On The Rise: Tegan Marie
Country singer Tegan Marie has a penchant for making history. In 2017 she signed a record deal with Warner Music at the age of 13 and became the youngest person to ever sign with the Warner and the second youngest woman to sign with any major label in the last 45 years. Marie is also well known for her cover of Florida Georgina Line's smash-hit "H.O.L.Y.," which has amassed tens of millions of views on YouTube.
Before signing record deals and going viral on the internet, Marie fell in love with music by listening to the likes of Johnny Cash and Smokey Robinson. Singing was her passion from a young age as she would routinely steal her father's karaoke machine and belt out her idol's greatest hits. It was only natural, of course, that the first song she learned to play on guitar was "Folsom Prison Blues" by the "Man in Black" himself.
"[Cash] is my idol, he's my legend," said Marie.
As for the cover that changed her life, Marie recalls staying up late on the phone with her manager as the view count rose higher and higher.
"Within 20 minutes it had 500,000 views," said Marie. "At three in the morning it hit like 10 million, so we were just calling each other freaking out. Me and my mom sat up and I was just bawling my eyes out - how is this happening, it's just a dream come true!"
Marie's first single with Warner music came out earlier this year and is titled, "Keep It Lit." With a record deal, viral video and her first major single in hand before she can even drive - what's next for the Michigan native?
"This year my goal is to get on a tour and get my first number one," said Marie. "Whether that happens or not, I'm just living my dream and overall in life I just want to do what I love."