Hackers' rise named No. 3 story of '07

The year has been a roller coaster ride filled with suspense and excitement for Angela and Zac Hacker.

And it has been a ride of a lifetime for the brother-sister singing pair from the Shoals.

While the ride continues, the high point came when Angela Hacker became the 2007 Nashville Star, with her brother finishing runner-up in the national singing competition.

The Hackers' success was voted as No. 3 local story of the year by the TimesDaily.

At the beginning of the year, the Hacker siblings found themselves competing with thousands of aspiring singers and musicians for a spot on the USA Network's "Nashville Star" program.

"Nashville Star" is similar to "American Idol," except the program's goal is to find the next big country music star instead of pop music singer.

When the show kicked off its fifth season in January, the Hackers were two of the 10 finalists.

All of a sudden, the Hackers, who frequently would play guitar and sing together, were competing with each other for the "Nashville Star" grand prize, which included a new Chevrolet Silverado pickup and a Warner Brothers record contract.

Each week, contestants performed a song - an original or another artist's - which was then critiqued by a panel of judges that included Randy Owen, of the country group Alabama, and country artist Blake Shelton.

But it was the viewers of "Nashville Star" that really mattered. Viewers could call a designated telephone number or use the Internet to vote for their favorite contestant in an effort to keep them on the show.

At the end of every show, one contestant was voted off based on the number of votes they received.

Fans of the Shoals siblings began tuning in to the show religiously and voted for their favorite Hacker. In some cases, their maximum of votes were split between the two.

A local lawyer who successfully organized supporters for "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks two years ago in Birmingham began a similar effort in the Shoals.

"The Hacker Backers" would meet at a local restaurant and watch the show. At the end, everyone started casting votes.

"I want to tell everyone how thankful I am," Angela Hacker said. "I was shocked we had the support from the area."

The suspense continued to build as the show neared its climax in March.

On March 1, at the Roy Acuff Theater at the Opryland Hotel complex in Nashville, the Hackers and David St. Romain, of Baton Rouge, La., appeared on the show as the last three contestants. They performed and two contestants were removed, leaving one to be the Nashville Star.

About midway through the show, St. Romain learned his fate and the Shoals had its wish - Either Zac and Angela Hacker would be the Nashville Star.

At the show's conclusion, Angela Hacker was named the 2007 Nashville Star amid a shower of confetti on the Acuff Theater stage.

After the show, both Hackers took some much needed time off, only to gear up for the Nashville Star Tour that ran from June to September.

"We played over 35 shows," Angela Hacker said. "A few were dropped, but we had a bunch that were added."

The final four contestants, which included singer Josh Stevens, were involved in the tour. Angela Hacker was the headliner.

"Everyone worked well together," she said. "It was fun at times and it was trying at times."

Hacker said she enjoyed the experience of being a part of "Nashville Star" in 2007.

She said she tried out for the program for the exposure that being on television would bring, not to actually win.

The exposure she received from being on the show was evident when Hacker and a friend were traveling through Idaho on the Nashville Star tour.

They were in a small roadside variety store "in the middle of nowhere" and a woman said she looked familiar. The woman's husband said he had seen her on television.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.