Meghan Lindsey and "The Voice"

            Tuesday night the 16-year-old folk Sawyer Fredricks won season 8 of “The Voice.   As a reward, he receives $100,000 and a record deal, along with the hope that he won’t drop off the face of the earth like many others who have won music competition shows.  However, outside of Fredricks this season, another contestant will continue to draw attention of fans due to the controversy surrounding their appearance on the show.

          Meghan Lindsey, a 29-year-old soul singer, came in second place this season.  According to many fans, some believe that Lindsey should not be a member of “The Voice” cast due to her past success in the music industry.  As you may or may not know, Lindsey was previously a member of the country duo Steel Magnolia.  At the time, Lindsey and her then-fiancé, Joshua Scott Jones, won the CMT competition show “Can You Duet?” landing them a record deal with Big Machine Records.   Following the contract, the duo created an album, and then released the hit single “Keep On Lovin’ You”, the 15^th most popular country song of 2010.  The Country Music Association also consecutively nominated Steel Magnolia for Vocal Duo of the Year. 

            So, the band was pretty successful up until Jones went to rehab, Lindsey was forced to tour on her own, and the couple broke up.  Lindsey and Jones were dropped from their label do to a series of failed singles, leaving Lindsey to take on the music industry as a solo artist.  Basically starting over from square one, Lindsey was unable to get her career rolling again, so she turned to “The Voice”. 

            Looking for a second chance, “The Voice” was a good option for Lindsey; however, this inspirational story did not touch the hearts of many fans.  It was thought that the ex-country signer had an unfair advantage due to her past connections.  Previously, Lindsey toured as an opener on one of Blake Shelton’s tours.  As a judge on the show, Shelton did not pick Lindsey for his team at first, but did end up coaching her by the end of the season. 

            Considering the unsteady track record associated with previous winners of “The Voice”, and the fickle, terrifying, and challenging world of the music industry, an artist should be able to take advantage of every opportunity available to them.  Since “The Voice” has a record of scouting professional singers for the show, Lindsey is a qualified and acceptable candidate for “The Voice”.  In the end, Lindsey has repeatedly defended herself when under scrutiny.  She told Billboard, “I’ve heard a comment or two that are like, ‘Oh, she had her shot’ or “Her career is over.’ I’m 29, and I moved to town 11 years ago, and I’ve worked so hard and don’t believe in giving up on a dream.”  She is someone we can truly look up to, not scrutinize.