Moville, Iowa, native Kelsey Klingensmith has opened for big name acts such as Lady Antebellum, Billy Currington, Hunter Hayes and Toby Keith, to name a few. But she doesn’t cite any of them as her greatest inspiration.
Instead, the 16-year-old singer gives family friend Jeannie Nichols the honor.
“When I was 9, I bought my first guitar with my birthday money. I was playing for Jeannie one day and she saw something there,” Klingensmith said. “She was the first to see my talent and help me develop that.”
Under Nichols’ guidance, she was able to mature as a performer and develop her voice.
“When I was younger and first starting out, she was a huge mentor, giving me tips on the guitar and singing,” Klingensmith said. “She’s really helped me get my feet wet.”
Klingensmith readily took all the advice that Nichols had to offer, including opportunities to perform.
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“She would take me around to fairs and nursing homes and places to play with her band,” said Klingensmith. “I just said yes to anything that she suggested.”
Performing on stage isn’t exactly family affair for Klingensmith, who is grateful for music-savvy Nichols’ mentoring over the years.
“My family is really into sports so I’m kind of an oddball,” she joked. "They are an amazing support system, though."
Nichols’ experience and expertise encouraged and help mold Klingensmith into the performer that she is today.
“When I’d perform for Jeannie, she’d say she saw something in me,” she said. “She inspired me and encouraged me to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Even though she recently moved to Nashville to focus more on her singing career, Klingensmith said that Nichols’ is still a big presence in her life.
“She’s been a big cheerleader,” said Klingensmith. “I still talk to her quite a bit.”
The former Woodbury Central student now takes classes online through Connections Academy in order to keep up with schoolwork.
“It gives me freedom to pursue my dreams while also getting an education,” she said.
This sacrifice is worth it to Klingensmith who considers music to be a quintessential part of her life.
“I’ve always loved music. It’s who I am,” said Klingensmith, who started writing songs when she was 9, made her first EP, or extended play, when she was 11, and released an entire album when she was 13.
When asked her favorite part of the music industry, she couldn’t narrow it down.
“I just love performing and what I’m doing right now,” Klingensmith said. “I loved the state fairs and the people I’ve opened for. Every artist I’ve opened for has been extremely nice and professional. Recording in the studio is fun, too. I just love it all.”
She finds inspiration in several country singers, but also wants to keep her own identity intact.
“I look up to a lot of artists,” she said, citing Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Shania Twain as examples. “Obviously, though, I want to do what I do and be different.”
She’s hoping her differences will eventually lead to mainstream success.
“The main goal is to reach as many people as I can with my music and headline my own tour and sell out stadiums.”
