Teen country singer Bailey Griggs was recently asked not to return to her Gaston County high school for performing music in venues that serve alcohol, which Cramerton Christian Academy said violated the student handbook.
After sharing her story, Griggs received an outpouring of support from the community and a spot in the lineup of Field & Stream Music Fest this October.
While Griggs did not anticipate an opportunity to perform with country singers like Lainey Wilson and Eric Church so soon in her career, her overarching goal since she began singing at 10 years old has been to perform to large crowds, and now she has that chance, she said.
Musical talents do not run in the family, Griggs said.
Being the youngest of five children in a family with no musical background, Griggs said she and her siblings often refer to her abilities as a God given talent.
With no prior ties to the industry, Griggs got her start after her parents signed her up for an amateur performance night at New York City’s Apollo Theater when she was 10.
“My mom submitted me, not thinking anything about it because I hadn’t done anything yet. I didn’t have anything under my resume, but they ended up saying that they wanted to have me on,” she said. “From there, everything kind of started.”
She had been interested in acting and singing from a young age, and singing became her favored skill.
Griggs found a producer in Los Angeles, California, not long after her Apollo performance, and things took off, she said.
For years after, Griggs and her family traveled between their home in Gaston County and the studio in L.A. so she could work.
Since signing with Evolution Talent in 2017, Griggs has been largely homeschooled to accommodate the travel demands of her career, but attended Cramerton Christian Academy through a bridge program that allowed her to participate in extracurricular school activities.
Balancing school and work was challenging over the years, but Griggs was dedicated to ensuring she could keep some aspects of her life normal, she said.
For many years, she said much of her time was spent rehearsing and singing, but in the last year she spent more time on her coursework.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, she could no longer travel by plane and began working with Kent Wells, a producer in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wells is also Dolly Parton's producer, which meant that Griggs had an opportunity to meet Parton last year.
"It was amazing and so surreal ... she was just as genuine in person as what you see on TV," Griggs said.
With Wells, Griggs also found she had more opportunity to write her own music.
While her writing style fluctuates, Griggs said she finds inspiration for her songs in pop and country music, especially Zach Bryan’s writing style and Kelly Clarkson’s vocals.
Today she has written dozens of original songs.
Recently, Griggs assembled a full band, most of which are musicians from the Gastonia church she and her family attend.
She said she is looking forward to taking the stage with them at Coyote Joe’s in Charlotte Aug. 9 and at the Field & Stream Music Fest Oct. 4-6 in Winnsboro, South Carolina.
According to Griggs, festival leaders saw her story online after she was expelled from school and decided to reach out.
Griggs did not expect to receive an invitation to perform at the festival, but said she is looking forward to the opportunity.
“I had no idea that this was going to blow up or anything,” Griggs said. “I feel like God opens a lot of doors, and I feel like he uses things to make people stronger, so I think that’s what happened here. I’m super excited.”
Speaking further on her faith, Griggs said she feels that the support she has received in light of the situation has brought her closer to her faith and given her a stronger sense of community.
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