HANNAWA FALLS – Hannawa Falls businessman Bill Melchior has won Key West, Florida’s biggest karaoke contest.

Melchior finished third last year competing “with mostly professional singers,” he said. The competition wasn’t any easier this year, he said, “but I was better known this year, and I had more of a following.”

Melchior, a graduate of SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music as a vocal music major, was competing for the second year in Key West Aqua Idol at the popular Aqua Night Club.

The weekly performances of the contest began in January with 20 singers starting with a song a night from each, from a genre chosen by the organizers. In the last four weks, competitors sang two songs a night.

Melchior has been singing at karaoke nights in the North Country for years.

Now that he’s semi-retired from work at his Northwestern Mutual Finance office on Market Street he has been devoting more time and energy to his performances.

The contest raised money for a local opera house, and Melchior went home with the $3,500 top prize.