Staff Writer

vstubbs@thomastontimes.com

A trio of local siblings have recently chased their dreams of becoming Nashville’s next big star.

Dan Daniel, Meloni Thompson and Tonya Anderson tried out for NBC’s country version of American Idol, Nashville Star.

Daniel said that his mother found an application to the show on the internet. The application required the applicant to submit a video so the trio threw a video together not knowing what to expect.

“A casting agent called us and said that she liked us,” Daniel said. “She asked if we could come try out in Charlotte, N.C.”

Thompson, however, felt they wouldn’t get a call back. “We got the call, though, and I was really excited.”

The trio, known as Crystal Drive, traveled to Charlotte where they went through multiple auditions, each one being more personal than the last.

“We left Charlotte with high hopes,” Daniel said. “The casting agent said we left a good impression in Charlotte and wanted to hear more.”

According to Daniel, they were asked to describe their lives with a country song title. They came up with the description “Southern born, gospel raised.”

After leaving Charlotte, the trio got another call asking them to come to Nashville for a private audition.

“There were about 10-15 people in the room, four cameras and a big Nashville Star backdrop,” Daniel said. “it was very intimidating, but we did the best we could.”

In a private audition the trio sang “I’ve been cheated” by Linda Ronstadt and a short clip from the audition was shown on Nashville Star on Monday night, June 9.

After the auditions in Nashville, the group didn’t get another call.

“I’m not sure if we’ll try again,” Thompson said with her hopes still high. “We are hoping to win the Colgate Showdown on June 28, at R.E. Lee. We want to be a hometown favorite.”

One thing the siblings gained from their experience is having time to spend together. “It brought us closer as siblings,” Thompson said.

“If anything, it has made us want to get out there and get a recording contract even more,” said Thompson.