Miss America 1986

Miss America 1986

Miss America 1986, Miss Tennessee Kellye Cash, the grandniece of country star Johnny Cash, walked the line on the runway Saturday after she was crowned Miss America 1987.

The first runnerup was Miss Virginia Julianne Smith, 21, of Yorktown. The second runnerup was Miss South Carolina Dawn Elizabeth Smith, 22, of Columbia. Third runnerup was Miss Michigan Kelly Garver, 23, of Farmington, and the fourth runnerup was Miss Missouri Tamara Tungate, 21, of St. Peters.

Two Oklahomans competing in the pageant were awarded #4,000 scholarships in recognition of their talents.

Miss Oklahoma Mignon Merchant, 25, and Miss Louisiana Amanda Mainord, 20, were among eight non-finalists awarded such scholarships.

Merchant is from Oklahoma City. Mainord, of Baton Rouge, is originally from Shawnee.

Wearing a white sequined gown with platinum sequined stripes, the blonde Cash was crowned by Miss America 1986 Susan Akin, 22, of Meridian, Miss. She took her victory stroll down the runway in Convention Hall as emcee Gary Collins sang the pageant standard "There She Is."

The 21-year-old from Memphis, Tenn., whose father is a naval aviator performing strategic NATO exercises off the coast of Norway, mouthed the words, "Oh, my God" as her name was announced and lifted her palms upward in a gesture of disbelief to the crowd of 20,000 in the hall and a national television audience.

A senior majoring in communications and public relations at Memphis State University, Cash accompanied herself on the piano as she sang "I'll Be Home" in a voice that began in a whisper and climbed to an emotional crescendo.

Her performance and appearance in a swimsuit last week made her the only double-winner in the preliminary competition.

The 5-foot-8, 116-pound Cash, who has green eyes, became the second Miss America from Tennessee and has a connection to the first from birth. She was delivered by the doctor-husband of Miss America 1947 Barbara Walker Hummel.

Cash said her famous granduncle was on tour and couldn't come to the pageant, but planned to watch it on television from Los Angeles.
Her father, Capt. Roy Cash Jr., wrote Johnny Cash's hit, "I Still Miss Someone," while sitting in an accounting class in the early 1960s, she said.

Her musical style, pops and blues, differs from that of Cash, but Cash said she tries to emulate the presence he has on stage.

"I guess he's been an inspiration to me in that he has a lot of charisma on stage," she said.

A newcomer to the pageant arena, winning the state title the first time she tried, Cash said she nevertheless has been preparing for the pageant all her life by taking 10 years of piano and voice lessons and by living with her family in eight states and four foreign countries.

She said the frequent moves of her military family made her accustomed to getting to know new people and gave her the opportunity to perform in many places.

"I think it (moving) is very good for girls, especially if they want to become very outgoing and learn how to communicate with people," said Cash.

She said she thought it was more difficult for her father, captain of the USS El Paso, not to be able to attend the pageant than it was for her, because of her large gallery of supporters from Tennessee. She said he planned to try to pick up the telecast via satellite.