Y Panels

Taylor, we knew you when…

Posted August 17th, 2006 at 3:20 pm by Nicki Dugan, Blog Editor

Number of Comments 8 Comments / Filed in: Behind the Scenes, Trends & News

Television talent show junkies out there know that a pigtailed, yodeling 11-year-old named Taylor Ware was a finalist on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” last night. Well, we’re here to tell you that we discovered her first.

(And we honestly don’t mean to obsess about yodels… but this shtick was too good to pass up.)
Taylor with Filo and Terry
During the summer of 2003, we hosted the Yahoo! Yodel Challenge — a quest to find “America’s Favorite Amateur Yodeler.” We soon discovered there are many more closet yodelers than one might imagine. A posse of Yahoos — joined by singer, songwriter, rancher, horseman and none-other-than the voice behind our yodel, Wylie Gustafson, who hosted the proceedings — traipsed across the country to select eight finalists among hundreds of auditioning contestants from New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Austin. I remember serving as a judge on a particularly warm Seattle morning, the air filled with yodels ranging from delightfully mellifluous to sounds that might emanate from ailing livestock.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, an unassuming brown package arrived at our headquarters from Franklin, Tennessee. Tucked inside was a grainy VHS tape with a little gingham-bedecked girl yodeling her heart out in a barn before an audience of horses. We all looked at each other in knowing silence after watching this phenomenal performance (or maybe we were just thinking back on all those airport check-in lines, hotel breakfasts and staging setups and takedowns). What a voice! And from a four-foot-nothing body! We knew this yodeling protégé had everything it took to win this gig.

And win she did… earning an appearance in a Yahoo! TV ad and a $10,000 prize, which she said would be allocated toward a puppy, pierced ears and a college degree. Oh, and Taylor was invited to be one of the 1,773 people who helped us break the Guinness record for the world’s largest group yodel in our cafeteria.

Check out a little video montage below that we pulled together to demonstrate just how cute those pigtails were three years ago (and here’s our Flickr set with Taylor, Wylie and more contestants).

Taylor, congrats to you. Whether you win tonight or not, can we have your autograph?

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet, Be First!)
Loading ... Loading ...

Post a commentPost a Comment Bookmark ThisBookmark This Digg ThisDigg This

8 Comments Add your own

Comment Brinke Guthrie | August 17th, 2006 at 8:52 pm

Nice yodel; but what happened to the yodel sound on the new Messenger?

Comment daugherb | August 19th, 2006 at 12:06 am

Check out Taylors Finale performance on Americas got Talent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K29yPxlgqHQ

Comment afandan | January 12th, 2007 at 1:41 pm

I’m A big Fan of yodeling,and Taylor is a top notch yodeler(very inpressive)!!!(I know of a lot of yodelers)

Comment El n nicki | May 23rd, 2007 at 2:10 am

yoooooooo ur beat is wikeeed awesome!! we r ur biggeet fans.. im getting ma hair cut just like u :)

Comment bill mccarron | May 24th, 2007 at 10:50 am

wow!!!!!!

Comment bill mccarron | July 12th, 2007 at 8:43 am

enjoyed your yodeling many times.hope to see you more.

bill

Comment Stefan | January 10th, 2008 at 9:30 pm

WOW - SUPER :) very very good !!!!

Comment Ed | March 18th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

I was never a yodeling fan, till I heard Taylor !
This young lady has more talent than anyone I have
ever heard ! I go to her sight every day, and I
never fail to get tears in my eyes ! She is so good !

Post a Comment:

Notes: Please note that Yahoo! may, in our sole discretion, reject comments for any reason we deem appropriate. Links of value to readers are welcome, but please use them sparingly - wield spam and you're banished forever.

This is a moderated site and comments will appear if and when they are approved. We will review the queue several times daily, so please don't resubmit if your comment doesn't appear immediately.

Close This Box

Enter your email address:

Recent Posts:

Our response to Carl Icahn
May 15, 2008

Live from the Roosevelt Room
May 15, 2008

Business and human rights
May 7, 2008

Do you know where your mouse has been?
May 5, 2008

Ok, so now what?
May 4, 2008

Faceball ShowdownFree is Good FairThis way to free wayCoffee cup artEco-raffles!Gently used sporting gear

View Yahoo! on Flickr

Recent Readers: Provided by MyBlogLog

About Yodel Anecdotal

A look inside the big purple house of Yahoo!, where we'll provide insights into our company, our people, our culture, and the things we think about in the shower. Learn more.

Write to Us

Have a great story to tell about how you've used Yahoo!? Or have a story you'd like us to tell? Drop us a line.

Comment Policy

Give us your $.02. We encourage your comments, quibbles, questions, and suggestions. But please mind your manners. You know the drill... stay on topic, be respectful, and avoid spam, profanity, or anything that violates our Terms of Service.
Learn more about our comment policy.

Shameless Self-Promotion

The Latest News From Yahoo!
Company Info
Become a Yahoo
Yahoo! For Good
All Yahoo! Services