Kacey Musgraves Came in 7th Place on ‘Nashville Star’ Years Before Winning 6 Grammys
Singing competition shows have given rise to several up-and-coming artists. Mega pop stars like Kelly Clarkson, Harry Styles, and Carrie Underwood got their start from participating in such shows.
While many of said shows are generally focused, one particular show emphasized helping country music hopefuls make a name for themselves. The show was called Nashville Star, and Kacey Musgraves was part of it. She, however, placed 7th, but that didn’t deter her from eventually winning 6 Grammys.
Kacey Musgraves came in 7th place on ‘Nashville Star’
Musgraves got an early start in music, writing her first song when she was eight and learning to play the guitar at age 12. She had support from her mother, who took her to music festivals to sing western swing music.
After graduating from Mineola High School, Musgraves moved to Austin, Texas at age 18 in 2006 and joined the reality singing competition Nashville Star the following year. She was only 18 years old when she auditioned for the show during its fifth run.
Musgraves made it into the series, but her time was ultimately cut short as she was the fourth contestant to get voted out of the show. The elimination saw Musgraves place seventh in the series. While Musgraves didn’t achieve her big break from the show, she still worked hard to get to where she is, although she is glad her fans don’t remember that time in her life.
Musgraves said in a 2020 interview that she was happy her fans don’t recall that time in her life as she was still “figuring myself out, musically and personally.” Angela Hacker took home the crown for that season.
Kacey Musgraves now has an impressive and successful career
Nashville Star wasn’t what Musgraves thought it would be, but it helped her gain some ground in the industry. However, things would change for the singer when producer Monte Robinson discovered her. In 2010 she collaborated with Josh Abbott Band for the song “Oh Tonight.”
Her acoustic cover of One Republic’s “Apologize” charted at Number 23 on the Billboard Hot Singles chart and racked up more than 31 million Spotify streams. After touring with Lady A in 2012, Musgraves signed with Mercury Nashville and dropped her debut song “Merry Go ‘Round” in 2013.
The song was part of the album Same Trailer Different Park which debuted at number two. 2012 would become a huge year for Musgraves as she got nominated for four awards at the Academy of Country Music Awards. She also received four Grammy nods tying with Lorde and Taylor Swift for most nominations by a woman that year.
In 2014, Musgraves’ debut album won an Academy of Country Music Award. The singer’s fourth studio album Golden Hour dropped in 2018 and received acclaim. The album was nominated for four Grammy awards and took home all four. Musgraves currently holds 6 Grammy wins and seven CMA awards.
Other singers who started on ‘Nashville Star’
Nashville Star helped several country musicians find their footing in the entertainment industry. Miranda Lambert has a decorated career today but got her start in the singing competition series. Lambert was part of the competition during the show’s inaugural season. While she got far, she finished third.
Chris Young won the show’s 4th run at age 20. His win saw him land a contract with RCA Records, and he has since released several chart-toppers.
Whitney Duncan worked with Kenny Rogers before her appearance on Nashville Star, but the series introduced her to a larger audience. She and Musgraves starred in the fifth season, but Duncan beat Musgraves placing fifth.
