NEW YORK—Members of a bluegrass band with ties to High Country Tire in Sylva, N.C., are singing the blues today after being eliminated from America's Got Talent at the semi-final stage of the NBC-TV competition.
The group Mountain Faith comprises High Country Tire owner Sam McMahan (bass), his daughter Summer (fiddle and lead vocals) and son Brayden (banjo) and friends and co-workers Luke Dotson (guitar) and Cory Piatt (mandolin).
The band made it through three levels of competition on the popular TV talent show, which airs on NBC during the summers, before coming up short on votes at the Sept. 2 semi-final results show. They were competing against 35 other variety acts, including at least eight other musical acts, at the semi-final stage.
The band posted a message of thanks on its Facebook page following the results:
“We absolutely cannot thank y'all enough for all the support! We have been so humbled by all the kind comments and messages! We have had the time of our lives! We are so so thankful to have had this opportunity! We are ready to get home and get back to work! We have some new music coming out for y'all and we hope y'all love it! We love y'all!”
Together as a band since 2000, Mountain Faith has toured the U.S. and Canada numerous times since, playing their brand of bluegrass to audiences in civic centers, auditoriums, arenas, fair grounds, parks, churches, etc. They've had numerous repeat performances at Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., according to the band's website.
The band describes its music as a “fresh Appalachian take” on gospel, bluegrass, folk, R&B and pop music. Mountain Faith has earned at least one Bluegrass Music Award nomination from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America in the past and recently was nominated by the International Bluegrass Music Association for its “Emerging Artist of the Year” award.
All five work at High Country Tire, a single-outlet, three-bay tire dealership, gas station and convenient store on Highway 23 south of Sylva, a town of about 2,500 in Jackson County in far western North Carolina, about 90 miles southeast of Knoxville, Tenn.
A photo of the business posted online shows signage for Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal and Cooper tires.