Full confession, I’m a hardcore fan of TV talent shows. Within this context, my only boastable talent is being able to identify The Voice before the votes are tallied. Because talent scouting is an essential and enjoyable part of my job, picking winners is the subject and the story.

By the time late summer rolled in, I pretty much binge-watched everything worth watching. One evening I happened upon Songland (think Shark Tank for songwriters). The format was perfect background chatter until Anna Hamilton began performing Deathbed. What??!! Was this actually happening on primetime TV?!

I watched her audition mesmerized and hopeful. Quick cut-aways between Anna and the judges. Oh boy, the judges appear somber, uncomfortable. After some pleasantries, she received a polite pass {sorry, we can’t do death}. But I can and do so I just had to speak with this courageous young artist…We talked for quite awhile. One thing’s for sure, Anna’s joyous spirit is simply delightful. I asked her who she admires most and is influenced by. Surprisingly, she replied, “my mom”. Ohhh geez, talk about wholesome! With 20+ million views on her YouTube channel, Anna’s a rising star befitting the title of Artist Who Inspires for all the right reasons.

“Leave it to life to give and take away
We’re holding on tight until
We start to break
Caught off guard by love and loss
Make it hard by building walls
To break them down
Break them down
Spendin’ our time like it’s unlimited
When I look back
I’ll cross my heart with no regret
Promise that I gave my best
Hold me to it
I wanna make right all my wrongs
Leave everything good when I’m gone
And when I look back on all I’ve done
I wanna be proud of who I’ve become
I’m hoping in the end
I’ll mean every word I said
When I’m on my deathbed
When I’m on my , When I’m on my
When I’m on my deathbed”

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