‘It’s been a wild, wild ride’: Former contestant on ‘The Voice’ to perform in Quincy June 3

QUINCY — After discovering college wasn’t for him, Kameron Marlowe took a job in his hometown of Kannapolis, N.C., selling car parts to help his family. His mother could no longer work due to a back injury.

Singing locally with a band during high school, Marlowe continued to create music and posted performances on YouTube. A talent scout from “The Voice” was impressed and sought out Marlowe in 2018. Soon he was on his way to Los Angeles.

The experience changed this life.

“That was some of the most fun and the most freeing feeling I’ve ever had, to just be able to do music full time like that,” Marlowe said. “(After “The Voice”), I packed my bags, went to Nashville and just started writing songs. Now I’m getting to play music for a living. It’s been a wild, wild ride.”

Marlowe headlines a show Saturday, June 3 at On the Rail, 129 S. 4^th, as part of the Gem City Concert Series. Walker Montgomery will be the opening act.

Marlowe’s debut song “Giving You Up” was certified gold in 2021. He released his debut album “We Were Cowboys” earlier this year.  Marlowe has been opening for popular country performers such as Brad Paisley and Morgan Wallen.

The album, produced by award winning producer Dann Huff, is a dream come true.

“It was one of the coolest experiences for me,” Marlowe said. “You pour everything you possibly can into it. It’s like raising a kid. When your job is done, you send it away to college and hope everybody likes it.”

Marlowe grew up surrounded by music, from the old country classics his grandfather preferred to his father’s penchant for rock music.

“My style kind of varies. I won’t lie,” Marlowe said. “I’m not someone who boxes myself in with a single style or single genre. Like I said, I’ve had so many musical influences that I kind of do a little bit of everything. I have a lot of rock, I have a little bit of blues, I have a lot of country. It’s those three things that kind of molded me to be who I am.”

He will never forget the moment when he first heard his work on the radio.

“I was driving from Raising Canes (a national fast-food chain specializing in chicken fingers) … I was grabbing some chicken and I was coming home,” Marlowe said.  “And it came on the radio, and I was all by myself. I’m not gonna lie, man. I just kind of sat there. I turned it up as loud as I can and just cruised down the road … all the way home. 

“When you grow up hearing stuff on the radio, and then all of a sudden, you’re one of the things that’s on the radio, that’s an emotional pull at the heartstrings.”

Tickers for the June 3^rd show are available at www.gemcityconcerts.com. 

When creating music, Marlowe keeps it simple. Three chords and the truth.

“That’s country music to its core,” he said. “A story that actually stands the test of time and is something that comes from your heart. That’s the kind of music that I like to write.”