The Jackson Apple Festival drew what was surely one of the largest Wednesday-night crowds in history as spectators massed in huge numbers around the General Mills Stage for the Apple Festival Got Talent Contest.
The major attractions was a much anticipated “Dance Battle” event which pitted local social-media icon David Lee (Shield) against longtime local dance celebrity Jeri Baisden. Both were among the contestants in the Talent Contest but they also went head-to-head in a separate competition for bragging rights and even greater individual notoriety.
As it turned out, Baisden prevailed over David Lee in the one-on-one battle and she took second place in the overall Talent Contest. Overshadowing the two more celebrated competitors was Melakyi Joseph (Floorzitake), who danced his way to a first-place finish in the Talent Contest while Ellie McWilliams sang her way to a third-place finish.
David Lee Shield, who has nearly 8,000 followers on his personal Facebook page and nearly 10,000 followers on TikTok, had whipped up tremendous interest with his posts challenging Baisden and promoting the Dance Battle. He has gained past fame for his public posts for both arm wrestling and eating ...