Thursday, May 2, 2024
Hood County’s favorite vocal talent competition The Voice of Granbury will return for its sixth annual main event Thursday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at The New Granbury Live, 110 N. Crockett St.
The Voice of Granbury is a singing competition where 10 local talents will compete for audience votes to be crowned as the official Voice of Granbury for 2024.
Competitors include Jen Maroney, Hayden Phillips, Crystal McCraw, Lisa Sudbury, Lois Akers, AJ Sarcione, Nate Milson, Jackson Powell, Josh Lee and Pete O’Carroll.
The following bios were emailed from the contestants to the event organizers:
Jen Maroney – Jen is excited to be part of the fundraising effort for Granbury Kiwanis again after winning the Audition Night event in August. Jesus, family and the city of Granbury are dear to her heart. Recent music theater roles include portraying Charlotte in BCE's production of “Charlotte's Web” and Emily in “Elf the Musical” with Granbury Theatre Company. In her free time, Jen enjoys leading worship at StoneWater Church, where she also works in communications. Jen wants to thank her husband and kids for their never-ending support.
Hayden Phillips – Hayden is 16 and from Springtown. He is in his junior year at Springtown High School. He enjoys playing basketball, baseball and hanging out with friends and family. He also plays golf and is learning how to play guitar. He just started singing a short while ago, and he has really developed a passion for it and is anxious to continue singing to see where it goes.
Crystal McCraw – Crystal is a wife to her best friend, Joe, and mother of two boys, Oryon and Cyrus. She’s a hairstylist by day and a grumpy, tired bear ready for hibernation by night. She loves to hike, read and travel. She fell in love with singing as a young girl watching her mother sing with a band. She hopes to do the songs she’s chosen justice, and most importantly, she hopes we raise lots of money for a good cause.
Lisa Sudbury – Lisa started singing a cappella in church and listening to R&B, soul and Broadway records as a child. She has sung with praise bands and has written and performed songs for friends commemorating birthdays and other events. Lisa hasn’t been on a stage of this size since portraying “Betty from Boston” in a college production of “No, No Nanette.” Lisa is grateful for the support of family and friends and hopes you all have a wonderful time supporting a great organization.
Lois Akers – Lois has been in the Granbury area for five years and loves it here. She’s been singing in some form all her life. For over 20 years she directed various church choirs, and she currently is in the Granbury Civics Choir. She’s part of the ministry “For His Glory” which entertains at local senior living centers, singing God’s praises and sharing His love. She and her husband are fundraising consultants, assisting churches with capital campaigns. She is a blessed mother of four and grandmother of five.
AJ Sarcione – AJ is a resident of Granbury, who is the previous head of mojo and head of internal marketing for Verizon and Yahoo, respectfully. He now runs a business helping to develop and inspire leaders and teams to achieve their greatest potential. Music has been a big part of AJ’s life; he has performed since a young age and throughout his education. Once asked to perform by Whitney Houston, AJ has sung with various music artists, performed on national television, and has recorded numerous self-written songs.
Nate Milson – Nate, born and raised in Granbury, has worked regularly with both Granbury Theatre Company and Plaza Theatre Company for the past decade. You may have seen him on the Opera House stage in “9 to 5: The Musical,” or as Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” at Plaza Theatre. Both were in 2023. When not on stage, Nate enjoys playing games with friends and is a frequent patron of the local game store.
Jackson Powell – Jackson is from Granbury, where he is a junior at Granbury High School. He’s been in choir ever since his first year of middle school. In his second year, he tried out and made varsity. He then went on to letter his freshman year. His father, Michael, is a former winner of this competition.
Josh Lee – Josh is from Granbury and moved here a little over 25 years ago. He’s 35 years old and has been singing since he was 2. His mother and father gifted him with a natural talent and love for all genres of music. He’s been a part of a few bands over the years and played locally and around the state. He is super excited to be a part of the lineup and can’t wait to see what happens.
Pete O’Carroll – Pete was born in Memphis, Tennessee and moved to Granbury at age 2. He is a junior at Granbury High School and enjoys performing with both the GHS Tenor/Bass and A Capella Choirs. He has been selected to the All-Area Choir for the ongoing TMEA All State Choir selection process for 2024. He also sings as a co-lead vocalist in the Lakeside Baptist Church Youth Praise Band. He is a member of the GHS varsity soccer team and runs for the GHS cross country team in the off-season.
Each of the 10 singers will perform a song in round one, and the audience will vote on who advances to the next round using their voting tokens. The second round will consist of the top five singers, who will then perform a second song, followed by another round of voting. The top three finishers will advance to the final round, where they will perform a third song. After a final round of voting, the Voice of Granbury for 2024 will be crowned and will also receive $350.
Audience members will have three votes each. Votes may be cast in any round, and anyone may purchase an unlimited number of additional votes for $10 each to cast in any round. All proceeds benefit the charitable work of the Lake Granbury Kiwanis Club, a local volunteer service organization dedicated to improving the lives of children.
“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and it helps us fund many programs that help local kids,” Matt Mills, event director told the HCN. “We have another great lineup, with our winner from last August, Jen Maroney, returning to the stage. We're also excited to have two Granbury High School talents to showcase along with our veteran singers.”
To purchase tickets, visit thenewgranburylive.com online and search for “The Voice of Granbury.” Tickets are $30 each.
