Marie Wise-Hawkins and her band, representing KHTS AM 1220, are tuning up for their National Finals performance for the 2014 Country Showdown.
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Wise-Hawkins and band members Guitarist Chris Pucher, Guitarist Kyle Calvillo, Drummer Isaac Watts and Bassist Evren Edler flew to Nashville Monday and will perform at the Ryman Auditorium Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m.
“People dream their whole life of performing there. It’s the biggest place in country music to perform,” Wise-Hawkins said in an
on-air interview with KHTS AM 1220 Station Manager Kyle Jellings. “It’s the original place of the Grand Ole Opry. Patsy Cline has performed there, Johnny Cash and Carter Cash, Elvis Presley, LeAnn Rimes, all my idols, Martina McBride. Just to be on that stage is already making it. I’m super blessed.”
Wise-Hawkins first entered the Country Showdown contest when she was 12 years old, she said. She was one of the winners of the local round at the Keyboard Galleria Music Center in June last year.
Wise-Hawkins and her band then moved on to perform, and win, at Concerts in the Park local round, Knott’s Berry Farm state round and the Coos Bay, Ore. regional round.
Wise-Hawkins is the only female to be performing and competing in the national and final round of the 2014 Country Showdown, she said.
“I just want to give the best performance i can and let everyone in the audience enjoy themselves,” she said. “Never give up on your dreams. I’ve been in this competition since I was 12 years old and it just goes to show with hard work and dedication and the continual practice, you can do anything you want to do.”
For more information about the Country Showdown, visit the website.
“We had a great time performing (at Coos Bay). We’re out here to win and we’ve been rehearsing for a long time,” Wise-Hawkins said in a previous interview. “We’re going to the national finals. This will be the third year that KHTS AM 1220 has sent someone to nationals. We’re continuing to work hard, to work together as a team — it’s really a team effort.”
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