KC Johns has lived quite the life already, and yet her time in the limelight has only just began. She performed all over the place, from cruise ships, to Dollywood, to Broadway. And now she's hitting the U.K.
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Ahead of her U.K. tour, KC Johns and I got chatting. We spoke about her latest single, "Smoke Show" before I gave her the grisly and real details of the U.K. so she's prepared for her tour.
She began performing on May 10, and will continue to perform around England until May 26. So
keep your eyes peeled for her!Alongside talking about her tour and single, I also asked her about her extensive performing history. And buckle in, because she's been around.
KC Johns Performed On Cruise Ships For Years Before Hitting Dollywood
Typically, you'll find young and aspiring stars when you visit Dollywood. Not KC Johns, though. She already had years of performing under her belt during her year there in 2016.
KC Johns has literally been performing all of her life. From the moment she could, she learned how to play guitar from her granddad, and started "singing in church."
"Before you know it, I was starting a band down on Bill Street in Memphis, and we were playing blues, and country, and rock 'n' roll."
When she was 17 was when her dreams started coming true. Her and her mother drove up to Nashville, where she asked around at clubs on Broadway to see if she could perform anywhere. Before long, she got picked up by Carnival Cruise Lines.
So, incredibly, she began performing on cruises. "I had spent six years at sea," she recalled.
However, after so many years, she wanted to "take a break."
"I don't really know if I want to continue to do this," she said. "The cruise ship life just wasn't for me anymore."
So, she left her job, and the moment she did, she drove straight to Tennessee for a year in Dollywood. What a transition.
KC Johns Was Featured In A Dollywood Film
"I didn't know if I would love it or not," KC Johns said about starting her time in Dollywood. But ultimately, "I loved the experience, I'm so glad I got to do it, I made friendships for a lifetime."
Although "The musical theatre side of it" wasn't really her thing, she "did learn a lot" about country music and the industry.
During her season at Dollywood, she was part of the "Country Crossroads" show, the same one that Carly Pearce was in years prior.
"I was able to be in Dolly's Christmas Coat Of Many Colors movie," she shared. "I stood in a tree, so you'll probably never see me."
Not everyone can say they performed at Dollywood, especially not after hitting the cruise ships for years. But KC Johns wasn't done yet.
After her season in Dollywood, she hit Music City and hustled big time.
KC Johns Had The Authentic 'Struggling Artist In Nashville' Experience
KC Johns "drove straight to Nashville."
"I had nowhere to stay. I went down on Broadway and I just started kind of sitting in with some bands, just that first day. And the next day, I had a job," she recalled. A miraculous turn-around.
She soon fell in love with the lifestyle. "I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to stay here for a while, I'm not leaving.'"
"I just started asking people if I could stay on their couch. I kind of knew a few people here, so some people would let me crash on the couch, some people will have lent me a room."
After couch surfing for a year, she finally got her own apartment.
"So it was quite a journey, but I'm really, really glad I did it. I'm much happier now."
All of KC Johns' life has been dedicated to music. And now she's in the U.K., which is a dream come true for her. I can't wait to see her in Syon Park on May 26. I hope to see you there too!
