Amanda Clum

Amanda Clum

WEBSTER CITY — Millions of people were glued to their televisions this week as Iowa native Maddie Poppe was named the new “American Idol.”

But at the same time, a Webster City woman is preparing to have her own moment in the spotlight.

Amanda Clum, 32, will have a chance to sing in front of thousands of people Saturday night at the Tree Town Festival. The four-day festival will take place on the Winnebago rally campgrounds and Heritage Park in Forest City, Thursday through Sunday. Headline acts are Keith Urban, Cole Swindell, Alabama and Eddie Money.

Clum won the chance to appear on stage at the festival by defeating other singers in a karaoke contest. Both she and her husband, Rod, entered the contest. Her husband tried out first and took first-place honors in a preliminary round. So she jumped into the contest, winning a preliminary round in Barnum and, eventually, first-place honors.

The finals were then held in Northwood with 20 people competing for the big prize.

“They took two people from each of the preliminary locations for the finals,” she said.

As the winner, not only does Clum get to perform on stage at Tree Town Festival, she also gets to have a meet and greet with well-known country star Urban.

“I’m so excited about getting to meet him,” she said.

She’ll spend some time backstage with the singer and plans to make sure she gets at least one photo with him. The meet and greet will likely be just before she goes on to sing.

“Oh, I’m going to be a nervous wreck,” she said.

Clum said she’s not sure what time she’ll perform Saturday night, but it will be before Urban takes the stage for his concert.

Clum, who works as a cook at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion, has been singing karaoke since she was 13. Karaoke is something she’s continued to do with her husband. The couple also shares their talents by singing at area nursing homes.

She’s still thinking about what she’ll wear and what song she’ll sing.

It will probably be “Broken Wing,” she said, a piece she had prepared and used in preliminary rounds of the contest.

“This is really a dream come true for me,” she said. “You know what, it’s my own “American Idol” moment.”