Grace Bowers is on the rise to becoming a big music star. The 17-year-old fell in love with music from playing the guitar at a young age and moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams. After her talents led to her going viral on the internet, Grace built a loyal fan base in the music industry. On December 31, Grace will perform during New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash on CBS. A huge opportunity for a natural talent!
Find out more about Grace below.
Grace started playing guitar at age 9.
When Grace was 9 years old, she learned how to play guitar after watching the music video for “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, according to her interview with The Tennessean. She told the outlet she was influenced by hard rock when she started to play music. Grace named Leslie West, Buddy Miles, Curtis Mayfield and Jimi Hendrix as her favorite musicians.
Grace rose to fame on the internet.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Grace recorded herself playing the guitar and posted the videos to YouTube and Reddit. She later live-streamed her practice sessions which captured attention from fans.
“People started watching,” she told The Tennessean. “I’d get like 20,000 people watching me at a time, which was crazy. That kind of jump-started me posting on social media, which has been really helpful for me.”
Grace performs at dive bars.
Grace gets to show off her talents at dive bars in Nashville, where she moved to from the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Grace posts clips from her performances on Instagram, where she has over 170,000 followers.
Grace hosted a benefit concert after a school shooting.
In May 2023, Grace hosted a benefit concert for Tennessee’s Covenant School, where a shooter killed three children and three adults before being shot and killed by the police. One of Grace’s younger brothers went to school just a few miles away from the Covenant School. Grace told The Tennessean the shooting made her “mad, sad and frustrated at the same time,” so she decided to host a benefit concert with other local artist. The event raised over $20,000.
Grace’s parents support her career.
“You just want your kid to find their passion,” Grace’s mother, Lisa Bowers, said to The Tennessean. “She asked for a guitar, so we went and got her one. She will tell you she was awful in the beginning, but I disagree. There was something. People who saw her would tell us she’s got something.”
Lisa also said that Grace “struggled” in school but playing the guitar “saved” her daughter. “It completely changed the person she is. The community that she has found playing guitar has lifted her up and supported her and given her a place where she belongs,” Lisa said. “She never had that before.”