Two area residents will travel to Nashville Saturday to audition for the televised musical competition “The Voice” on NBC.
Wayne Waddell and James Holmes will wait in long lines Saturday with their audition numbers, waiting for the chance to share their vocals with a board of preliminary judges. The two are trying out for the show both individually and as a duo.
Waddell and Holmes are members of a local band, CR-12, which stands for County Road 12 where Waddell grew up.
The two said they have overcome obstacles and are ready to see if the hype around their music is really true.
“I’m 42-years-old so this is the last chance for me to see if I can do anything with my music,” Waddell said, who wrote a Jimmy Buffet-inspired song called “Wasted Away,” while doing time in jail.
“I went away for six years,” Waddell explained about his meth addiction that landed him some hard time. “I went, did my time and got my life straightened out. I sat there for six years and just thought about my music. I thanked the officer that arrested me because I told him he rescued me by putting me away.”
Waddell said he and Holmes play gigs with CR-12 across the region in bars in north Florida and South Georgia. The two said they are sick of people telling them they should do something with their music and try out for “The Voice.”
“I just want the chance to shut these people up around here who are always telling me I can turn four chairs on ‘The Voice’ and telling me that I should be going somewhere with my music,” Waddell said. “This is my last chance.”
Saturday, Feb. 2 the two will find out if they advance to the next round of the singing competition.