STAR SEARCH: 10-Year-Old Girl Delivers Heart-Melting Rendition Of “Blue” By LeAnn Rimes

Star Search Has Returned, What Happened During Episode 1?

30 years after LeAnn Rimes released her rendition of “Blue” at the age of 13, another young performer brought the song back on Star Search.

Star Search was a talent competition series that originally ran from 1983 to 1995. The program resumed in 2003 and aired until 2004, with country star Naomi Judd of The Judds as one of the judges.

After a 22-year hiatus, Star Search returned on Tuesday (January 20). Netflix picked up the new season, which features judges Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chrissy Teigen, and Jelly Roll. Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson serves as the host.

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So what happened during the Star Search premiere? The first episode of the season featured contestants in four categories: Junior Music, Dance, Variety, and Music Group. Each category featured two performers in a head-to-head face-off.

Viewers who tuned in to the premiere got to vote in real time for their favorite contestants. Their votes (recorded in “stars”) were added to the judges’ to reach a final score. The contestant with the highest score in each category advanced to the next stage of the competition.

10-Year-Old Blair Kudelka Charms The Star Search Judges With “Blue”

The Junior Music category featured two adorable competitors: 11-year-old Eric Adrien Williams and 10-year-old Blair Kudelka.

Williams delivered a captivating cover of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There.” He earned 4.3 stars from the judges and 3.8 from the viewers, bringing his average score to 4.08.

When her turn came, Kudelka treated the Star Search judges to a heart-melting rendition of “Blue.” While most people are familiar with LeAnn Rimes’ 1996 cover of the song, “Blue” was first released in 1958 by its songwriter, Bill Mack.

At age 10, Kudelka is three years younger than Rimes (a Star Search alum herself) was when “Blue” took off and made her a household name. Star Search viewers were thoroughly impressed as Kudelka powered her way through the timeless tune.

Singing in front of a desert scene while dressed like a bona fide cowgirl, Kudelka accented her performance with a few yodels, which generated cheers from the crowd. Still, she seemed nervous, which made parts of her performance a bit shakier than others.

Watch the video below to enjoy Blair Kudelka’s charming performance of “Blue” on the brand-new season of Star Search.

In the end, viewers awarded Kudelka 3.6 stars, while the judges gave her 4.3. Her average total score of 4.00 stars was lower than Williams’ 4.08, so she was eliminated. We wish her the best in the future!