Tyler Childers was destined to be the country star that he is today. Need proof? Just watch this vintage footage of the Kentucky native competing in a talent contest when he was a teenager.
It’s always great to see videos of country music stars before they hit it big, and this clip is no exception. Below you’ll see a video of a 16-year-old Childers singing what I’m assuming is an original song (props to him for penning this one at such a young age, if he did), and it’s absolutely glorious.
How did this video come to be? Well, the “Lady May” singer grew up in the hollers of Lawrence County, which is in the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield region of the state. He then moved to Johnson County and lived there, graduating from Paintsville High School in 2009. Before even getting his high school diploma, he was exploring his musical talent and showcasing it here and there.
Like with this event in 2007 that was referred to as “Big Sandy Idol.”
If you are assuming that’s some sort of singing competition, you’d be correct. It was basically a local version of American Idol, and Tyler Childers chose to show off his talent on stage at the young age of 16. On one hand, it’s crazy to watch this footage and connect it with the country music megastar. On the other hand… there’s no doubt this is Childers, as his mannerisms and vocal control align perfectly with the Tyler that we know today.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say this one of the earliest examples of Tyler Childers chasing his dream. The 7-time Grammy nominee and the owner of Platinum and Gold albums (as well as multiple Platinum singles) evidently got his performing career off and running with “Big Sandy Idol.” I doubt this 16-year-old would have ever dreamed of selling out massive venues night after night, and being widely regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in modern country music.
And to add to that, I’m sure everyone that was there that day and heard Tyler Childers’ performance had absolutely no idea that they were witnessing the humble beginnings of one of country music’s brightest stars. The talent was undoubtedly there from the very beginning. An account that calls themselves “Tyler Childers Fans” recently shared the rare footage, and according to an old program from the event, the track Childers is singing is titled “My Name.”
“Every artist starts somewhere, and this rare footage of Tyler Childers performing in high school is a glimpse into the early days of a voice that would go on to define a generation of country music.”
What a blast from the past, eh?
As much as it pains me to say, that video – from 2007 – is almost 20 years old. Things for Tyler Childers have changed a lot since then. His stage presence has gotten a whole lot better over the years, but it is funny to see some old habits still sticking around.
Though he’s improved vocally by a great margin (as you would expect), he still has a tendency to hold that right hand down near his belt-buckle in the modern day when he’s singing… just like he did when he was 16-years-old.
