Visually-impaired singer makes history by winning 'Project SuperStar'

www.channelnewsasia.com; Singapore; September 3, 2005

A staggering 1.1 million viewers tuned in to watch Kelvin Tan make history in Singapore on September 1 night. On the 'Project SuperStar' finals, he became the first visually-impaired person to win a national singing contest.

Kelvin Tan 'out-sang' his nearest competitor, Kelly Poon, taking home nearly three-quarters of the SMS and phone votes.

Of the 533,000 votes cast, Kelvin took 64% of the pie and Kelly, 36%. Their CD sales contributed to 30% of their final scores. Kelvin sold 12, 239 CDs while Kelly sold 11,319 CDs.

Many feel that "Project Superstar" is more than just a talent competition. "It's really seeing how a man in the streets, how an ordinary person can become a superstar. How people around us, their hopes, their aspirations can be turned into reality," said Chang Long Jong, Deputy Group C.E.O. of MediaCorp TV.