Mom Becomes Singing Sensation After Recording Of Impromptu Karaoke At Discount Store Spreads Online

Apr 19, 2023 by apost team

What started as a normal trip to Sam's Club in Ulster, New York, became a moment to remember when Christina Kokonis-Viggers decided to give the store's karaoke machine a try back in 2017. She was walking through the warehouse store with her friend Amanda Lasher when they discovered the sing-a-long device.

Kokonis-Viggers immediately felt the urge to burst into song, and when she did, she took everyone by surprise. Her performance has reached millions of people who were blown away by her incredible talent. This video is worth a watch for everyone who loves to see immense talent in ordinary people. 

Rather than feel abashed by what was going on, Lasher decided to record Kononis-Viggers' singing with her phone. It's a good thing she did because it was an incredible performance! We can all imagine what some of us would be feeling if we were in either of their shoes. Many of us would feel embarrassed, especially since Sam's Club isn't exactly somewhere you'd expect to find someone singing their heart out. But Kokonis-Viggers just went for it. "We made it to the Christmas aisle and there was the karaoke machine,” Kokonis-Viggers told ABC 13.

It was to be an eventful Friday night for both women. "The people want to hear it, people want to hear it,” Kokonis-Viggers said in the video as she picked up the microphone, and began singing, "Maybe this time, for the first time.” 

Kononis-Viggers had connected the machine to her phone and began singing "Maybe This Time" from John Kander's "Cabaret," a popular musical originally written in 1966.

She captivated the other shoppers with her first few notes, and they stood and listened in awe to her incredible performance. "There are people that were stopping by and they just stood there the whole time," Kononis-Viggers told ABC 7 New York. She was putting the sheer and raw talent she had into the song, and she sounded great.

When interviewed by ABC 7 New York, Lasher told the reporters that everyone was blown away by Kokonis-Viggers' performance. And we aren't surprised — Kononis-Viggers not only has a great singing voice that has an incredible range, but she also brought a great level of enthusiasm for her Sam's Club performance. In this way, she's the opposite of shy. Instead, she smiled nearly the whole time while singing and was not phased by being in public surrounded by strangers. We could all learn a thing or two from Kononis-Viggers' courage, especially those of us who get stage fright. "Afterwards, she got like this great applause. That was amazing," Lasher noted.

The performance was so impressive that ABC 7 reported that Kononis-Viggers even received calls from talent scouts, including recruiters for "America's Got Talent." As far as we know, she has still yet to make it onto the show, but you never know — maybe they're planning to have her on for a season in a few years. We'll just have to wait and see. However, according to ABC 7's 2017 story, Kononis-Viggers said that she's committed to sticking local, working with the non-profit theater organization Upstate Productions.

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Everyone was surprised that such a beautiful voice could come from a random person in a wholesale store. But this story — like most stories here at apost — just goes to show that life is full of fun, heartwarming surprises. Whether it's a random flash mob or a woman singing karaoke while you buy a bulk serving of roasted peanuts at Sam's Club, you never know what surprises the day will bring.

After visiting the store, Lasher uploaded the video of Kokonis-Viggers' singing to her Facebook page. She had a strong feeling it was going to go viral. However, Kononis-Viggers did not share Lasher's faith that this would happen. "She said, 'I'm going to put it on Facebook. This is going to blow up.' And I said no," Kononis-Viggers said.

But Lasher was right; a few hours after she uploaded the video, it quickly started to gain views. After only a few hours, it had 8 million views, and today the total has increased to over 14 million. People enjoy hearing Kononis-Viggers' voice and are clamoring to hear what she's going to sing next.

Luckily, Kononis-Viggers has since set up the YouTube channel and Facebook page Diva In The Making, where she updates fans and posts singing videos. Some recent videos include a cover of the song "Come Little Children" from Disney's "Hocus Pocus," "You're The One That I Want" from "Grease," and the popular 1965 track "What the World Needs Now." Along with showing her talent, Kokonis-Viggers has also shared major life updates on her page. In December 2020, she shared an exciting new life event: she was accepted into Berklee College of Music's online degree for Songwriting and Music Production!  

Her update read:

"Y’all !!!! I told you I was doing big things !!!!!!!!! It’s #official, I am a #student of @berkleecollege @berkleeonline #music #conservatory for #songwiting and #producing !!!!!!! In four years I will have my #bachelorsdegree in the #musicfeild !!! FINALLY !!!!!!!"

Kokonis-Viggers' joy and excitement at being accepted into the Berklee College of Music were clear to see, and there's no denying she deserves it! It is always so heartening to see a person who seems ordinary bring out their extraordinary side. Most often, our talents are only known to the people we love, but with the internet's large reach, anyone has the potential to become a star and pursue their dreams. Kokonis-Viggers has found fame and recognition through her viral video, and she teaches us that it is never too late to pursue our passion. 

ABC 7 reported that Kokonis-Viggers is a native of the Dongan Hills area of Staten Island. It looks like with a talent like hers, big things are possible for her. When we see stories like Kononis-Viggers' we're always so fascinated by where these talented people will end up next. Will Kokonis-Viggers eventually release her own music? Will she join a show like "America's Got Talent"? Or will she continue on with her life unaffected by her newfound fame? For now, it seems like she is sticking to social media and YouTube, but we're excited to see what this talented young woman will do next, especially with her upcoming college degree. We wish her the very best for her future!   

What do you think of Christina Kokonis-Viggers' singing? Would you like to hear more music from her or see her live? Let us know, then please pass this article along to your friends. We'd love to hear their thoughts too!