BREVARD’S NEXT BIG THING IS BOB MOLETTEIRE!
Bob Moletteire performed like he'd been there before, which he was 15 years ago.
The 51-year-old Indialantic attorney on Saturday was named winner of FLORIDA TODAY's online singing competition, Brevard's Next Big Thing, after performing with the other two finalists at the Melbourne Art Festival.
Other finalists were Anita Cotti, 48, of Malabar, and Majenta Turner, 18, of Palm Bay.
Dressed in blue jeans and a black T-shirt, Moletteire said he felt some of the same adrenaline rush performing live on Saturday as he did in the 1990s, when he performed at the Melbourne Arts Festival. Moletteire sang Ben E. King's "Stand By Me."
"You never lose that rock-star dream," said Moletteire, who told the crowd after being announced the winner that he was donating his $500 in prize winnings to The Daily Bread community kitchen organization. "This contest was so much fun."
The performances came on the opening day of the 25th-annual Melbourne Arts Festival. Organizers estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people attended the festival Saturday.