KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Songwriters had the opportunity to showcase their creativity through tunes on Tuesday night.
Sixteen songwriters took the Model City Tap House stage for a qualifying round of performances as part of the Tennessee Songwriters Week.
The contest has occurred for several years, but Tuesday’s event marked a first for Kingsport.
News Channel 11 spoke with two of the four finalists before they took the stage.
Chancellor Lawson is a local singer-songwriter. He said his Tuesday night performance featured a song from his heart.
“This is probably the sweetest song I’ve ever written and probably one of the more honest tunes I’ve ever written,” he said. “It’s a song called ‘Happy Man,’ and it’s for my muse.”
Another songwriter, Sarah Beth Lovell, performed her song “Rollin’ On,” which encourages listeners to stand strong when life may knock them down.
“Kingsport has a lot of talent,” Lovell said. “This whole area has a lot of talent, and I signed up because I wanted to hear everybody else, and I thought I probably have something to contribute, too.”
Lawson and Lovell will join two other finalists — Travis White and Jared Bentley — for the regional showcase at Down Home on Feb. 22. Tickets will be sold at the door for $12.
