Frankfort resident and recent Franklin County High School graduation Grayson Thurman, 18, won the Pigeon Forge Path To Fame talent competition.
Grayson auditioned at the Lyric Theater and made the first round before claiming the grand championship on Saturday, June 22.
Home to a variety of musical productions and dinner shows, Pigeon Forge’s theatre community has helped launch the careers of Pearce, who performed at Dollywood theme park and Country Tonite theater, American Idol alum Janelle Arthur, singer/songwriter/actress Diana DeGarmo, Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan and soap star Eric Martsolf.
Thurman, 18, was one of four semi-finalists selected from 34 Path To Fame contestants at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington on March 30.
Joining Thurman in the top four performance slots were Kassey King, 20, from Kokomo, Indiana; Emma Lovett, 23, from Alabaster, Alabama; and Gabriel Winn, 17, from Tipton, Indiana.
Thurman began singing four years ago in school and church. He performed the national anthem for the 2019 state basketball tournament and has sung at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He is a three-time (2016-18) participant in Belmont University’s vocal camp and has attended the GRAMMY/National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Music Camp, both in Nashville. His musical influences range from the Beatles and Glen Campbell to Aerosmith and Johnny Cash.
Thurman is a recent graduate of Franklin County High School in Frankfort, Kentucky. He will attend Belmont University this fall where he plans to major in commercial music.
Thurman immediately captured the attention of Nashville talent executive and Path To Fame professional mentor John Alexander, co-founder and CEO of BandTwango. “Grayson wowed us in Lexington with a spectacular version of the song ‘Honesty’, and he stepped up at the finals with a rendition that was even more powerful than before,” Alexander said. “I look forward to working with Grayson over the next year to help him realize his dreams and grow as a performer.”
