sept. 16.

“(ABC) came here for a home visit, and to see what my day-to-day life is like. Gallagher’s got about three and a half seconds exposure on it, but I hope it gave them some business,” Meredith says. “I wouldn’t be in this position right now if Gallagher’s hadn’t held the contest. I owe a lot to them.”

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She says life has been “kind of crazy” since she won that first audition. Although Meredith now lives in Oakland, she’s a Valley girl with strong ties to Livermore. Her dad Rob and sister Charlee still live here in town, although two other siblings – Stephanie and Ben - have since moved from the area.

“I love Livermore,” she says. “I think of myself as a Livermore girl at heart.”

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Meredith attended and before her parents divorced. She then moved to Pleasanton with her mom, Edi Osborne. Meredith graduated from Amador High School in 1999 believing she had a future in show biz.

While at , Meredith made a splash in the musical theater productions including her role as Carla in “Nine.”

She started singing in local karaoke bars “as soon as I was of legal drinking age.” Her first time at the karaoke mic was at the old Union Jack in downtown Pleasanton.

“I was working full time and going to school, so there wasn’t any time to be rehearsing with bands,” Meredith says. “It was an easy way to stay active with my singing.”

But something happened on the way to her bid for the big lights.

“I really got side-tracked. A great job turned into a phenomenal career, so I put the singing on hold. About the same time I met my ex-husband and decided not to go on with my singing career,” Meredith says. “I wanted to stay home, be close to my family and get married and start building a life around that.”

When the couple divorced in 2008, Meredith decided she needed a fresh start and moved to Pittsburgh, Penn. for a few years. She began singing karaoke again. She decided to move back to the Bay Area a little more than a year ago and now works for Mentor Plus.

“I started doing karaoke here, but had given up on pursuing a career in singing until the contest came along,” Meredith says.

Meredith wowed the judges with her singing, including "Midnight Train to Georgia" and she’s been hailed for her soulfulness and charisma. She’s got a good shot at the finals, although no spoilers will be found here.

The summertime show, hosted by Joey Fatone and judged by Carnie Wilson, music journalist Joe Levy and karaoke champ Brian “The Cowboy” Scott, awards the winner a recording released by Hollywood Records and a trip to compete at the Karaoke World Championships in Ireland later this year.

And if you want to catch up with Meredith on Twitter, her account is @meredithmchenry.

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