Archive > The Castaways
Melinda Hyder /Voted Out
puddin:
Melinda Hyder was born and raised in Elizabethton, Tennessee. She has one sister, Regina, and is proud to point out that her parents, Richard and Carol, were high school sweethearts and have been married for 44 years. Hyder began singing in church at the age of four. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics for 12 years. She attended classes and taught at the Watt Dance Studio in Elizabethton.
Hyder graduated with honors in music and math from Elizabethton High School. She then attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City on a full vocal scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music. While in college, she performed with the music groups 10BucsWorth, Chorale and Women's Ensemble.
After college, Hyder entertained at Six Flags over Georgia for two years. She then toured Europe while performing on a cruise ship. She also spent six years performing at Dollywood (often times with Dolly Parton). In addition, she has worked as a real estate agent, private vocal coach, dance instructor, pageant coach and model.
Hyder describes herself as vivacious, competitive and compassionate. Her hobbies include creative home decorating, collecting Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, watching CBS soap operas and jogging.
Currently single, Hyder resides in Sevierville, Tennessee, with her Pomeranian, Lexi. Her birth date is May 23, 1973.
FAVORITES
Colors Blue, red, purple
Scents Vanilla, sandalwood, cinnamon
Flowers Daisy, stargazer lily
Board Games Taboo, Twister
Video Games Tetris, Frogger
Sports to Play No favorite
Sports Teams U Tennessee Volunteers
Outdoor Activities Snow skiing, water skiing, hiking, swimming, fishing
TV Shows THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, American Idol, NUMB3RS, SURVIVOR
Movies Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama
Actors Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Denzel Washington
Actresses Reese Witherspoon, Meg Ryan, Marilyn Monroe
Music All kinds
Magazines In Style, Us Weekly, In Touch
Books/Authors Sandra Brown, J.D. Ross, Catherine Coulter, Nicholas Sparks
Cereals Smart Start
Fruits Apple, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries
Snack Foods Pringles, cookie dough, pretzels
Cookies Chips Ahoy!
Candy Bars Snickers
Alcoholic Drinks Red wine
Non-Alcoholic Cheerwine
puddin:
Sevierville, Sevier County (WVLT) – Get ready to start cheering on another local woman in survivor.
32-year-old Melinda Hyder of Sevierville will be trying to survive the brutal conditions on Panama - Exile Island beginning February 2nd on CBS and Volunteer TV.
Melinda's a singer who's worked on cruise ships, at Six Flags, and most notably six years on the stage at Dollywood. You may have seen her with Dolly Parton!
She talked a bit about the show this morning.
"I'm gonna get on somebody's nerves because everybody's gonna get on somebody's nerves at one point it's just gonna happen. So I'm just gonna try to do it as little as possible," says Melinda.
The last local contestant was of course, Tina Wesson, the Fountain City mother of two won the contest and picked up a million dollars
Survivor: Panama - Exile Island begins right here on Volunteer TV and CBS on February 2nd at 8:00 p.m.
Melinda's Bio
Melinda Hyder was born and raised in Elizabethton, Tennessee. She has one sister, Regina, and is proud to point out that her parents, Richard and Carol, were high school sweethearts and have been married for 44 years. Hyder began singing in church at the age of four. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics for 12 years. She attended classes and taught at the Watt Dance Studio in Elizabethton.
Hyder graduated with honors in music and math from Elizabethton High School. She then attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City on a full vocal scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music. While in college, she performed with the music groups 10BucsWorth, Chorale and Women's Ensemble.
After college, Hyder entertained at Six Flags over Georgia for two years. She then toured Europe while performing on a cruise ship. She also spent six years performing at Dollywood (often times with Dolly Parton). In addition, she has worked as a real estate agent, private vocal coach, dance instructor, pageant coach and model.
Hyder describes herself as vivacious, competitive and compassionate. Her hobbies include creative home decorating, collecting Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, watching CBS soap operas and jogging.
Currently single, Hyder resides in Sevierville, Tennessee, with her Pomeranian, Lexi. Her birth date is May 23, 1973.
