Dani Kerr performs in Statesville for Piedmont Folkways
- Samantha Hill
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Dani Kerr, roots in Southern rock and Statesville, is performing Wednesday night at Piedmont Folkways in downtown Statesville. Kerr, a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent, still pursues her music career and passion.
As a child, Kerr was raised on the love for music through her parents even though they were not musically talented. “A lot of things tied me to music when I was a kid, like going fishing with my dad and my mom cleaning around the house,” shared Kerr. Growing up on musicians such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allaman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band and hair metal, she carries aspects of her childhood into her music today.
“I love how they listened to music and how it transferred into me. Before I thought about being a musician myself, I just loved music and it seemed to speak to me at such a young age,” said Kerr.
While Kerr was shy as a child, it did not stop her from practicing in her room or learning how to play flute and keyboard. “I remember memorizing lyrics from the time I was four,” shared Kerr. “When I was six years old, I was finding bands that I loved. The first band that inspired me was My Chemical Romance. By that point, YouTube was a thing and I would watch their performances. I saw how much it moved me and I wanted to do it one day.”
With her passion and love for music, it was not easy for Kerr to overcome additional challenges within her career. “I had some serious hearing issues and was born with a cleft palette,” shared Kerr. “I went to speech therapy and was teased and bullied for my speech.” Within her high school years, she was interested in stage management.
At the age of 17, she tried karaoke for the first time at a local restaurant, singing “Hotel California” by The Eagles. “If I hate it, I will never do it again,” said Kerr. “But the rest is history from there. When I finally did it, I was up there shaking. It must have been the kind of adrenaline that I got was obviously addicting in some way because I kept up with it.”
Within her early years of singing and performing, she struggled with learning proper performance techniques due to never having any formal training. “I had to learn how to sing and breathe correctly. I was losing my voice because I was never taught how to properly perform,” said Kerr.
Fast forward, Kerr has self-taught herself how to sing, perform and play instruments through her passion for music. Once getting into her musical career, she has taken inspiration from various artists including Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin and Grateful Dead. “The late 60s and early 70s just enthralled me and I am so fascinated by that era,” said Kerr.
“To me, being a musician is an honor and a sacred thing,” said Kerr. “It is a way to communicate to people that actually makes a difference and connects to people. That is something that we desperately need more than ever now—to connect people and move people.”
Kerr is working on releasing new music, specifically her debut album, “Shine Light Woman,” that will be coming soon this fall. She hopes to share original music, travel and tour with her music. “I would love one day to offer other artists help,” added Kerr. “I have been blessed by my managers that have helped me. I would love to step into a position to help them up and get them out there.”
Dani Kerr is performing at Big Something Weekend at Van Hoy Farms, opening the three day weekend full of live music on Sept. 10-12. Kerr is performing on Wednesday, Aug. 12th at Statesville Historical Collection (117 S Center St.) with Steven Wenger at 7:30 p.m.
Follow Dani Kerr on her social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Along with her website for upcoming tour dates and music drops.
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