As confetti fell at the sold-out Park West theater, Jason E. Jackson was crowned Chicago’s karaoke champion Sunday night in the first-ever citywide competition.

“I’m floored and I am so honored,” said Jackson, who donned a shiny gold bow tie with a black shirt and a pinstriped vest and pants.


Jackson’s renditions of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness and a show-stopping performance of the opera aria “Nessun Dorma” that brought the crowd to its feet earned him bragging rights and a $5,000 prize presented by Mayor Lori Lightfoot — who herself sang “Dancing in the Street” by Martha & The Vandellas as the judges deliberated.

“It’s been a gift to be in the presence of these incredible artists and performers,” Lightfoot told the crowd, before assuring the competition will be back next year.


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Jackson, a 45-year-old Edgewater resident, said he opted for an opera number as a way to stand out from the competition. It was clear immediately the gamble paid off. One judge told Jackson he “touched everyone here” and another called the performance “truly mesmerizing.”