By Alexandra Zawada– I Asst. Regional Head, Midwest

Hot Seater:

On March 18th, a friend and I went out on the three hour drive to Bloomington, IL to have the opportunity to see Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Casey James perform at the US Cellular Coliseum and let me tell you…the long drive was definitely worth it! The show was incredible.

Anyone that watched American Idol last season is familiar with the story of how Casey was in an accident and how the doctors told him that he would not be able to gain enough strength and control in his arm to play guitar again. These words of discouragement did not stop him though, he knew what his passion was and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him. “It was never an option for me to not play guitar. If I needed to learn to play guitar with my feet then I would have done that. I’m just blessed that I was allowed to keep my arm and had the strength and ability to relearn to play”. Casey also gave words of encouragement for those going through tough circumstances such as his, “Keep a positive attitude and know that good can come from any situation no matter how bad it seems. You can make it through”. Being able to see Casey live with his guitar, a person cannot even tell that he ever had trouble with his arm; he is a natural on stage with his guitar… or should I say guitars! Casey switched guitars before every song during his 30 minute set, stating with a laugh that every time he gets a new one he makes sure to use it on stage.

Since coming off of the show, Casey has been busy recording his debut release in Nashville. “The album is coming along great. I’m excited and honored to be working with the people I’m working with. I’m super excited to share the finished product with everyone”, he said of the whole recording process. 

He did however give us more insight on the album, “For me the writing process has its ups and downs. I’ve been writing since I started playing guitar. Sometimes the words come easily and sometimes they don’t. I tend to write how I’m feeling or write about past life experiences. I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing writers from Nashville that have helped me sharpen my skills as a writer”.

Casey mixed up his set with both slow and fast paced songs that got the crowd to dance and cheer in support. “To be on that stage in front of that crowd is such a thrill. I’m super proud of the music and my band. In the past I’ve played a lot of shows but never had the opportunity to perform my original music to such large audiences night after night. It’s the best part of my life. There’s really no other way to say it”. Casey has finished up with his leg of the Sugarland tour but promises that there will be “lots more great music, lots of live shows, and lots of fun” coming up throughout the next year.

For those out there that aspire to have a singing career or just to have a happy life while following their dreams, Casey had something to say: “I recommend that people always follow their hearts. In my mind success is achieved by loving what you do. I spent 11 years playing hard gigs any place I could. I was always broke, but I was always happy. I feel like if there’s a chance someone can take to get closer to their goals, they should do it. For me that chance was American Idol”.