No Rest For 'Star Search' Winners

(CBS)  The "Star Search" winners from Wednesday don't have a lot of time to relax because they have to hit the stage again Thursday night for the semifinals.

Dwayne Perkins got the winning stars in the comedy category and 10-year-old Lorelei Caylan Sinco won the junior singer category. Both have been performing for years.

"My first performance was when I was 22 months old," Lorelei said Thursday morning on The Early Show. That's when she sang for a church audience.

Perkins, who likes the comedy of Eddie Murphy and George Carlin, says he always has been interested in comedy, but did not start to pursue it as a career until 1994. Instead, he received a degree in computer science. He says he finds writing programs similar to writing comedy. And the "Star Search" routine presented problems because it is only two minutes, he said.

"It's just because it is only two minutes, who knows what's going to happen," he says. "And how do you even pick two minutes to do as far as jokes go? So I was a bit concerned. But I am very happy with the outcome."

Perkins' routine was favored 15-12 stars in the judges' scoring, and the home audience tied him with with his opponent at 14 points. When the two scores were combined, Perkins won the category with 29 stars.

Thirty-five points made Lorelei the winner – 18 stars from the judges and 17 votes from Internet voters. Lil' Romeo gave her 5 stars for her rendition of "I Turn to You" because, "she's got a great voice for a 10-year-old, and she likes my favorite subject, math!," which he said she had mentioned during her taped interview.

Her favorite singer? "Me," she says. Why? "I don't know. Just because I like me." She does hope, however to follow in the footsteps of Celine Dion.

The winners of the semi final competition will compete against Tiffany Evans (Junior Singer), Spencer Day (Adult Singer), Loni Love (Comedian), and Porschla Coleman (Model) in the finals on Feb.6.