A few bumps for Evanston singer on the road to Nashville stardom
January 23, 2007BY BOBBY REED NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Call it anxiety. Call it butterflies in the stomach. Call it what you will, but Meg Allison knows all about it.
On last Thursday's episode of the USA Network's reality TV competition "Nashville Star,'' Allison was the final performer of the night. That meant she had to wait 55 heartrending minutes while her fate seemed to hang in the balance. Allison knew that she would either sing her arrangement of the Alison Krauss concert staple "Oh, Atlanta'' or she would be booted off the show.
Allison survived -- so then she had to immediately focus on giving a strong performance for the panel of judges: country artist Blake Shelton, vocalist Randy Owen (lead singer of Alabama) and music executive Anastasia Brown.
The following morning, seated in Buffalo Billiards pool hall while "Nashville Star'' producers wrangled contestants and camera rolled in the next room, Allison reflected on her frightening night.
"I don't remember any of it,'' the 25-year-old Evanston native said with a laugh. "It was an emotional roller coaster. I'm having trouble even remembering what happened because I was so on edge.' "
Perhaps that which does not kill Allison's stint on reality TV will only make her stronger.
"This situation is a huge learning experience,'' she said. "After what happened last night, I know I can handle anything now.''
After passing through two rounds of auditions last fall at Joe's Bar in Chicago, Allison decided to move to Nashville. A week after her arrival, she got the phone call that she would be one of 10 contestants selected for the show.
After two episodes, seven contestants remain. The winner will be crowned March 1 and receive a recording contract. The winners of the four previous seasons are Buddy Jewell, Brad Cotter, Erika Jo and Chris Young. Each received a substantial career boost from the show, but none of those artists has become known outside country music circles.
Brown suggested that Allison's chances of going far in the competition are rather good. "The growth that I have seen Meg experience in just one week was pretty phenomenal," she said. "She listened to our critique and just let go. When you're nervous, the hardest thing to do is to let go and just have fun. She learned how to let go more quickly than I have seen many artists do.''
Without mentioning Simon Cowell of "American Idol,'' Brown said she is not a cruel judge. "No matter how many times I get booed, my conscience is clean,'' she said. "I am not a dream-killer. I've never been a wing-clipper, and I will not tear a human being down just for ratings.''
Bobby Reed is a local free-lance writer.