Sondra Prill

Sondra Prill (born c.1970) was a cover singer from Tampa, Florida who starred in her own public-access television show from 1987 until 1992. Her show—entitled My Show—and her inconsistent, off-tone singing of popular 1980s hits earned her a moderate degree of Internet celebrity in the late 2000s when Prill's work was uploaded onto the Internet.^[1]

Career

In the late 1980s, Prill started her first show on Jones Intercable channel 12 in Tampa. The show, simply titled My Show, was a showcase of her singing talents, featuring music videos of Prill singing popular songs of the time and some attempts at comedy.^[2] She would also do the sign-off of channel 12 by singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of a superimposed American flag, hugging herself and pretending to move in slow motion. ^[1]

On October 16, 1992 she performed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center starring in her own event called Sultry Sondra: A Musical Fantasy. At a price of $50 a ticket (double the rate established stars Al Green and Patti Labelle had charged at the same venue),^[2] 41 paying attendees came to see her; the official head count put the number of people in attendance closer to 70, with the vice president of marketing for the center concluding, "She might have comped some folks." ^[1] At the finale of the show, Prill had honey poured all over her, in what seemed to be a literal interpretation of the lyrics to what she believed would be her breakthrough song, "Oh, You Sexpot Honey." ^[1] Prill wanted to do the finale nude, but the performing arts center required her to wear a body stocking. Brinson M. Harris, a remote producer for the event, said, "A backup singer walked out from backstage to say good night and to apologize to the audience."^[1]

Prill's honey-pouring event was videotaped for public-access television, but Prill and her mother are believed to have destroyed the tapes before they made it to air.^[1] Three episodes of My Show survive.^[2] Her whereabouts are unknown as of 2007.^[1]

References