Written By: Julia Armistead

Valdosta’s own Seth Ennis took on Nashville, Tennessee, this past summer to further his career in country music and get his name out there.

The country singer has been interested in music almost his whole life. Starting out, however, his parents made him take piano lessons when he was five years old, along with his older brother.

Ennis dreaded the piano lessons so much that he made a deal with his dad so that he did not have to continue.

“If I took piano lessons for three years,” Ennis said, “and if I learned the theme song for Charlie Brown, he’d let me choose any instrument. As long as I bought the instrument he’d pay for the lessons.”

Ennis took his dad up on this offer and delivered magazines until he raised enough money for a drum set. From there he started singing and taught himself guitar. Now he sings and plays piano, drums and guitar, not having taken a single lesson since elementary school.

When he was younger, Ennis moved around a lot with his mom, dad and two brothers (one older and one younger) as his dad was in the military. However, for him, Valdosta has always been his home and the place he will always return to. Ennis loves coming back to Valdosta when he can sit back, relax and hang out with friends while playing guitar around a bonfire.

“They love to hear me play more than anybody it seems,” Ennis said. “Those are probably my favorite moments when I can just take it back a couple notches and just be around friends and jam out.”

Ennis’ inspiration comes from his father, a man whose story Ennis describes as “rags to riches.” His father instilled the idea of determination in Ennis as a boy, and from there he worked to make his father and his entire family, his biggest support system, proud.

“The inspiration behind what I do is not just because I love music,” Ennis said, “but because I’m such a determined person and I want to make people proud more than anything.”

Many country singers have inspired Ennis to continue his journey in the country music world. His biggest influence is Vince Gill.

“I think he has a phenomenal voice,” Ennis said, “but more than anything, I just think he has really lived a clean good life and I respect that a ton about him.”

So far, Nashville has been his favourite place to live, bringing him back to his roots and inspiring him to do what he loves: sing country music.

“I love country music. I love the new stuff, I love the old stuff. I love where it’s going, I love where it’s been,” Ennis said.

Ennis is working hard to become a successful country singer in Nashville. However, his ultimate dream is something that he thinks about on a daily basis.

“I want to be able to do what I love to do for the rest of my life and to leave my own mark on music,“ Ennis said, “to leave something that lasts and [something] people will remember forever.”

Ennis will be playing next Thurs. at Bluewater Bar & Grill in Valdosta.