Local musician to perform on Grand Ole Opry on Wed.

‘Dreams really do come true-‘ Greg Marlow

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – If you ask local musician Greg Marlow (above) if dreams really do come true, he will tell you, “He still hasn’t woken up.” Marlow will see the culmination of his dream on Wednesday (May 29) when he steps onto the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville. He will be competing against 20 other musicians for a record deal and other opportunities in the Inspirational Country Music Association (ICMA) Sound of Small-Town America Contest finals.

“Even if I don’t win, just being on that stage, stepping into that circle is my dream come true,” Marlow said.

His journey started around a year ago when he competed in a national competition in June of 2023 in Owensboro, Kentucky, as a national semi-finalist in the Inspirational Country Music Association (ICMA) Talent Contest. There were 80 musicians total in the semi-finals and Marlow missed advancing to Nashville by a very narrow margin. It was so narrow in fact that the competition judges personally invited him to compete at the Vicksburg, Mississippi, competition to give him another chance. He walked away the winner of that competition, which was held in late August, earning his spot on the Grand Ole Opry stage for the finals on May 29. If he wins at the Opry, it could also land him a record deal. He will compete against 20 others for the win.

Local musician Greg Marlow is performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Wed. in the ICMA Sound of Small-Town America Competition.

Marlow and his traveling buddy, his son Luke, headed to Nashville on Sunday morning. All the excitement kicks off on Memorial Day morning with a meet and greet. From there, the next two days will be a whirlwind of rehearsals and performances for Marlow as he represents big talent from little ‘ole LaFollette.

He will perform at the Troubadour in Nashville tonight at 7:00 o’clock. And then Wednesday is the big day at the ICMA awards at the Grand Ole Opry House. The competition occurs before the awards show. He will be going on stage right at 5 pm. The competition will be filmed and is airing later, though that time has not yet been released.

Marlow said a group of around 30 of his friends, family and supporters were going to Nashville as well to cheer him on.

“I guess I will have my own little cheering section out there,” Marlow said, adding that he appreciated the support “so much.”

Greg Marlow, left, is pictured with ICMA Small Town America Show and competition host Steve Bridgmon after winning the competition in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Feeling both “excited and kinda freaked out”, Marlow said the whole ride so far had been a “crazy, exciting experience.”

During the competition, he will be performing his song Second Chances, which he wrote after battling Cancer and finding out he only had six months to live.

He credits the Lord and his battle with cancer as the inspiration to write his song “Second Chances” which is what he entered into the contest and what he will be performing at the Opry in May.

“My son helped give me the idea for the music, and I wrote the lyrics a few years ago,” Marlow said.

His performance of that song on May 29^th nearly marks his 13^th anniversary of when he “should have died.”

“This is 13 years after my diagnosis that I only had six months to live; just being alive to do all this is past being a dream to me,” Marlow said.

Marlow also said he wanted to thank everyone for supporting in him and believing in him throughout this whole process.

Greg Marlow is playing at the Grand Ole Opry Wednesday afternoon at the ICMA competition and awards show.

“It’s been overwhelming to be a part of all of this and to have the love and support from everyone. Just being alive and getting to play a song I wrote up there on the Grand Ole Opry Stage is my dream. There have been so many opportunities that have come out of this, I’m just over the moon. They say when you step into that circle on that stage, something inside you changes – I guess I’m going to get to experience that,” Marlow said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/28/2024-6AM)