Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 14/05) - Inuvik singer and guitarist Doris Rogers advanced to the semi-finals at the third Northern Idol competition, held last week at the Yellowknife Legion. She performed two songs in front of a packed audience and a panel of judges.

Doris Rogers is hoping her vocal talent will take her all the way to Toronto for next spring's Canadian Idol competitions. She is currently competing in North of 60 Idol in Yellowknife. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

Rogers is one of 16 contestants vying for $10,000 in prizes and a chance to compete for a spot on CTV's Canadian Idol.

She opened softly with the country classic Faded Love, silencing the crowd with her gentle, mature voice. She demonstrated her vocal strength with a cover of Shania Twain's No One Needs To Know.

Rogers performs country songs by a variety of artists, from George Jones to Carlene Carter. She also travels all over the Beaufort Delta to share her gift, from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, Tsiigehtchic to Aklavik. When she learned about the Northern Idol contest, she decided to give it a shot.

"I just wanted to try something new," she said.

The G'wichin Tribal Council, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, Canadian North and her friends and family helped make the trip possible.

Rogers' father James is a fiddle and guitar player with the Delta Good Time Band. Rogers hasn't yet decided if she'll pursue a career in music.

"I haven't made up my mind," she said. "I just like to sing."

Rogers will return to Yellowknife at the end of the month to compete in the semi-finals.