Countless days and nights spent learning to perfect an instrument and hit that key note while singing. Many aspiring artists struggle to gain the fame that they dream of, trying to become the next Carrie Underwood or Florida Georgia Line.

These up and coming hopefuls are given an opportunity to gain national attention and recognition as artists in the Texaco Country Showdown.

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This Saturday June 29 at 4:00 p.m. at Keyboard Galleria, seven contestants will be showcasing their talent and competing to hopefully become the next “Best New Act in Country Music.” The event is open to the public and admission is free.

The preliminary round will consist of all seven bands competing to perform at Santa Clarita’s Concerts in the Park series, on Saturday night July 13 at Central Park. The top three bands at the preliminary round will perform at Concerts in the Park and the winner will be chosen by judges to advance to the next round.

The winner that night will be sponsored by KHTS AM-1220 in the upcoming rounds of state and regional competition, hopefully advancing to the final round at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. just as Poor Man’s Poison did last year. Poor Man’s Poison was discovered by KHTS radio and won the championship after starting out at Concerts in the Park during the summer of 2012.

The contestants for this year include Bourbon County, Boo Spence, Marie Wise-Hawkins, Suzanne Harper, Ryan Metcalf McMullen, the J Ranch Band, and Ryan Arklin.

Tyler Kershaw, Kevin Fosmark, Tim Jimenez, and Tim Hutton make up the band Bourbon County, which brings a rock and roll style to country music.

16-year-old singer/songwriter, Boo Spence, has many aspiring interests and dreams including horseback riding and flying airplanes.

Gaining recognition as an aspiring artist, Marie Wise-Hawkins is a young singer who has performed throughout Southern California. 

Suzanne Harper is a versatile artist with original material in pop, country and rock. She fell in love with country music as she learned to sing and play guitar.

After beginning his music career when he found his voice in his mid-30s, Ryan McMullen pursued his passion for pop country music.

The J Ranch Band is a newly formed group made up of Gina Allison, Dave Gillespie, Tom Rowbottom, and Jackie Lynn. The groups various backgrounds lead to the band’s unique sound.

Ryan Arklin overcame an injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. With his new perspective on life and his mobility back, he has pursued music in college and is passionate in his performances.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

The judges for the preliminary round of Texaco Country Showdown held in the Santa Clarita Valley this year are Tracey Gold, Andrea Standley, and David May.

Tracey Gold has grown up on television, starting when she was six years old on “Roots” and was popular on “Growing Pains.” She recently created and hosted “Starving Secrets” on Lifetime to help woman suffering from eating disorders.

COO of SONGINC, Andrea Standley, is a music industry label veteran who began her career at Warner Brothers Records in the areas of marketing, promotion, video, and production. She is also a songwriter and producer for upcoming artists. 

David May is a two-time Grammy Award Winning producer, musician, and songwriter. He has worked with popular artists like Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, and many others.

The contestants of Texaco Country Showdown are striving to make it big with this competition just as Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Sarah Evans, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Billy Ray Cyrus did. 

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Source: Santa Clarita News
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