Niagara singer to join Hedley on stage
For Welland singer Jessica Wilson, winning two front row tickets to Hedley’s show at the Meridian Centre in March was plenty.
But this contest went one better — she’ll actually perform with them.
The 21-year-old learned Monday she had won a contest through 105.7 EZ Rock in which she entered a video of herself singing Hedley’s recent hit Better Days. Of the nearly 30 entries, Wilson’s clip performing the song acoustically earned the nod.
She was told she had won the contest Monday, but had to keep the news contained until the Niagara station announced it Tuesday.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to win,” says Wilson. “There were a lot of really good entries.
“I was in a vocal lesson and I got the message to my phone. I kind of did a double take, like ‘Why is 105.7 messaging me?’ Then it clicked and I got really excited.”
One of Canada’s most popular rock bands, Hedley will play Meridian Centre in St. Catharines March 7 as part of its Cageless Tour. They’ve racked up nearly 30 Juno nominations since 2006, winning twice for Video of the Year in 2011 and Pop Album of the Year in 2012. The band’s most recent album, Cageless, was released in September, reaching #2 on the Canadian album charts.
Wilson has been a huge fan since she was a kid.
“I remember when Jacob (Hoggard, singer) was on Canadian Idol, which was like a long time ago,” she says. “I think they’re a great example of why people should support Canadian music.
“They have one of the biggest songs on the radio right now. Not just Canadian radio, worldwide radio.”
The gig will come after a pivotal year for Wilson, who released her debut album Sincerely in July and won the People’s Choice award at September’s Niagara Music Awards.
“Yes, 2017 has kind of been the best year yet for lots of things. I’m excited I get to start 2018 this way.”
She also has experience being a guest for big shows. In 2013, she briefly joined Serena Ryder on stage in front of 20,000 people in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
While she isn’t nervous now, March could be a different story.
“I really, really love Hedley, and I know a lot of people going to this show,” she says. “It’s exciting, and I love making the connections.”