Stage fright is common for many performers.
Tony Aaron Hambrick knows he’s battled nerves before singing, but his blind audition for “The Voice” was probably the most nerve-wracking performance he’s ever given.
“Blake (Shelton) and Kelly (Clarkson) also commented on my vocal talents, but they also spoke to the nerves,” said Hambrick, a performer and teacher at North Augusta Middle School and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts.
Hambrick applied for the show in November 2020 and waited for months before he received a call from the show.
At first, he thought it was a prank call and even accused the caller of it. But it didn’t take long before the caller convinced Hambrick, he was indeed with the show.
Although he wouldn’t give a specific date, Hambrick said he traveled to Los Angeles over the summer, leaving his wife, Sharla, and newborn son, Isaiah, behind.
He chose Justin Bieber’s “Anyone” as his audition song and dedicated it to his family.
Hambrick said John Legend complimented his voice, and Ariana Grande “loved my falsetto.”
Augusta audiences can’t see the audition because it didn’t air on NBC. At first, the singer was disappointed, but then he changed his perspective.
“But what an amazing opportunity,” he said. “Out of 60,000 people, I got to go to Hollywood.”
It’s an experience he said he’ll never forget, and it has taught him so much. Plus, he met a lot of people on his journey.
He’s said he’s also seen a tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends, family and those in the community who have reached out to him.
On Saturday, Oct. 9, he showed a different facet of his range than the one he showed to the judges of “The Voice,” as he sang “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” at the dedication ceremony at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts for the Jessye Norman Memorial Interchange.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” Elaine Sturkey, Jessye Norman’s sister said to him after the ceremony ended. “It was her arrangement.”
Like Norman, Hambrick is a classically trained singer and graduate of Augusta University. He said he studied Norman’s performance in preparation for the ceremony.
Hambrick goes by the stage name of Tony Aaron, and he’s working on a recording project that will be released in spring 2022.
To keep up to date on his music and recording, follow him on Instagram @TonyAaronMusic and on Facebook at facebook.com/TonyAaronMusic.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
