Finalist on 'Nashville Star' has Oklahoma connection

By Penny Soldan

Published: June 14, 2008

Four years ago, Tommy Stanley was living in Cushing with no set plans for the future. Now, he is a finalist on "Nashville Star” and excited about what that may bring.

He already has performed in front of a packed house at Acuff Theater in Nashville, Tenn. Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus was there. So were three-time Grammy nominee Jewel and multi-award winning singer John Rich.

And more than 6.7 million viewers tuned in when NBC televised that performance last Monday on the sixth-season premiere of "Nashville Star.”

"I've been doing music my whole life, and this could be my chance to make it where I want to be,” Stanley, 24, said. "And I heard that ‘Nashville Star' really pushes their artists. It's not just for TV; it's also for the artists.”

That is what prompted Stanley to send in a video audition March 9. He was in Japan at the time. He performed an original song he wrote called "Lonely Oklahoma.”

Stanley's days in Cushing inspired the song. He grew up mostly in Texas but moved to Oklahoma when he was 21 to live with his sister. He didn't have many friends or much to do there, so he joined the Navy.

He was working as an engineer on the USS Kitty Hawk when he heard back from "Nashville Star.” It was two weeks after sending in his video, and casting producers wanted him to come to Virginia for another audition.

So, he sang "Lonely Oklahoma” aboard the USS Iwo Jima, where 127 other members of the military were auditioning for the show. He won that audition and found himself in Nashville two days later.

"It was really amazing to be on a different kind of ship, but it was a very long day,” Stanley said. "The judges told me a couple of things that brought my morale down, but then they told me they'd give me a chance in Nashville.”

Stanley didn't look too happy with the judges' comments on the season premiere of "Nashville Star.” He sang "Walking in Memphis” on the two-hour telecast.

"I think you really got the crowd going, but I'm still not sold on you,” said Jeffrey Steele, a hit-making producer on the judging panel.

Rich, who is one half of the country duo Big & Rich, said: "I think you made a mistake a little bit with over-singing.”

Jewel, who hosted "Nashville Star” last season and is back this time as a judge and mentor, said, "I liked what you did tonight, personally.”

Judges will continue to offer critiques in subsequent episodes of the show. It will air live at 8 p.m. Mondays on NBC. But viewer votes will decide who returns to the stage for the remaining weeks. At stake is a major recording contract with Warner Bros. Nashville and a gig at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

"I respect the judges, and I will do my best to take in everything they say, being who they are and what they've done,” Stanley said. "But it's going to be a lot more exciting seeing the votes come in and seeing how many people voted for us.

"I cannot wait for the next show.”

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