| P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u |
|
HOME | NEWS | PEOPLE | FEATURES
| INTERVIEWS |
 |
| P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u |
|
HOME | NEWS | PEOPLE | FEATURES
| INTERVIEWS |
|
|
| What does a woman experience in major pageant competition? What is she thinking? How does it affect her life? To address such questions, PNB has commissioned a series of in-depth interviews with women who have broad experience in the fields. These interviews are meant to provide candid reflections, not to promote particular titles or "target" particular systems. Our interviewer was allowed to choose his own subjects, and his first |
| Candi Brown was the first runner-up at the 1992 Miss USA Pageant as the delegate from Alabama. She also won the swimsuit title in 1992. Coincidentally, she grew up in the North Georgia town of Calhoun, which also produced the 1993 Miss USA first runner-up and swimsuit winner, Erin Nance, who represented Georgia. PNB: Candi, let's start with the 1992 Miss USA Pageant. What were your goals or expectations when you flew to Wichita for the competition? Brown: When I left to go to Wichita, I had worked really, really hard, and I only had six weeks to get ready for the pageant, which was a very short time to prepare for such a huge event. But my goal was just to make the top 11. Obviously I wanted to win, like every other girl there, but the whole idea of finally competing at the Miss USA Pageant was really exciting. If I could make the top 11, that's what I wanted to do. Then, I wanted to have a good time and make some friends. Just enjoy myself and make the most of it. PNB: What did you like about the first two weeks at the Miss USA Pageant, before the final night of televised competition? Brown: The whole time that you're at nationals is rather stressful. It seems like all you do is rehearse, rehearse and then rehearse some more. The first week is great because all of the girls really get a chance to bond. You're really casual. Nobody is in their competition mode. As you get closer to the competition, everybody withdraws. Everyone goes into their shell and gets focused on the task ahead, which is winning the crown. I really enjoyed the casual times, getting to know the girls, sitting around the breakfast table, sharing events that had happened in our lives. I remember after we had finished our personal interviews with the judges, we were sitting around having a cup of coffee, and Sharon Belden of Florida shared her life story with us, which included the tragic deaths of both her parents. And then Jennifer Prodgers of Georgia shared the story of her father and his death. It was just amazing how all of the girls really bonded in such a short period of time. It was really touching. PNB: Were there any disappointments or frustrations during those two weeks? Brown: Oh, yeah. I remember distinctly. We were there a week, and on Sunday, you're going through so many emotions. We had just started rehearsals and I started crying. Just burst into tears. Went to the bathroom and boo-hooed for a few minutes. Then I dried my eyes and I was fine. I was fine for the rest of the competition. Never was down after that. But it's such a buildup of emotions that it had to come out, and it came out in the form of tears. I don't know if anybody else even knew that I was crying. I guess I was trying to cover it up and get to the bathroom. PNB: So most of your time at nationals was a pleasant experience, but there was a day when you were down in the dumps? Brown: Yes, there was a bad day, but I have listened to so many motivational tapes and positive-thinking tapes. I also like to listen to Mariah Carey's music. One of her songs is about setting goals and how hard life is, but you've got to take the hard knocks and hope for the best and the best will happen. Her music kept me going. It reminded me not to give up. PNB: Do you remember when you felt the most anxiety, you know, when you felt the butterflies in your guts? Brown: The only time that I was really nervous during the pageant was when I got in the top 11. The rest of the time I felt God speaking through me, and I trusted in Him. PNB: Let's discuss the final night in greater detail. The contestants aren't aware of the scores that the television audience sees. How did you find out that you had won the swimsuit title, and what was your reaction? Brown: First of all, when I won the swimsuit award, I was shocked. Very, very shocked. It was something that I had not expected because that's one part of the competition that I am not confident in. I've always been very critical of myself, and I have a poor self-image of my body. I found out from one of the other contestants backstage that I had the highest swimsuit score, but I didn't really believe it. Just to make sure, I got a quick look at a television monitor when they flashed the rankings from one through 11. But it was a very short look. I just caught a brief glimpse, because they rush you offstage. I was tickled to death. As a matter of fact, I was tinkled pink and completely shocked. PNB: What were your emotions as you stood onstage with Shannon Marketic just before the host Dick Clark announced the names of the first runner-up and the winner? Brown: Shannon and I had become pretty good friends during the pageant because our rooms were right beside each other. Right after Audra Wallace was announced as the second runner-up, Shannon said to me, "I hope you win." Then I said to her, "No, I hope you win." I could tell that we just couldn't believe we were there. But I was just so excited. Of course, I wanted to win, but I was so happy to be standing there. It was the most phenomenal feeling when you've worked so hard, and you've been in it for four years. To finally be there and to actually do really well, it was just incredible.
Brown: After the pageant, I went back to Auburn University for the spring quarter. That wasn't too exciting, but in June, I went on a USO tour, which was the most incredible trip that I've ever made. Shannon Marketic and I went to Seoul, Korea, and Okinawa, Japan. We were overseas for two weeks to see the men in the military on a good-will, hand-shaking, autograph-signing tour. I was able to see parts of the world that I probably will never see again. To bring a smile to the faces of those guys, it was wonderful. They appreciated it so much. Then, after that trip, I went back to Alabama for the fall quarter. When that quarter ended and I had given up my Miss Alabama USA title, I decided to move to Los Angeles. PNB: Why did you move to Los Angeles, and how long did you stay in L.A.? Brown: I lived there for a year. I wanted to get into modeling and acting, but it's so expensive and it's so competitive. I was so busy just working to survive, just to pay the bills, that I wasn't able to pursue work as a model or an actress. It was partly my fault for not managing my time as well as I could have. But I've never regretted moving back home. PNB: Did you work in any entertainment-related field while you were in L.A.? Brown: I did a three-month internship with "Entertainment Tonight" to get college credits. They let me go on location to observe them shooting several segments. Since they have to prepare a show every day, there wasn't too much that I could do, but I worked in the tape vault and in the library. I did get a chance to meet Mary Hart and see how the show was put together. I enjoyed the three months, and I still keep in touch with some of the people there. |
More talk with Candi Brown ...
|
| P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u |
|
HOME | NEWS | PEOPLE | FEATURES
| INTERVIEWS |
|
|
| Copyright © 1995-2006 Pageant News Bureau, Inc. All rights reserved. |
