Growing up, Michael Jennings loved music, but he never imagined he’d one day be unabashedly singing in front of crowds.
“My mom and sister used to sing and dance in front of me and I used to be so embarrassed! Now I sing in front of everyone; I guess I always had it in my blood,” he said.
Jennings, who performs at birthdays, weddings and charity events, climbed up the karaoke stage at the Pelican Isle recently to a mellow crowd of 15 or so regulars.
The audience cheered and tapped their feet to Jennings’ rendition of “What Do You Think About That,” by Montgomery Gentry.
Jennings is preparing the song for his upcoming performance at Karaoke Scene magazine’s annual competition Songburst ’09, a four-weekend series that begins Saturday at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.
“I participated last year but I was new then,” he said. “I know a lot more people now and I’ve been getting my name out there.”
When Jennings began singing, it was his wife, Fonda, who bought him his first karaoke machine.
“Back then he didn’t want to sing in front of anyone,” she said. “Now he loves it. He’s always singing at home; he’s just a lot happier when he sings.”
Jennings grew up in Huntington Beach in a mobile home with his mother and sister.
“We always lived very simple. I was never used to being rich and fancy,” he said. “Even now, my family and I have a simple house. It’s really nice, though, because I keep it very clean. I’ve always been a clean freak.”
When he is not singing karaoke, Jennings’ main business is cleaning homes and offices.
His clients know him as the happy guy who sings along loudly to his headphones as he cleans.
Although his business is important to him, Jennings likes to fit his schedule around singing.
“I wake up at 4 a.m., work for a couple of hours, go surfing with my kids, work a few more hours, take a nap, and then go singing from 7 to 11 at night.”
Jennings has been performing at Pelican Isle for more than a year on Tuesdays and Thursdays and has made more than a few fans.
Stephanie Stricklin, who has been a server at Pelican Isle for a year, has known Jennings ever since she started working there.
“I think he has a very nice voice and a great choice of songs,” she said. “Overall this is a fun place to go singing, dancing, and even to bring your family and kids.”
