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The Texas Tenors: Deep in the heart of Grand Junction Oct. 26

Jeremy Herigstad
Cultural Confidential Contributor
The Texas Tenors
Submitted photo |

GO&DO

WHAT: The Texas Tenors performing with the GJ Symphony

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 26

WHERE: GJ High School Auditorium, 1400 N. 5th St.

COST: $25-$35; students $10

INFO: 970-243-6787, gjsymphony.org

Say what you will about reality TV competitions, but the level of talent turned out by such shows as Fox’s “American Idol” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” are nothing short of spectacular.

This writer used to believe a stigma that these newly-crowned “stars” were merely lucking into fame and not putting in the time or effort that some of their similarly talented peers had done for years. While the latter part of that statement may be true, in some instances it does not describe one of the hardest-working ensembles in popular music, The Texas Tenors.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, The Texas Tenors return to the Grand Valley for a one-night engagement with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Grand Junction High School auditorium. When the Tenors arrived in Grand Junction nearly two years ago, they were two years removed from a top-four finish on season four of “America’s Got Talent.”



It was 2008, and three friends — Marcus Collins, JC Fisher and John Hagen — were struggling to pay the bills. On a whim, after having performed together only a couple of times, the trio decided to audition in Houston, Texas, for “America’s Got Talent.” The three friends won the hearts of millions of fans, which landed them into the finals, making them the highest ranking vocal group in the history of the show.

As with most success stories, the road to stardom has been long and winding, Hagen has been paying his dues performing a vast array of operatic roles ranging from Alfredo in “La Traviata” to the title role of “Otello” for the Cleveland Opera on tour and also teaching voice at Wartburg College and the University of Northern Iowa.



Fisher has been entertaining audiences for more than 15 years and performing various roles including Rodolfo in “La Boheme,” Tamino in “The Magic Flute” and Ernesto in “Don Pasquale.” After college, Fisher traveled to Lucca, Italy, where he sang in the Puccini Festival under the direction of acclaimed Italian maestro Lorenzo Malfatti. He then created a home base in Katy, Texas, before sailing the high seas aboard 75+ cruise ships worldwide with his one-man show. This allowed Fisher to create a program with many different genres of music and world class arrangements which eventually led to his idea of forming The Texas Tenors with his two best friends.

Collins may have had the most varied climb to stardom. He first learned how to sing by emulating his favorite radio artists like Garth Brooks and George Michael before training classically in college. Along with numerous talent shows, fairs and cruise ships, Collins has also performed in New York City with the cast of “Hairspray,” off-Broadway’s “Altar Boyz” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and as Jinx in “Forever Plaid.” Beyond music he has worked extensively as an actor with appearances in 100+ episodes of network television, 25 films, and numerous commercials including “P.S. I Love You,” “Across The Universe,” “30 Rock,” “Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles,” “Sex and the City,” and recurring roles on “One Life To Live” and “As The World Turns.”

While opera tours, off-Broadway shows and cruise ship headlining may sound ultra-glamorous, the fact remains that these three gentlemen have paid their dues to get where they are today with a little help from a reality TV competition and millions of overnight fans.

If you missed The Texas Tenors when they stopped in town two years ago, don’t miss this chance when they are here Saturday, Oct. 26. Not only to hear these three seamlessly blend opera, country, classical and Broadway with a bit of humor and cowboy charm but to see them accompanied by your very own Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra.


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