Columnist Susan Snyder: It’s really a jingle out there

Friday, Oct. 12, 2001 | 9:16 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or 259-4082.

Forget "Sin City."

Las Vegas is becoming Jingle Kingdom of the West.

OK, maybe they do write more of that stuff in New York or Los Angeles.

But last year we had a finalist in the Meow Mix jingle-writing contest. This year Las Vegas residents Quenton Stephenson and Jessica Trevino immortalized their fondness for fast food by becoming finalists in jingle competitions for Wendy's and Arby's.

Trevino, a 17-year-old senior at Silverado High School and employee of a Henderson Arby's, taped her ditty honoring the chain's Market Fresh sandwich line with her coworker Gerald Teis. The national in-house contest was for boosting morale and not intended to produce a new jingle, company officials said.

Still, Trevino and Teis sang all the way to the bank with the $500 they won for second place.

You might one day hear Stephenson's jingle for Wendy's, however. Right now the 35-year-old Las Vegas house painter is vying with four other regional winners for the grand prize privilege of recording the song that extols the virtue of Wendy's late-night drive-up window.

"When they called me and said I'd won (regionally) I was shocked," Stephenson said.

Shocked, because last year he won the grand prize in another Wendy's jingle-writing contest. He entered this year's competition never thinking they'd allow a past winner to make it to the top again.

Stephenson plays guitar, synthesizers (for drums, violins and other instruments) and sings. He says he has written regular songs, but gives them only to his family and friends.

"I'll go into my bedroom and record songs of my own, once in a while," he said. "My family is always thumping me in the head to send them to somebody."

He did send one to KKLX 96.3-FM. Stephenson and his brother Wes Stephenson, a poet and owner of several Big O Tire stores, co-wrote a song about the Sept. 11 attacks called "Beacon of Hope." Stephenson wrote the music, and his brother wrote the lyrics.

They sent it to the radio station, which is producing a CD of patriotic songs. The release party is tonight at the Hard Rock Cafe, Stephenson said. And about 18 months ago he wrote an opening jingle that Mark & Mercedes of KMXB 94.1-FM used on their morning show.

"Every one of these contests I've entered, I've won something," Stephenson said. "I guess I'd like to try to parlay this into a songwriting career."

He's not trading the paint roller for the guitar just yet, but he's keeping his options open and has a website: qsmusic.com.

"If the opportunity opens up, I certainly would like to step through the door," he said.

When Wendy's chose his jingle last year, Stephenson said he and his wife got a trip to Nashville for the recording session.

This time, for his regional title, Stephenson will receive $2,000 worth of music-mixing software. And this year's grand prize includes more recording equipment and a trip to Chicago for a recording session with rock producer Eddie Kramer, who worked with the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Kiss.

Stephenson says he is hoping for the big prize with a few reservations about the, well, reservations.

"To tell you the truth I'm a little scared to win," he said. "I don't want to fly right now."