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Singing the praises of the Boys & Girls Club
IDOL2-9-10-09
Manteca Idol contest Brian Rodriguez sings “Sorry” during Wednesday’s competition at Chez Shari. - photo by HIME ROMERO
Brian Rodriguez knows firsthand how beneficial the Manteca Boys and Girls Club can be in the life of a youth just trying to stay on the right track.

With his experiences as a member of the club serving as his anchor, Rodriguez rounded out a robust first round of Manteca Idol finalists who performed together for the first time Tuesday night at Chez Shari – still fresh off of his opening round rendition of The Temptations’ “My Girl” he broke the same week he welcomed second daughter Jazmine into the world.
It would have been understandable if the doting dad decided to back away with the arrival of the newborn coming just days before he was set to perform.

But with his wife being the driving force behind his involvement in the fundraiser, Rodriguez – who credits music as another major factor in his life – decided to step out onto the stage and pay tribute the best way that he knew how.

And doing it for an organization that helped him get to where he was on Tuesday was the icing on the cake.

“I was in a situation where my father wasn’t around and I had the Boys and Girls Club to turn to,” Rodriguez said of the initial reason he decided to sign up for the singing competition that will run through the organization’s annual telethon the first week of November. “My wife was the one that really pushed me to do this, but I thought that with my experiences this would be a good way for me to give back.”

Just like he did on his first time stepping out behind the microphone, Rodriguez seemed comfortable as he belted out Buckcherry’s “Sorry” en route to another week of competition.

A love for music and a respect for the organization that the event itself supported, he said, made the idea of performing something that enticing rather than something that was nerve-wracking for the 30-year-old forklift operator that has called Manteca home for his entire life.

“I thought that this would provide me an opportunity to support the Boys and Girls Club while enjoying something else that is such a big part of my life,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a chance to get involved on a personal level, and that’s something that I really enjoy.”