The votes are in !

Updated Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - 1:49pm by John Benson

The votes are in and native Perkins singer-songwriter Nick Brownell and his Texas-based musical partner Jeremiah Richey came in second place last week on the CMT reality show “Can You Duet?.”
 
Winning a recording contract with Sony BMG Nashville Records and $50,000 each was Caitlin Lynn from Maryland and Will Snyder from Kentucky.
 
“The series is over but it’s no so bad,” said Brownell, 23. “I don’t think we did anything wrong. I think they were looking for something different. If we would have won, each of us would have gotten $50,000 in our pocket. It would be nice to have something but then again, you have to look at (Chris) Daughtry from ‘American Idol’ who came in fifth place and he’s doing better than most of the ‘American Idol’ winners like Kelly Clarkson.
 
“So you know, you just have to be optimistic and go for it. Obviously this is going to give us more incentive to keep trying. We made it this far. So we know there is something out there for us.”
 
Up next for Brownell and Richey is a move to Nashville where the duo will hope to capitalize on its “Can You Duet?” fame with Music City insiders.
 
“Now that the iron is hot and that people know us a duo, we’re going to run with it and see what happens,” Brownell said. “We’re going to see what doors open, and if some shut, we’ll keep trying. I’m going to stay there as long as it takes, and if it doesn’t happen, I’ve always got Ohio.”
 
Brownell is no stranger to the reality television world. Not only was he among the top 50 contestants on the 2006 ABC-TV reality show “The One,” which was cancelled a few weeks after its television debut, but he worked as a casting director on the reality television show “Dance Machine,” which beginning June 27 airs on ABC-TV.
 
So was the “Can You Duet?” experience worth it?
 
“Definitely,” Brownell said. “I think it’s going to open up a lot more doors and there will be a lot of opportunities to come from this. I had a blast on the show, I got to play in front of millions of people once again and it was a thrill.”
 
Brownell added with a laugh, “Honestly, if nothing does come out of this, I can always audition for another reality television show.”