Big week ahead for Rossville singer Lauren Alaina
Big week ahead for Lauren Alaina — she’s up for her first CMA Award and her movie debuts Friday on CMT
This is a big week for Rossville singer Lauren Alaina. Two events are coming up that carry career-changing potential.
She is nominated for her first Country Music Association Award in the New Artist of the Year category, which will be presented Wednesday night when the CMAs air live from Nashville on ABC at 8 p.m. She is the only female in the category, up against stiff competition: Old Dominion, Luke Combs, Jon Pardi and Brett Young, whom Riverbend fans saw in June.
The award is a nod from the Country Music Association to an artist who has demonstrated creative growth and development in chart and sales activity, performance professionalism and received critical media recognition.
“Of course we are loyal to Lauren,” says Melissa Turner, afternoon on-air personality at WUSY-101 Radio, “but this category, to me, is probably one of the most competitive categories this year. She is in amazing company. All five have had spectacular years in terms of album sales, songs. But to me, she has just as good a shot as anybody else.”
Pushed to choose Alaina’s main competition, Turner said, “Jon Pardi has had a pretty phenomenal run. He’s been in this business a long time.
“He’s paid his dues a long time. It you look at it from most No. 1s and credentials, he’s probably got a few more (checks) by his name. But anything is possible at the CMAs, you never know how the industry is going to vote.”
Then, Friday night, CMT Network will debut Alaina’s new movie filmed last year in Knoxville, “Road Less Traveled.” Show time is 9 p.m.
The movie, named for the singer’s No. 1 single and album of the same name, stars Alaina as Charlotte, a singer-songwriter struggling to balance her career with her dream wedding. When she returns to her rural Tennessee hometown, she begins to reconsider her future, especially after a chance encounter with her old flame, Ray, played by Donny Boaz (“Six”). Jason Burkey (“The Walking Dead”) stars as Charlotte’s fiancee, and Charlene Tillis (“Dallas”) plays her aunt, Babs.
The film includes music from her album, “Road Less Traveled,” including her current single, “Doin’ Fine.” A credible performance in the television movie could open doors to a new form of performance for the singer.
Alaina isn’t the only Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School alum who will get some airtime Wednesday night at the CMAs. Kane Brown, whose duet with Alaina, “What If,” went to No. 1 on five different charts, isn’t up for an award, but he has received a recognition just as high-profile. Brown was tapped to perform with co-host Brad Paisley on Wednesday night’s show.
“I think it’s pretty amazing,” says Turner. “For him to get picked of all the artists speaks volumes as to where Kane is right now. He’s still super-hot. He outsells some of the biggest artists in country music and he’s still considered a newbie.”
Terri Vandiver was principal at LFO when both singers were students there.
“I remember Lauren very well. The day she walked in, she and I connected. Kane was only there a semester, maybe a year. I remember him as very quiet,” says Vandiver, who is now principal of Catoosa Performance Learning Center.
That quiet student is now heard around the country as he tours with Jason Aldean and Chris Young. And Wednesday night he’ll have the attention of a national broadcast audience.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.