Final “Sing Off” competitor has ties to Mission Valley
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Mission Valley fans of “The Sing Off” on NBC may have noticed a familiar face recently.
Jon McLemore, a former Polson resident who married Mission Valley Christian Academy alum Amanda Burton, competed in NBC's television show "The Sing Off.”
"The Sing Off" is a competition for a capella singing groups, and Jon sings with Streetcorner Symphony, one of the four groups who made it to the finals last fall.
While Jon's singing career has put many miles between them recently, it was also music that brought the couple together. Jon met Amanda when he performed with a group called Foreshadow at a Folk Shop series concert at Polson High School.
Following the couple's marriage in 2000, the family has moved numerous times.
About a month and a half ago, the McLemore’s moved to Lewistown. The family has traveled around the country, living in Alaska, Florida and Montana to promote Jon’s singing career and for his ministry. Jon preaches at the Lewistown Church of Christ and received a Bachelor Degree in divinity in August.
Jon had to be in Los Angeles for a month for a show last August and has been back and forth several times, leaving Amanda with the five little McLemores, who range in age from 10 to three. The family proudly cheered him on from home as they watched episodes of the show and the finale on TV.
“We’ve been through so much,” Amanda said. “They don’t call them starving artists for no reason.”
Amanda commented on how thankful she is for the support of family and friends and particularly their church community who helped them celebrate with pizza for the kids as they watched the finale.
“I’m just gonna be bawling when I watch the show tonight,” Amanda admitted the morning of the final competition.
Although Streetcorner Symphony placed second in the finals, the network TV show has brought nationwide attention to the group. That attention has garnered the group a contract with Sony and a booking agent. Streetcorner Symphony recently performed a concert with Allison Krauss in Nashville.
“Their calendar is filling up pretty quickly,” Amanda said.
As far as where the McLemores will live, she explained her family is still trying to "figure that out."
"We love Montana," Amanda said. "But we might have to relocate to Nashville."
