Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Local boy done good

I don't watch The Voice. After this season, maybe I should make room next season, except for the simple fact that it airs opposite Gotham on Mondays, and The Flash on Tuesdays. In truth, I'm not really much for these talent competitions.

However, The Voice crowned a new champ last night, and he's representing the home district.

Sawyer Fredericks is just 16, but sings like he's 21 or older. I've read all the hype, and this morning's Albany Times-Union gave Fredericks a front page headline, putting him on equal footing with local sports teams winning championships. Maybe even better, assuming he can add a few gold records down the line.

Sawyer is from suburban Fultonville, and, yes, that leads to a lot of Green Acres jokes, as you could imagine, since he does live on a farm. He's been homeschooled, and I'd imagine he taught himself to play the guitar.

So what do you think clinched it for him? How about a stirring cover of Neil Young's "Old Man", performed on Monday.



20 years ago, I was in a relationship with a female musician. If they had shows like The Voice or American Idol back then, maybe she gets the big break she was hoping for. Sawyer's already played a couple of freebies at a local venue during the competition, and his next visit hopefully won't break the bank for his friends and fans, unlike a lot of concerts these days that are way overpriced due to promoters' greed. Let's just pray Sawyer doesn't fall prey to those kind of sharks.

Congratulations, Sawyer. You earned every bit of it.

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