CMA/John RussellBrett Eldredge has the tough job of judging the Miss America Pageant this Sunday night on ABC. Though he hails from Illinois and now lives in Tennessee, Brett is going in with no bias towards those two states in the competition.
He tells ABC Radio, “I am open for all, for everybody, and may the best gal win.”
Though Brett has never judged a pageant before, he has been around them since he was a little kid attending the fair in his home town of Paris, Illinois.
“I’m from a farming community, so they had the Cow Queen, and they had all sorts of crazy pageants,” Brett says. “I grew up seeing that stuff.”
Brett still performs at big fairs and festivals across the country, so he still catches a glimpse of local pageant winners from time to time. When it comes to Miss America, Brett has a few key elements he’s looking for in a contestant.
He says he’s looking for “a girl that can act on her feet, that can answer on her feet and be witty and smart and quick to their answers and also show their beauty and be elegant and also, you know, show their talents.”
Of course, Brett is looking forward to judging the swimsuit competition, too.
He adds, “Who doesn’t want to see that? As a guy, you know, I’m excited.”
Miss America 2016 airs Sunday night at 9 ET on ABC. Brett’s new album, Illinois, is now on sale featuring his latest hit, “Lose My Mind.”
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