As a young girl growing up in Douglasville, Georgia, Megan Moroney wasn't planning on a career in the spotlight. When deciding what to major in at college, she told Alex Cooper, "My mom was an accountant, and I understood accounting, so I was like maybe I'm supposed to be doing taxes." However, as a freshman, Moroney had no idea that living out her college experience as a sorority sister at Kappa Delta would accidentally lead her on a much different path.
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That year, Megan recalls her sorority hosting a philanthropy event at the University of Georgia, where singer Jon Langston was supposed to headline the event, supposedly without an opener. "We used all of our budget on him, so we didn't have any money for an opener, but they were like Megan is the country singer, so she can surely get up there and entertain people."
Megan had always taken to country music, learning guitar from her dad and brother when she was in high school. "I hurt my knee cheerleading in my junior year and was in a wheelchair, so while I had nothing to do, my dad taught me how to play guitar, and when my brother was in town, we would do three-part harmonies."
As the story goes, country artist Chase Rice happened to be in the crowd at her sorority's event. He offered Megan the opportunity to open for his show at the Georgia Theatre, but with a few conditions. To sell out his show, he gave Megan the chance to open only if she invited her sorority sisters to attend, and also if she played original songs, not just covers.
Making the Move to Nashville
Megan said, "I wrote one song to be able to do that, and the rest were covers." Following that performance, she became determined to pursue a career in artistry and decided to move to Nashville in 2020. "I wanted to connect with other songwriters, but because of COVID, I ended up writing by myself most of the time," said Moroney in an interview with People.
While writing her solo songs, the young singer began to garner a larger fan base on Instagram and prepared to release her first single, "Wonder," in 2021. In July 2022, she released her debut EP, Pistol Made of Roses, which helped establish the fan base she has today.
The release of Pistol Made of Roses ultimately led to multiple record deal offers, from which she chose to sign with Sony and Columbia Records in November of 2022. Looking back at her success now, it's amusing to think that playing the guitar started as just a hobby for Megan when she was a cheerleader in high school. However, whether by accident or not, we're glad it led her to where she's now.
Photo By: CMA / John Russell
