GigMasters Reveals 2008 Rising Star Award Winners

The country's best in live music, impersonators and other event entertainment

REDDING, Conn., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The results are in! GigMasters.com, the #1 online entertainment booking service, today revealed its annual "Rising Star Award" winners for 2008, based on outstanding achievement in live music and event entertainment bookings. The 154 winners were selected from GigMasters nationwide database of over 5,500 top-quality, client-rated entertainment acts.

GigMasters' entertainers earned $13.7 million dollars in 2008, while performing at weddings, special events, clubs, parties, and other venues. The winners today represent the highest earning GigMasters entertainers throughout North America. Here are just some of the GigMasters' 2008 Rising Star Award winners:

    Acoustic Guitarist      Pino De Fazio                  Austin, TX
    Bagpiper                Michael Lancaster              Denver, CO
    Beatles Tribute Band    Magical Mystery Tour           Los Angeles, CA
    Clown                   Sunny The Clown                Yonkers, NY
    Comedian                Chris Linn                     Los Angeles, CA
    Cover Band              The Trip                       Laguna Beach, CA
    DJ                      In the Mix USA                 Cartersville, GA
    Elvis Impersonator      Rick Torres                    Santa Clara, CA
    Face Painter            Face Painting By Jazzana       Oakland, NJ
    Harpist                 Melody: A Winning Combination
                             of Harp & Voice               Daytona Beach, FL
    Hypnotist               A Touch Of Magic Comedy
                             and Hypnosis Entertainment    Saint Paul, MN
    Jazz Band               B.D. Lenz                      Hackettstown, NJ
    Juggler                 Matt Jergens                   Westerville, OH
    Latin Band              Jose Conde Y Ola Fresca        Brooklyn, NY
    Magician                Keir Royale                    Denver, CO
    Mariachi Band           Acapulco Mariachi Trio         San Jose, CA
    Marilyn Monroe
     Impersonator           Janet as Marilyn Monroe        Las Vegas, NV
    Motivational Speaker    Jon Petz                       Columbus, OH
    Pianist                 J P Daine                      Houston, TX
    Psychic                 L'Oracle                       Charlottesville, VA
    Santa Claus             Santa Don                      Medina, OH
    Steel Drum Band         The Caribbean Crew             Longwood, FL
    String Quartet          Amadeus String Ensembles       Denver, CO
    Ventriloquist           Tom Crowl                      Westminster, MD
    Violinist               Jennifer Argenti               Los Angeles, CA

To see the complete list of winners go to: http://www.gigmasters.com/RisingStars2008

GigMasters.com(C) is the #1 online entertainment booking service, guiding party planners and hosts to the right entertainment for every event. With the Internet's largest nationwide database of client-rated performers for live music and variety entertainment, this Redding, CT-based business boasts a database of over 5,500 performers including live bands, wedding musicians, party DJs, impersonators, hypnotists, stand-up comedians, jazz trios, bagpipes, string quartets, soloists and more. GigMasters.com has helped facilitate more than 50,000 bookings since its inception in 1997, including over 20,000 in 2008 alone. The site, which was founded by Kevin Kinyon and Michael Caldwell, attracts 20,000 daily visits*, throughout North America. GigMasters.com is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau, TRUSTe, and is also a VeriSign Secured website. For more information, please visit www.gigmasters.com.

*Source: Google Analytics

    CONTACT:
    Bethridge Toovell - Public Relations      Marissa Latshaw - Marketing
    bethridgegoode@hotmail.com                mlatshaw@gigmasters.com
    cell: (917) 821-4249                      cell: (203) 249-2958