California country musician Suzanne Harper has officially been announced as a finalist in the 32nd annual Texaco Country Showdown, following her win at the Western Regional level competition in November.
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The nationalist finalists were announced on the competition’s homepage earlier this week.
Santa Clarita’s country music showdown competition hosted by KHTS AM-1220 could produce an unheard-of second consecutive Texaco Country Showdown winner January in Nashville.
Suzanne Harper, 31, who sings with a band made of her friends and family, said it took her “a good 10 minutes” for it to sink in when she won the KHTS AM-1220-sponsored Santa Clarita competition, one of hundreds of contests around the country.
Born and raised in North San Diego County, Harper continues to perform and expand her music career throughout Southern California.
She has performed at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater with Sugarland, House of Blues San Diego, Anthology, Moonlight Amphitheater, Valley View Casino, Pauma Casino, Fox 5 San Diego, and 102.1 KPRI FM.
Speaking of the Western Regional Final in Oregon last month, Harper expressed awe at the talent of her competition.
“I was really shocked I won,” she said.
Related Article: Texaco Country Showdown Finalist Talks About Music, Competition
Four other musicians will compete with Harper at the finals in Nashville this January.
The other regional winners moving onto the finals include Southwest winner Crystal Yates; Midwest winner Zac Matthews; Northeast winner Casey Sutton, and the band Southern Halo, winners of the Southeast Regional.
To prepare for the televised finals, Harper continues to work on her performance and rework the songs she will be performing on the national stage, she said.
She has already booked flights to Nashville for the final showdown.
“I’m mentally preparing [for the finals,]” Harper said. “It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m really excited to be going to Nashville.”
If Harper wins this year’s competition, she would be the second consecutive Texaco Country Showdown winner to come out of Santa Clarita’s local country music showdown.
Poor Man’s Poison, the winning band from Texaco Country Showdown last year, started in Santa Clarita as well. They were sponsored by KHTS and won the National Finals, claiming the title “Best New Act in Country Music” and a $100,000 prize.
In the Texaco Country Showdown’s 32-year history, it’s helped develop the careers of country music stars, such as Garth Brooks, Sara Evans and Brad Paisley, and countless others.
Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and Carrie Underwood are three famous country music stars who competed but did not win in the Texaco Country Showdown.
For more on the finalists, click here.
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