Jenny Leigh Freeman '06 needs the Elon Community's support to advance in 'The NEXT,' a singing competition show on The CW Network.
Freeman earned a spot in the Thursday, Sept. 20, episode after her live performance during the show’s stop in her hometown of Baltimore, Md. The show pairs up-and-coming musicians with star singers for 72 hours, and Freeman, an aspiring country music singer, worked with Big & Rich’s John Rich. She sang Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead” in “The NEXT’s” Aug. 23 Baltimore episode.
Now, Freeman will compete against other singers from Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando and Dallas for a role in the show’s Los Angeles finale, where the winner will receive a recording deal with Atlantic Records.
Since graduating from Elon in 2006, Freeman has steadily built her profile in the country music world while working in marketing for Baltimore-based athletic apparel manufacturer Under Armour. She was discovered by scouts for “The NEXT.”
“The point is to find people who are already on the brink of stardom and give them the platform to get over the hump,” Freeman said in an interview with The Pendulum. “I’ve been booking my own shows, seeing my own manager and writing my own music, so (the talent scouts) recognized the hard work I’m doing and the show is helping me out by providing national exposure.”
During her time at Elon, Freeman was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and the co-ed a cappella group Twisted Measure. She’s hoping fellow alumni, faculty and staff, current students, parents and friends of Elon will help push her to the show’s finish. Voting begins at 10 p.m. ET Thursday on “The NEXT’s” website.
Keep up with Freeman on Facebook, Twitter and her website.