Local Singer Finishes Second Nationally

LAFAYETTE, GA. (WDEF) – A North Georgia singer with decades of experience is gaining national attention after a strong showing on the first season of the CBS music competition “The Road.”

Channing Wilson, who hails from LaFayette, Georgia, emerged as a finalist on the show, which followed artists from city to city as they performed in front of live audiences and industry professionals. 

The competition featured high-profile mentors, including country music stars Keith Urban and Blake Shelton.

Wilson says one of the most memorable moments of the experience came early on, when he performed for Shelton.

“First time I played for Blake, he just stood up and yelled out in a room full of CBS executives, ‘Man, how do I not know who you are?’” Wilson said.

That moment helped put a national spotlight on an artist whose career has been built steadily over nearly five decades. 

Wilson’s roots run deep through Walker County and Hamilton County, where he has spent years performing in bars, clubs, and local venues throughout Chattanooga and the surrounding region.

“I’ve been grinding for a long time,” Wilson said. “Chattanooga’s been home for me for a long time. I played a lot of venues around town. Anybody that knows me around here knows that.”

Despite his experience, Wilson says he was initially hesitant to audition for a televised singing competition. 

That changed when he learned “The Road” would allow artists to perform original music.

Producers, he said, were seeking musicians who were already established but had not yet broken through on a major platform.

“They were trying to showcase artists that hadn’t quite broken yet or had a big moment,” Wilson said.

The competition itself was fast-paced and demanding. 

Artists advanced city by city, with eliminations happening quickly.

“If you made it to the next city, you made it to the next city,” Wilson explained. “If you got voted off, you were on a plane the next day going home. It was very cut and dry.”

As the show aired, Wilson said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from his hometown and surrounding communities. 

Friends and supporters even organized a watch party early in the season.

“I knew getting on TV was going to be a big deal to my hometown,” he said.

Wilson ultimately finished in second place, a result he says he had already learned before the episodes aired. 

While he admits the outcome was bittersweet, he says he is proud of what he accomplished.

“I was very content with what I accomplished on the show,” Wilson said.

While “The Road” featured large studio audiences and performances across the country, Wilson says two recent shows stand out as highlights of his year: performances connected to the heart of country music itself.

“The history of country music is such a big deal to me,” he said. “Getting to play the Grand Ole Opry is going to be really cool.”

For Wilson, the experience has reinforced a message he hopes resonates with other aspiring artists, that persistence can pay off, no matter how long the journey takes.

With nearly half a century of work behind him, Channing Wilson proves dreams can become a reality, and that it doesn’t matter how small the town you come from.