In its 10th season, American Idol has a bit of Saskatchewan in its semi-finals.
Kendra Campbell is one of the 24 performers chosen for the for the show’s semi-finals Thursday night.
Campbell is granddaughter of Prince Albert woman, Bernice Thall.
“Music is her life, she says that’s what she wants to do,” said Thall.
While 22-year-old Campbell was born in Nashville, Thall said she comes to visit her family in Saskatchewan, both in Canwood and Prince Albert.
Thall said Campbell comes by her musical talent honestly, her Mother and Father toured with the band Grand Slam in the 1980’s, and Thall herself was a local country music performer in her day.
Thall performed with bands in Prince Albert and was in integral part of putting together the Classic Country Music Show.
Thall and Campbell’s mother, Mavis, are country artists, but Campbell’s father, Nat, is more of a rocker said Thall, but Cambell has found her own sound in the R&B/soul genre.
“(Campbell’s) not really into country, she’s sang in church and she’s sang with blues and soul (groups),” said Thall.
Cambell has always been a musical girl said Thall, she would put on performances for the family when she came back to visit as a little girl.
“She sang at different functions around Canwood, where most of the relatives are, like reunions and her grandfather’s birthday,” said Thall.
The Campbells originally lived in Knoxville, Tennessee but they recently moved to Nashville and Thall said that’s when Campbell’s music started to get noticed more.
“She’s been singing pretty regularly… she’s been singing with different bands and she has even put together things and they’ve done shows,” said Thall, ”she has been doing quite a lot of singing down
in Nashville there, and song writing with some good song writers.”
Thall says Campbell’s family is a good support base for her, “she’s got her parents behind her, and her sister and her grandma.”
“We really encourage her to carry on because she likes it and she’s got pretty good stage presence,” said Thall.
Thall won’t be able to go south and watch her live, but said Campbell is very excited about the opportunity.
“She doesn’t want to stop, she doesn’t want to have to come home till it’s all over.”
lschick@panow.com
