Mary Sarah Could Be One To Make Something of “The Voice” Opportunity
As we all know by now, talent isn’t a virtue in the mainstream country music industry, it’s a burden. How malleable an artist happens to be is what attracts label executives, not necessarily their skills of singing or songwriting. With Auto-Tune and other studio treatments, you can make a star out of anyone. But the more an artist is willing to bend, the more likely they are to break, and cease to be who they were and what made them want to come to Nashville in the first place.
Mary Sarah is an unusual case when it comes to mainstream country prospects. On the surface, you have this gorgeous young woman with lots of styling, pizzazz, and stage presence, seasoned from performing since a very early age, like a pop country star ready to go out of the box. But what does she decide to do with her debut album? She releases a duets record with country legends like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Lynn Anderson, and Freddy Powers.
Bridges took country classics and created duets with Mary singing along with the legends that made the songs famous. It was a unique way to “bridge” the generations of country that was done with a respect for the genre’s lineage rarely seen from new performers today. Among all the other notable collaborations on the record, it included one of the very last recorded performances by country legend Ray Price.
READ: Mary Sarah “Bridges” The Old & New in New Album
Mary Sarah’s voice is stellar, and she’s perfect for putting on a pedestal and watching her shine in a mainstream world that demands perfection from their artists. But with such a talent glut in Nashville, and so few in the industry who know what to do with female stars, Mary Sarah has been unfairly overlooked, even as she continues to pursue her dream, and pursue it her way, including releasing a new album Dress Up This Town in 2015.
Much has been made of how NBC’s The Voice has struggled to launch legitimate music stars who can thrive in in the big scary world after the season is over. Remember Craig Wayne Boyd, the “true” country winner from a few season’s back? Have we heard from him lately? The last news was how he was being dropped by Big Machine Records. How about Meghan Linsey, who was a questionable pick a couple of seasons ago for a contestant, and finished as the runner up? Has her career been appreciably improved by her experience on the show? Or how about traditional country artist Jake Worthington? He put out a pretty good EP recently, but without the proper support of a label, he’s fighting for attention like everyone else, despite being able to boast how he was a runner up on the show.
The Voice is not interested in actually launching music artists. It’s not like DeVry or the University of Phoenix where after you complete your training, job placement is guaranteed. The Voice is simply interested in putting together a show that continues to deliver good ratings, which it does. The odds say that even if you win, you can slip right back into obscurity. The Carrie Underwood stories for reality TV singing winners are very few, and very far between these days.
But Mary Sarah, who auditioned Monday evening (2-29) for the latest season of The Voice and impressed all four judges, might be someone who can actually make something of this experience. “I’m a big fan of Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline,” she said on the show, and mentioned specifically how hard it is for females to make it in country.
Mary Sarah has been sitting right on the cusp for the last few years, but has lacked that one big moment of oomph to put her over the top. Of course there’s always the wild card of if Mary Sarah does make it to the top, will she make it there with what brought her to Nashville still in tact, will she end up butting heads with the industry like Craig Wayne Boyd, or will she be allowed to shine, and help build a “bridge” between old and new?
First things first, Mary Sarah has to do well. But now she finally has her chance to shine on a national stage.
February 29, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
I’m stunned The Voice continues to pull good ratings. I don’t understand the appeal of a show that has shown it is completely incapable of launching artists with any semblance of success. I mean, I understood the appeal of American Idol back in the day because people were literally watching future stars be launched (at least in the early years of the show where Clarkson, Underwood, etc. were launched), but The Voice has never seemed capable of launching even a one hit wonder.
February 29, 2016 @ 7:03 pm
Just saw her amazing performance on The Voice. She’s incredibly talented. Easily in the top 3 at the end of the season.
February 29, 2016 @ 8:42 pm
There are so many talented people who’ve seen their 15 minutes on the reality shows ,not to mention You Tube , their own websites and gigs local and otherwise, that its become an absolute glut of music . There are so many back stories- personal and professional- that they aren’t even novel as human interest elements any more . As I’ve suggested here in the past , the BIG factor which kept fans interested in celebrity’s careers in the past was mystique . There is absolutely NO mystique about talent show contestants ….we know everything about their lives , their families , where they sing , how little confidence many have, where they went to school etc etc etc. Shucks ….they are JUST LIKE US ! And that is just NOT interesting. An artists needs not only a unique style and vision but they need to sustain a mystique which keeps them ‘special’ in a listener’s mind ., They need to APPEAR to have it together ….they undermine that when they are shown being taught , guided , schooled and molded by a Blake Shelton or a Christina Aguilera or Harry Connick JR . Again ….they come off JUST LIKE US if we had those people in our corners . I don’t know or care about what STING eats for breakfast or where he fills up his gas tank ..only that his songs move me …..for that reason he maintains a mystique as an artist …..we surmise , assume , guess at whatever it is about him that might interest us . And THAT keeps him special , different than ME , it keeps him in a world that I WILL NEVER KNOW …..or so I like to believe because I WANT people I admire to NOT be JUST LIKE ME living a fairly normal , relatively unexciting life .THAT is the mystique missing from every Wannabe’s rap sheet ( no pun intended ) .
