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Airman wins cross-service singing contest

Staff Sgt. Kenny Dansby wowed the judges and audience to take top honors in “Operation Rising Star,” an “American Idol”-style singing competition held last month at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.

Dansby, who favors R&B, chose to perform R. Kelly’s “Bump and Grind” in the final round. He also sang “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, a song chosen by a judge, Staff Sgt. Rachael Garneau.

A supply airman from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Support Squadron deployed from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Dansby said he’d performed the R. Kelly song before “and the crowd always loves it.”

Dansby won the competition, which was open to crooners from all services, based on audience voting.

“It’s no surprise that Kenny won,” said Army Spc. Jennifer Lee, who placed fourth in the competition. “When he came out singing ‘Bump and Grind,’ we knew it was all over. He had it in the bag.”