Moving to Nashville to pursue her country music dreams has been an eye-opening experience for Madison Hughes .
Hughes, who grew up in Ponte Vedra and attended Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, is taking her shot at stardom in the Music City and getting a boost from back home. She’ll do about 30 minutes, alone on the stage, on Oct. 10, opening for Tracy Lawrence at the Florida Theatre . It’s a one-off performance for Hughes, but a big step in the right direction.
Hughes got her big break in 2022 when she appeared on the televised talent show “The Voice.” She didn’t win, but her blind audition, performing Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” got judges Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton to turn their chairs and listen. Without that confidence booster, Hughes said, she probably wouldn’t have pushed in Nashville as hard as she has.
“I definitely think it’s the only reason why I’m continuing to do this,” she said in a phone interview.
She’s splitting time between songwriting and performing. Moving to Nashville as a songwriter can be a humbling experience, she said.