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.”

Technically I was drunk (big surprise) and asked her if she liked a tongue up her ass.

Again, your comprehension needs work.