Melinda's Favorites:
Colors
Blue, red, purple
Scents
Vanilla, sandalwood, cinnamon
Flowers
Daisy, stargazer lily
Board Games
Taboo, Twister
Video Games
Tetris, Frogger
Sports to Play
No favorite
Sports Teams
U Tennessee Volunteers
Outdoor Activities
Snow skiing, water skiing, hiking, swimming, fishing
TV Shows
THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, American Idol, NUMB3RS, SURVIVOR
Movies
Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama
Actors
Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Denzel Washington
Actresses
Reese Witherspoon, Meg Ryan, Marilyn Monroe
Music
All kinds
Magazines
In Style, Us Weekly, In Touch
Books/Authors
Sandra Brown, J.D. Ross, Catherine Coulter, Nicholas Sparks
Cereals
Smart Start
Fruits
Apple, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries
Snack Foods
Pringles, cookie dough, pretzels
Cookies
Chips Ahoy!
Candy Bars
Snickers
Alcoholic Drinks
Red wine
Non-Alcoholic
Cheerwine
http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4337608
puddin:
Elizabethton native featured in upcoming 'Survivor'
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
By JOHN THOMPSON
MELINDA HYDER
ELIZABETHTON - CBS should hope for many Nielsen families from the Elizabethton area over the next few months. The talk around the town Monday was all about Melinda Hyder, 32, a local woman who will be a contestant on the next edition of the popular reality show "Survivor."
"I am awfully proud of her, and I don't know where she got that courage," her mother, Carol Hyder, said after it was revealed on "The Early Show" on CBS Monday.
Carol Hyder said her daughter has always kept fit and has been dancing since she was a toddler.
She also jogs and works out, enjoys water skiing and snow skiing, and has her scuba diving license.
Chrisann Watts-Tull has been friends with Melinda Hyder since they were young girls. She remembers when Hyder first came to her mother's dance studio as a 3-year-old.
"She is incredibly energetic, Watts-Tull said. "I don't think I have ever known anyone else with her energy. She always stood out in the crowd.
Watts-Tull said she also remembers how tough Hyder can be.
"Our families went across country in Winnebagos. I remember she broke her arm in Las Vegas, and she never cried when they were setting it," Watts-Tull said.
Many teachers at Elizabethton High School remember Hyder well, especially since her mother taught honors algebra and pre-calculus at the school for 38 years.
Choral director Debbie Gouge said Hyder was a freshman when she first started teaching at the school.
"She really was a good student," Gouge said, adding that she sang in the choir all four years and was an All-State singer.
Hyder was also a cheerleader and played the French horn in the Betsy Band.
Gouge said music was Hyder's first love, and it paid off with a vocal scholarship to East Tennessee State University.
Gouge believes Hyder has the potential to do very well in the reality show.
"She has cunning skills, and I mean that in a good way," Gouge said. "She knew how to get things accomplished, and she knew how to get her way."
Hyder competed twice in the Miss Tennessee Pageant, finishing in the top 10 and winning the talent competition both times.
She competed as Miss Historic Jonesborough in 1995 and Miss Lexington in 1996.
She continues to perform. Hyder moved to Sevierville and performed at Dollywood for five or six years. While at Dollywood she performed in the '50s Show, Paradise Road, Backstage Pass. Her mother said her favorite show was Christmas in the Smokies.
This past year she left Dollywood to perform with the Showplace Dinner Theater in Sevierville.
When she is not performing, Hyder sells real estate with Sevierville Real Estate and Rentals.
"I hope everyone will be cheering for her. She is just a good East Tennessee girl," Carol Hyder said.
"Survivor: Panama" premieres Thursday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. on CBS.
http://www.timesnews.net/communityArticle.dna?_StoryID=3588488
puddin:
Local woman drops in on new 'Survivor' quest
By: J.J. KINDRED, Staff Writer January 11, 2006
Sevierville resident Melinda Hyder, who performed at Dollywood for approximately six years, will be a contestant during the forthcoming 12th season of "Survivor" on CBS.
This season's "Survivor: Panama" has the contestants trying to survive conditions on Panama's Exile Island. The first episode airs Feb. 2.
Hyder, 32, was born and raised in Elizabethon, graduating with honors from Elizabethton High School and with a degree in music from East Tennessee State University. Currently single, she lives in Sevierville with her Pomeranian, Lexi.
She could not be reached for comment. The show's rules do not allow contestants to be interviewed while the show is on the air, until they either win or get voted off.