February 29, 2016 @ 9:01 pm
Good point. Keeping some of the mystery in tact is behind some of the success of Sturgill Simpson I believe.
March 1, 2016 @ 7:45 am
Real music fans understand the artistry and approach of a Sturgil Simpson . He would never have made it as even a contestant on any of those shows because he doesn’t fit the mold . And the fact that you’ve even entered a show like that means you are willing to compromise EVERYTHING to let Adam Levine tell you who you are as an artist and how he can help you win a fame contest doing it ADAM’S way . Absolute silliness. You are just working for the man if you are trying to have a singing career by cow-towing to labels ,trends and finicky young pop fans . You ‘d be far better off with a secure day job guaranteeing the rent is paid and doing your own thing the way YOU want to as a part time passion without compromise or the stress of relying on the BUSINESS of music to give you a life until you’ve established a following doing it YOUR way .James Taylor said it best -” Save some of yourself for yourself ” .
March 1, 2016 @ 8:55 am
Absolutely. One of the most intriguing things to me about Sturgill’s new album is that I have little idea even what style to expect. It will likely be very good music, regardless.
This is the first I have seen of Mary Sarah. That’ll give me something to listen to today. I like the song of hers I’m listening to right now.
I don’t keep up with the TV singing contests usually, but I did watch the Voice finale last year,
and was pleasantly surprised that one of the kids sang with Ricky Skaggs and another with Wynonna. Another former singing contestant to keep an eye on is Kree Harrison from American idol, who will have a CD coming out soon. She’s one of the few contestants on any of these shows that really caught my ear, so I look forward to seeing what she brings to the table.
February 29, 2016 @ 8:55 pm
My GOD YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 29, 2016 @ 8:57 pm
I don’t remember reading the review for her duets album, but now I want a copy. She (my first impression) strikes me as a pretty stand-up girl who won’t compromise. I hope I’m right.
Of course everyone knows the Voice’s record for launching new stars.
March 1, 2016 @ 7:48 am
There is a couple really good songs (Ray Price’s “heartaches by the number”, Vince Gill “Go rest high on the mountain”), and some that are not really that good (Willie Nelson’s “Crazy”). Btw, I am not saying crazy is not a good song, its one of my favorites, she just doesn’t do it any favors.
April 12, 2016 @ 2:55 pm
PLEASE Mary Sarah sing Patcy Cline!!!!!!!!!!!
February 29, 2016 @ 8:59 pm
Amen Fuzzy . She ‘s one of the best vocalists I’ve heard EVER !!!. I really wish she didn’t need to go on a ” reality ” music show .
February 29, 2016 @ 11:22 pm
Flat out outstanding vocals. No matter what talent rises – and this girl thought after a duets album of absolute legends that – I’m sure – after every major label passing on her because just what they hell would you do with a REAL woman drop dead gorgeous singer who doesn’t need backing tracks or auto – tune? Anyway ??! For crying out loud THIS is a female singer who’s got it going on, gorgeous and has the chops to sing any freaking genre but she’s chosen country?!?! Sign her already.
March 1, 2016 @ 12:28 am
Picked up an album recently from Cody Wickline who was on the Voice a few seasons ago. I liked a song I had heard off the album, but overall there were only a few other good ones. He is trying to have a more traditional outlaw/honky tonk type sound, but threw a few too many covers on the album. Better than anything on the radio though. He may grow into a good artist.
March 1, 2016 @ 9:07 am
I’m assuming she went with Blake? I know one young country singing lady spurned him for Adam last year. I will say some of Blake’s finalists and winners have actually done *something* in the industry. His track record is better than the other judges, probably because he does have the connections, and Nashville is a small pond compared to the ocean that is pop.
I’m trying not to watch the show this time around, so I didn’t catch it.
Good luck to her.
March 1, 2016 @ 10:31 am
Yes, she went with Blake, and Blake said he knew about her, which wouldn’t be unusual. He was just in the studio with the Oak Ridge Boys, and Mary Sarah was “discovered” by the Oak Ridge Boys, so there is a connection.
March 1, 2016 @ 8:39 pm
You haven’t spent much time in Nashville in last 8-10 years. The talent here in all genres is amazing.
March 2, 2016 @ 11:38 am
She’s AWESOME. I can’t hate on anyone for trying every avenue available to be heard. And if she sticks to the music she loves and has a national platform to sing it on, then she will have introduced real country music to the masses.