The Texaco Country Showdown is set for Friday, August 5th at Cowboy's Night Club in Lafayette. Seven contestants will be competing on stage for the right to move on to the state competition with the ultimate goal of the national title, $100,000 and a national tv appearance. Dustin Sonnier & Six Pack will be keeping the music going as they're serving as the competition's backing band. Doors open at 7pm and competition starts at 8pm. Now, let's meet the contestants:

 

Emily Solieau
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Emily Soileau

Emily is 20 and was born in Georgia.  She was raised in Maurice, Louisiana. She was a part of her middle and high school band and chorus and was Drum Major her Senior year. She was in the regional Honor Band and Chorus.  In 2010 she was one of the finalists for the Hub City Ford opening competition, where Sammy Kershaw performed. She loves singing, it's her way of expressing herself and freeing herself.


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Brock Rodriguez

Brock Rodriguez was born in New Iberia, Louisiana. He learned to play the guitar at age 13.  The first song Brock learned to play was "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. By 16, Brock began playing at local bars around the New Iberia area. He also was blessed with the opportunity to sing the class song at his high school graduation in 2009. The song was "I'm Not Gonna Cry" by Corey Smith. Brock loves being outdoors, hunting and fishing. Most importantly he LOVES to play his guitar and sing some good ole' country music to anyone willing to listen!


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Dale Duncan

Dale was born in Lafayette but grew up in Crowley and lives in Egan, Louisiana. Dale started singing at the age of 3 in church and continued singing throughout grade school. He was in school plays and skits and also sung for the governor of Louisiana, Buddy Roemer, when he was a teenager at a fund raiser for abused and neglected children. Growing up, he would sing karaoke as a hobby and currently works in the oilfield to take care of his family.


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Cole Guidry

He's 19 and from Lafayette, Louisiana. He has been playing guitar for about 3 years and singing since he could talk. His musical influences are George Strait, Merle Haggard, and Conway Twitty. He enjoys sitting around a camp fire singing and playing guitar, as well as riding horses and four wheelers. The people that inspired him to sing are his family and friends that have listened to him sing over the years.


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Micky Faucheux

Born and raised in New Iberia, Micky Lassalle Faucheux has been a big fan of country music throughout her life. Both her mother and father performed country music and were a big influence on her musical interests. Other influences include: Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Martina McBride. This is Micky's fourth time performing  as a finalist in the Country Showdown, and was also a finalist in the Road to Nashville competition in 2006.


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Caitlin Harrington

Caitlin is referred to as “the Amazing twelve year old with impeccable vocals.”  This beautiful young starlet is from Erath, LA. Caitlin was born into a musical family and was introduced to music at the age of six. Music is her first love. This young lady has her heart and soul set on entertaining audiences for years to come. Country music is her genre. Her influences range from Loretta Lynn to Martina McBride.


Scott Lee Tully
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Scott Lee Tully

Scott Lee Tully

[Editor's Note: This was hand-crafted by Scott Lee Tully himself. We did not edit because we thought you'd enjoy his 'brief' bio.]

I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to a couple of nice folks I later came to know as my parents. They were pleasant enough folks, all things considered, except for their peculiar conviction that under no circumstances whatsoever are you at any time ever allowed to enjoy yourself. No yelling, no cursing, no gambling, no scary movies, no funny movies, no regular movies, no drinking, no loud music and absolutely no sir no way no how NO NEKID GIRLS! They didn't allow candy or soda (Coke we used to call it) or fast food or video games. Hell we didn't even have a TV cause Dad said he didn't want me sneaking around at night to watch The Love Boat which I always imagined was nothing but delicious nekid girls pillow fighting on a canoe.

Bout the only thing they did allow was church. And they allowed the HELL out of it. We had church at least 4 times a week. Early Sunday morning service, then Sunday school, then regular Sunday morning service, then off to Phil's Oyster Bar (a place in Baton Rouge you'd know if you grew up there) to get poboys and watch the Saints get killed then back to church for late Sunday night service. Then on Wednesday we would have choir practice. Daddy was the choir director and Mama played the organ. I'd have to hang around the empty church while Dad would put his collection of old, crotchety, out of tune windbags through their paces. It was horribly boring for a kid to sit through so I would generally run around and jump over or slide under the pews pretending to be Luke Skywalker or The Greatest American Hero until I caused such a racket that I was made to either go work the pedals on the organ for Mom (which is where I learned to sort of read music) or I had to sing in the soprano section with the old ladies (which is where I learned to screech like a harpy).

My parents being very musical themselves always made sure that I had some kind of musical training of some kind going on. First I was made to sing in the children's choir. Then when I got old enough I started piano lessons which I hated. Then I graduated to trumpet which I had to take up in order for them to let me drop the horrible weekly torture of piano lessons. And then finally after much convincing, I was allowed to take up guitar.

My Dad had always resisted letting me start guitar even though I had been after him to get me one since I was 5. He knew that it was the sexiest of the instruments and would inevitably lead to wild country music and squirmy nekid girls. My dad hated country music almost as much as he hated nekid girls. I had to throw him off by pretending to learn Jesus Joy of Man's Desire and Cannon in D and playing them to perfection all the while I would palm mute Johnny Cash and David Allen Coe when he was out of earshot.

Well, a lot of stuff happened in between then and now but I don't feel like writing it all now and you'd get bored and stop reading if I did. Anyway cut to today. I like to do just about everything my parents taught me not to do and then some. I like cursing and gambling and drinking and loud music and I absolutely, yes sir, any way any how, adore nekid girls. Basically my idea of an ideal night would be to fire up a bottle of whiskey, bust Ol' Betsy (My guitar and number 1 lady) out of her case and lead some old, grungy dive bar in a raunchy country music sing along until the sun comes up. If you read this far thank you and I hope you like the tunes enough to show up at a gig some day.

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