Before working at Dollywood, where she often performed with Dolly Parton, she worked at Six Flags over Georgia in Atlanta for two years and toured Europe while performing on a cruise ship.
She has also worked in real estate, and as a dance and singing instructor and model.
According to the "Survivor" Web site at CBS.com., Hyder describes herself as "vivacious, competitive and compassionate."
She was quoted during a recent CBS appearance saying, "I'm gonna get on somebody's nerves because everybody's gonna get on somebody's nerves at one point. It's just gonna happen. So I'm just gonna try to do it as little as possible."
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1211&dept_id=169689&newsid=15901073&PAG=461&rfi=9
puddin:
A New Survivor from Tri-Cities
News Channel 11 Staff Reports
Jan 17, 4:15 PM EST
In case you haven't heard - another Tri-Cities native is about to debut on the newest edition of CBS reality show "Survivor."
She is Melinda Hyder, who grew up in Carter County, Tennessee and now works as a professional singer in Sevierville.
News Channel 11's Josh Smith listened in on a first-ever gab session with some of the nation's top entertainment reporters.
They're making their picks on who will take home the million dollar prize.
ROUNDTABLE "DISH" ON THE NEW CASTAWAYS
Jeff Probst discussing castaway Melinda Hyder with a selected group of print journalists
Transcript by SurvivorFever.net:
Jeff Probst: So we talked about Cirie, now at the other end of the spectrum, not in terms that she's not likeable, just in terms of a different person would be Melinda, coming into this game.
Melinda (pervious interview): My name is Melinda Hyder, I'm 32 years old. I'm an entertainer and I live in Sevierville, Tennessee.
Dalton Ross (Entertainment Weekly): I didn't really learn a lot about her with the game because I just wanted to spend all my time with her talking about Dollywood.
Melinda: <sings a line from "Stand By Your Man">
Dalton: I don't know, I guess some of you had more negative experiences, I don't know if negative is the word. Thinking that she wouldn't so well.
Paul Adler (TV Guide Channel): We interviewed her sort of leaning against a cut down tree. The first thing she did was sort of take something and wiped the tree top off and we were like, that's a problem.
Shawna Malcom (TV Guide): I thought, she's not going to be able to do anything out there with those acrylic nails.
Jeff Probst: Which makes her fun. I'm interested in seeing Melinda because Melinda thinks coming into the game that she's absolutely ready for it and we're all agreeing that looking at her, 'you couldn't be less ready'. But it'll be interesting to see what happens. Those first three days tell so much. If she rips off those nails and says, 'allright, I get it'. Otherwise if she's trying to protect them, she'll be gone. My concern about Melinda is that she keeps saying that she's here for the adventure. I think she's here to be on TV. She's a performer and that's what she does for a living. And this is possibly exposure.
Dalton: A little bigger than dinner theater. Slightly bigger than her current gig. So, yeah.
Mara Reinstein (US Weekly): She's going to sing on the spot for anybody so I'm sure.
Jeff: So you guys don't really have much for Melinda? She didn't give you much in her interviews.
Paul: I love being proven wrong by Survivor contestants after the interviews. But I just don't know. She was already trying to talk to the other contestants. Smacking bugs on her hand just standing at a nice home where we were interviewing them. I just don't know if she's got the teeth for it.
Shawna: I think she could be one of those people who gets out there and is uncomfortable and just blows up, loses it. She was talking about how people, her friends back home, kind of doubted that she could do this. That she would go off on them. And she's eager to prove you wrong but I think in the wrong environment. She's just, she's not going to do well.
Jeff: Why do you think we would put her on the show?
Jarrett Wieselman (In Touch): I think she's a very engaging personality. There is sort of like that car crash quality to her that you sort of don't love her but you want to watch her. You want to see what she's going to do especially if she's going to as much of a fish out of water as we all think she will be.
Dalton: I don't think she's unlikable. I didn't dislike her. I don't want to give that impression that I didn't like her. Is she ready for the experience, that's the question. She's a big personality and obviously that's why she's there, I think.
Mara: And she's very pretty.
Shawna: She looks like Tara Reid, actually. Looking at her with shorter hair.
Mara: Let's hope she's more entertaining than Tara Reid.
http://www.survivorfever.net/s12_tri_cities_1_17.html
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