NASHVILLE – When James Carroll started out on his bus tour vacation in the United States, little did he know that his big break might await him in Nashville, Tenn.
The tour guide on his bus had a game she played where the last person on the bus after a stop had to sing a song. Carroll, who grew up in McAdam, was that last person after one stop and he played along with the game.
One evening on the tour, members of the group were sitting around talking and the guide asked Carroll to sing a few songs. He complied.
The tour guide was so impressed with Carroll’s voice that she contacted a friend of hers, Brenda Best, a country music performer in Nashville, to pump up Carroll’s ability. Best is also a New Brunswicker, from Campbellton, and is a member of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame New Brunswick.
Originally the tour guide was just thinking Best and Carroll could sing a song or two on the bus. Best told her tour guide friend to send a video of Carroll singing. When she received the video, Best agreed that Carroll had a good voice and invited him to perform with her at the Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theatre where she has a residency show.
“It’s just so surreal,” said a shocked Carroll. “It just happened bang, bang, bang.”
Carroll has been singing since he was a child and has played some gigs locally. He had never done anything this big.
Carroll said Tammy Wynette’s drummer was part of the house band. A steel guitar player for Josh Turner and band members from the group Alabama were also in the house band. After the show, all of the band members told Carroll that he could sing.
“It was an awesome experience,” said Carroll.
No firm plans are in place for Carroll to continue his music career in Nashville. He did say that he’s still in touch with Best and that they have talked about recording some songs together and working on some sort of project. Carroll said he has never been in a recording studio so that would be another great experience for him.
robertfisher@stcroixcourier.ca