LUSBY, Md. — At just the age of 16, Kaitlyn Croker, a Lusby native, is making waves in the country music industry.
She has been performing around Nashville, Tennessee, and many other states for the past year. This Friday, she will be returning to Southern Maryland alongside fellow country singer Chad Wilson and performing at Taphouse 1637 and The Ruddy Duck.
Kaitlyn started singing at just three years old, making her performing debut at age 9. Kaitlyn started with performances at church, all-county, and tri-county choir, and as Ariel in the Little Mermaid in a middle school production. She was scouted by American Idol as a potential contestant for the show and was the winner of the Rising Stars competition in 2019, held at the University of Maryland.
She and her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee in July of 2021, where she met Chad Wilson, who has helped her grow as an artist and gain recognition. The two have been performing at bars and other local spots throughout Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. She’s also performed at The Local, known for debuting many top country songwriters.
“Something I’ve realized is that everyone down here really just embraces you with open arms,” she told theBayNet.com. “I was super intimidated going into these writer rooms and worrying that people weren’t going to take me seriously. But professional songwriters embrace you, and really want to hear what you have to say and bring to the table.”
Kaitlyn also described what she has learned after working with professionals.
“Every artist has their own individual style, but all works under country music. That’s what I love so much about it. Each person has a different story to tell, and they tell it differently so it all comes together in the end. Even singing just one song when we’re writing with other artists, I’ll sing the same song that we wrote completely different than the next artist sitting next to me.”
Kaitlyn and Wilson will be performing on Friday night at the Taphouse 1637 at 9 p.m. and The Ruddy Duck in Solomons on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
“Everyone that has supported me through the years is there, and I love them with all my heart, so I wanna give back and show everybody what I’ve been working on down here,” she said.
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Where can I buy her music? I’d like to support a Southern Maryland singer and I encourage others to do so as well.