Music reality show will follow four aspiring Appalachian singers to Nashville

A new reality show will follow four aspiring Appalachian singers as they try to make it big in the Music City. "Chasing Nashville" will premiere in October on Lifetime. Many reality shows emphasize negative aspects of rural America, but the brains behind this series claim it will be a realistic portrayal of Appalachia, Chuck Dauphin reports for Billboard magazine. Rob Sharenow, executive vice president and general manager of Lifetime, told Dauphin, "Our show tracks the actual reality of a group of amazingly talented young singers who want to be country music's stars of tomorrow. It will dive deep into their lives backstage and at home as they try to achieve what countless young Appalachian singers have tried before." Nine episodes have already been ordered by the network. (Calhoun Chronicle photo: Autumn Blair at the Calhoun County Wood Festival in West Virginia)

The stars of the show are: Autumn Blair, a coal miner's daughter related to Loretta Lynn; Helena Hunt of North Carolina, who also plays the banjo; Lauren Marie Presley, originally from Red Water, Tex., backed by a single mother; and Savannah Little of Pikeville, Ky., whose mother "manages every aspect of her career and spares no expense to ensure that she shines," Billboard reports. The show also features Kentucky-based singers Julia Knight of Lexington, Celeste Turner of Prestonsburg and Tyra Short of Pine Top. (Read more)