Leesburg resident realizes dream, 'booty dances' at the Apollo
By Holly Hobbs
Leesburg resident Jeffrey Widom had two goals in life: to start his own business, which he did in 2004, and to perform live on the Apollo Theater stage in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.
“It's the hardest stage to be on,” said Jeffrey, who auditioned in December for "Showtime at the Apollo's monthly Amateur Night," a televised talent competition.
“I wanted to prove than an older guy – and I'm an older guy -- can still have fun.”
Jeffrey won the dance competition at the March 1 taping of the show, which will be broadcast nationally April 6.
To look at Jeffrey, you might not guess he would win this competition.
On the outside, Jeffrey, 37, looks pretty normal. He describes himself as a middle-aged white guy, father of two and president of Catoctin Elementary School's Parent Teacher Association.
He's the owner of a business that provides consulting and information security training for government and commercial customers.
But Jeffrey's wife, Bethany, said everyone will know he is anything but normal after watching him booty dance to Digital Underground's “Humpty Dance” on TV on Sunday.
“I was talking about inviting all our friends over to have a laugh-fest,” Bethany said. She said Jeffrey often unleashes his singing and dancing skills in public.
Jeffrey said the competition was tough. He competed against four other dancers in front of a large audience. “I'm the first white guy to win in a long time,” he said.
He jokes that his next goal is to dance with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, "Ellen."
In the meantime, Jeffrey uses his love for music in his volunteer work, which includes In Our Own Voice, a program that helps those struggling with mental illness to recover and gain confidence, and singing and running the karaoke machine at Friendship House in Leesburg.
“I sing and dance all the time,” Jeffrey said. “I make a complete fool of myself. My goal is to put smiles on peoples' faces.”
Set your alarm early on April 6 and watch Jeffrey perform on "Showtime at the Apollo" at 4:30 a.m. on CW50.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com