The Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce has selected Darci Lynne Farmer as the 2017 Citizen of the Year to be awarded to her at their Jan. 26 annual banquet.





Darci has risen to fame in her appearances and winning of season 12 of the NBC competition show "America's Got Talent.” This incredible young lady stole the hearts of America and the world just as she took her home town by storm three years ago.





In case you are just now coming out of a coma, 13-year-old Darci is a ventriloquist. She became the third female minor act to win America's Got Talent, following Bianca Ryan in season one and Grace VanderWaal in season 11. She is also the third ventriloquist to win, following Terry Fator in season two and Paul Zerdin in season 10.





It was only three years ago that Darci was in our newspaper office with her sidekick, Katie the Singing Cowgirl. She had just won the Edmond’s Got Talent show put on by the Fine Arts Institute of Edmond. There was no doubt about her incredible talent with the folks in our office or anyone who had seen her perform.





Citizen of the Year is the highest award that the Edmond Chamber gives out. It has been one by many of this town’s most notable people who contribute much to their community and beyond. Here are the criteria for the award:





Demonstrates excellence in business or profession. This is a no brainer folks. Farmer’s skill level is unequaled and will be for a very long time.

Brings state or national acclaim to the City of Edmond. There isn’t a doubt about this one. There hasn’t been a person to bring this kind of fame back home since Shannon Miller won her Olympic gold medals.

Involves him/herself in activities for the betterment of Edmond. Farmer and her family have a history of contributing to their community.

Service through involvement with civic and service organizations.

Sherry Jordan, President of the Edmond Chamber said, "The Edmond Chamber is proud to present the 2017 Citizen of the Year Award to Darci Lynne Farmer. Darci’s hard work and perseverance has earned this award, which is the highest honor that the chamber awards. Although Darci is our youngest winner of this award, we are certain that she is destined for many years of success.” Having been Citizen of the Year in 2004, I get a vote for who receives this award and it was unanimous for Farmer by this year’s committee. Olympic medalist Shannon Miller was the only other recipient of Citizens of the Year that was under 18 at the time they received the award.





The honor was well received by this year’s recipient, when she found out.





"Wow! Really! They voted for me to win Citizen of the Year? That’s amazing,” Darci said. "I’m so surprised. I can’t believe it.”





Also welcoming the news was her mom, Misty Farmer.





"Oh my goodness what an honor,” she said. "That you so much for this incredible award. Darci is so happy and surprised.”





Darci was incredibly shy when she was younger. Her parents encouraged her to overcome this shyness by participating in the International Cinderella Scholarship Program where she was crowned International Mini Miss. She met Laryssa Bonacquisti, a young ventriloquist, at the competition who inspired Farmer to try ventriloquism herself. Farmer is self-taught and would practice her ABC’s without moving her lips. She prepared for the Edmond’s Got Talent competition by using Bonacquisti’s tips for a month.





A tip of the fedora to her parents for being so supportive. She asked her parents, Clarke and Misty Farmer for a puppet and they presented her one on her 10th birthday. She had hoped it would help her overcome her shyness and it worked. Keeping the art of ventriloquism alive is important to Darci. She later worked with ventriloquist coach Gary Owen and vocal teacher Tiana Plemons.





Darci went on to place first in both the junior division of Oklahoma’s Got Talent and Oklahoma Kids and won Broadway, Specialty Acts and overall Entertainer of the Year at American Kids in Branson, Mo.





For many of us, it is her singing voice that is so impressive. Not just a ventriloquist singing but I would put her voice up against any of the singing acts that appeared on America’s Got Talent and they all got to move their lips. During her first performance she did a George Gershwin tune with puppet Petunia, a girly rabbit.





For her final competition appearance, Farmer performed The Beatles’ "With a Little Help from My Friends," with Petunia and Oscar interacting. She earned standing ovations and judges' praise; Simon Cowell predicted, "I think you’re going to win."





For the finale Farmer fulfilled her dream by performing "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun with her idol and mentor Terry Fator, with Farmer singing as Petunia and Fator singing as Winston the Impersonating Turtle. Darci received the $1 million prize and a headline gig at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, originally set for Nov. 3 and 4, but two additional shows were added on Nov. 2 and 5 after the first two dates sold out.





Folks all have their favorite puppets. There is Petunia the singing rabbit who is billed as a "diva,” Oscar who is a stuttering Motown mouse, Edna Doorknocker, a naughty old lady and of course, Katie the sassy cowgirl who yodels. She has others and is developing new puppets all the time.





My favorite video of her performance is the one where she sings opera. How this young lady does it and sounds so incredible I will never know.





The Edmond Chamber Awards Banquet will be on Jan. 26. It will be held in the new Edmond Conference Center located at I-35 and Covell. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Edmond Chamber of Commerce at (405) 341-2808.