Chattanooga artist seeing success in Nashville's country music scene

With as much country music that comes out of Nashville and as close as Chattanooga is to Nashville, you would think more of that would reflect in the Scenic City's current music scene.

Yes, Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina both hail from the Chattanooga area and are doing very well. Yes, Kelley Lovelace remains a fixture in country songwriting circles, while Mitch Rossell keeps paying his dues as a rising artist. But most of the country influence from Chattanooga seeps from rural parts of the surrounding area, as is the case in the examples above.

Another great example of this is Channing Wilson. Hailing from LaFayette, Georgia, Wilson now makes his home in Nashville, where he's been able to crack into the music scene two different ways. He performs as an outlaw-country artist, delivering songs with harsh honesty and attitude. Reflecting the life he grew up around, his songs are reminiscent of the artists that made this brand of country music respected. Wilson is well-known within the circle and has built some solid relationships, yet he hasn't made a huge name for himself with his music.

Wilson's other angle in the music scene is what shines the brightest for him these days: being a songwriter. He's written songs for a handful of young, popular country artists. The one that's caused the most buzz is "She Got the Best of Me," a song Wilson co-wrote with Luke Combs and Rob Snyder. It appears on Combs' 2017 award-winning debut album "This One's for You" and still receives a ton of radio airplay.

Wilson's songwriting success obviously allows for a relaxed touring schedule - he plays what he wants, when he wants. Right now, he only has two shows on his calendar for the month of July, and one of these rare appearances will take place here in Chattanooga, at Songbirds Guitar Museum on Friday, July 12.