A 12-year-old Spanish Fort musician with a growing local following is set to take the stage this weekend for a benefit concert that will help send him to a national country music competition in Tennessee.
Tucker Wilson, a Spanish Fort seventh-grader, will headline a fundraising concert Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m. at the Spanish Fort Community Center, located at 7361 Spanish Fort Blvd. Admission is free, and several other musicians from the Gulf Coast region are expected to join him on the bill for an afternoon of country music.
Wilson has become something of a familiar voice around the region. In addition to writing and performing his own songs, he appears regularly on 95KSJ’s “Dan & Shelby Afternoon Show,” where he is known to listeners as “Precocious Neighborhood Kid Tucker.” Outside the recording booth, he is quick to point out that he is a fairly typical pre-teen, with a love of fishing, football and soccer that keeps him busy when he is not writing music.
What sets him apart is a deep affinity for classic country sounds, an influence that has shaped his own songwriting and performing style. He has built a small catalog of original material, including the ballad “I Love You,” and has shared his songs both through live performances and on YouTube. At Saturday’s concert, attendees will be able to purchase copies of his five-song debut collection.
The concert is intended to help cover the costs of an upcoming trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where Wilson will compete in March in the North America Country Music Associations International competition. The event draws young performers from across the country, and travel, lodging and entry costs can add up quickly for families supporting a young musician’s ambitions.
Organizers say Saturday’s show gives the community a chance to hear Wilson’s original music firsthand while directly supporting his trip. For a preteen who spends his afternoons split between sports fields and songwriting, the competition represents a significant step toward a dream of a career in country music.
The Spanish Fort Community Center concert is open to the public, and additional details are available at www.cityofspanishfort.com.