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Keesler vocalist wins top honors at Air Force talent competition

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  • By Steve Pivnick
  • 81st Medical Group Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. --  Staff Sgt. Rick Rosales, a dental technician with the 81st Dental Squadron, has been named the Air Force Worldwide Talent Competition's best male vocalist for a second time. 

Sergeant Rosales participated in the event, held at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 11-19. He also garnered the honor in 2006. 

"I was actually shocked to win," he said. "The competition was phenomenal! It was a very humbling experience." 

More than 70 singers, dancers, instrumentalists and technicians participated in the grueling event. 

"It's definitely no vacation," Sergeant Rosales explained. "Our days were long, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., followed by personal rehearsal time. We got to bed about 2 or 3 a.m. I didn't even have time to call my mom, who I usually talk to daily. 

"People say to me, 'And you volunteered for this?' It's something I'm passionate about. The base is counting on you to win so you don't want to put on a mediocre performance. No matter whether you win, you always come back a better person, wingman, leader and Airman from the experience." 

Sergeant Rosales' award-winning song was Donna Summer's "My Life" which contains the prophetic lyric, "This is my life. Standing out here, out on this stage, is where I belong." 

He said both parents were excited to learn of his accomplishment. 

"My mom is especially happy. She has my first trophy and is looking forward to receiving this one -- she calls them her bookends!" 

He mentioned the first-place trophy, which resembles an "Oscar," is called the "Roger" and the second-place trophy is "Wilco." The top winner also receives a plaque containing a certificate and a small version of the "Roger." 

"This was my third 'Worldwide,'" Sergeant Rosales said. "The first time was in 2002. I was selected for the 2003 cast of 'Tops in Blue.' I was on the 2007 'Tops in Blue' tour following the 2006 'Worldwide,' but had to leave after I broke my back. We had to move more than 56,000 pounds of equipment and I ruptured three disks during our Keesler performance. In fact, I was seen in the Keesler Medical Center emergency room. I traveled to England, but had to leave the show upon returning stateside, where I had surgery in September 2007." 

Sergeant Rosales, who's been singing since he was 5 years old, has participated in the Langley AFB, Va., talent show and was a finalist in the Tidewater Karaoke competition at Virginia Beach, Va. 

"I also auditioned for 'American Idol' twice, in Washington, D.C. in 2004 and Jacksonville, Fla., last year," he pointed out.

In addition, he entered the recent Biloxi Beau Rivage "Coasting to Fame" event sponsored by five local radio stations and WLOX-TV. The grand prize was a recording contract and trip to Las Vegas. 

"The best thing about not winning was the Las Vegas trip was scheduled at the same time as the Air Force 'Worldwide,'" Sergeant Rosales observed. 

"I want to thank my squadron leadership for allowing me to go (to the "Worldwide") and my coworkers for picking up the slack while I was gone." 

An Air Force "brat," Sergeant Rosales calls Palmer, Alaska, home. 

"My mother separated as a 'buck sergeant (E-4)' and my dad retired as a chief master sergeant," he pointed out. 

The youngest of five children, his brother Michael is an Air Force technical sergeant who was assigned to Keesler as a meteorology instructor. His sister is married to a Marine, while two siblings have no military connection. 

Sergeant Rosales has been in the Air Force for seven years. He's been assigned to Keesler since March 2008 following a two-year stint in Korea.
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