More than 150 people registered for open call auditions in Nashville on April 21.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 24, 2018) — Four performers advanced in Saturday’s Path to Fame Nashville auditions at Skyville Live where more than 150 people registered for a chance to advance their entertainment careers.
The four semi-finalists from Tennessee are:
female vocalist Brenna Beatty from Springfield;
female vocalist Alaya Morris from Nashville;
duo Ashley Tragler and Christian Simcox from Bristol;
family trio Sheridan Hill from Mt. Juliet.
Four performers advanced one step closer to realizing a lifetime dream of an entertainment career. Nashville-based talent executive John Alexander will focus on artist development with the grand champion, including career development consultations with GRAMMY-nominated, platinum-selling country star Kelsea Ballerini and other entertainment executives representing all aspects of the entertainment industry. Alexander discovered Ballerini, spent over a decade at Great American Country television network, managed artists such as Patty Loveless and is co-founder of the Nashville-based artist development company Bandtwango.
“The incredible talent Music City is known for was well represented at the auditions on Saturday. Our semi-finalists possess that hard-to-define ‘it’ factor and are actively pursuing ways to pursue their path to fame,” Alexander said. “This group is one step closer to achieving that dream with the proper connections and opportunities that winning this competition would provide.”
Beatty is an aspiring singer-songwriter actively pursuing performing opportunities surrounding her hometown and writes at least five songs every week. Last year, her supportive family moved across the country from Oregon to Music City to make the 17-year-old’s dream more attainable. Beatty performs at writers’ rounds and anywhere she has the opportunity to share her music in Nashville and the surrounding areas. She performed an original song “Georgia.”
Morris stunned the judges with her powerful vocal performance of “I’m Goin’ Down” by Mary J. Blige. The Belmont student is a commercial voice major gearing up for graduation in December and looking for ways to continue making her passion for music the center of her life. She performs with a vocal ensemble and does background vocalist studio work.
The duo Ashley & Christian met on their church’s worship team and immediately felt a musical and personal connection. The couple has been performing together for several years in the Tri-Cities area and shared an acoustic rendition of Chris & Morgane Stapleton’s “You Are My Sunshine” that perfectly highlighted Christian’s instrumentals and Ashley’s voice.
Sheridan Hill of Mt. Juliet is made up of two brothers and their father, who had actively been pursuing his own musical career when he discovered his two sons’ own talent. The group performs original music and a variety of covers from Americana to R&B genres. Sheridan Hill brought its own spin of acoustic instruments and harmonizing vocals to the stage during its performance of an original song “Long Way Down.”
The final competition will take place in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on June 16 where one grand champion will be selected from 12 competing performers.
Performers have one more opportunity to audition for the Path to Fame Talent Competition in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, May 12.
More information for the Path to Fame Talent Competition can be found at PFFame.com. More information about visiting Pigeon Forge is available at MyPigeonForge.com.
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Link to photos of PigeonForgePathtoFameNashvilleAuditions.
Link to b-roll of PigeonForgePathtoFameNashvilleAuditions.
Group photo identification from L to R: Sue Carr, marketing manager for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism; John Alexander, Nashville talent executive; Christian Simcox, semi-finalist; Ashley Tragler, semi-finalist; Brenna Beatty, semi-finalist; Alaya Morris, semi-finalist; Dylan Beavers, semi-finalist; Dakota Beavers, semi-finalist; Lance Beavers, semi-finalist; Michael Headla, entertainment director for Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment; Zac Woodward, on-air personality at WRVW-FM 107.5 The River.
About Pigeon Forge: Pigeon Forge is located in East Tennessee, approximately 35 miles from Knoxville and McGhee-Tyson Airport. Two-thirds of the nation’s population east of the Mississippi River lives within a day’s drive, making it an easily accessible family vacation destination. The city’s neighbor is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the U.S. It also is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, Tennessee’s most-visited ticketed attraction. More information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge are available at MyPigeonForge.com or toll-free at 1-800-251-9100.
Media contact:
Jess Pangrazio
[email protected]
615-327-1189 ext. 350