“Performing and singing is not just a hobby. I have been singing for 10 years and to think that all of my rehearsing, singing lessons, performance lessons, band practices, and late night shows are paying off, I couldn’t be any more happier than I am. This is the direction I dreamt of taking. Finally getting to be on a stage in front of that many people was amazing!”
If you were at the Xfinity Center on Saturday night for the Keith Urban concert, you probably saw and heard her. If you weren’t there, you still have probably heard of her now. Her name is Whitney Doucet and Saturday night, all her hard work paid off when she was chosen to sing Miranda Lambert’s portion of ‘We Were Us’ on stage with Keith Urban. Whitney recently sat down with New England Country Music and told us about her once in a lifetime experience.
First, let’s get to know Whitney Doucet a little bit. The beautiful 23 year old singer, from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, has been singing for 10 years now, but you wouldn’t know that from listening to her. She has raw talent that sounds like she has been singing since she was still crawling. Whitney started taking singing lessons as a freshman in high school and credits Sally Weisman, Sherry Curry, Patrice Perid, and Lauren O’Keefe for teaching her along the way.
Her iPod is full of every type of music and every kind of artist. From older artists like Aeromsith, Elton John, Al Green, Al Wilson, and Natalie Imbruglia to some of today’s biggest stars like Maggie Rose, Demi Lovato, Jana Kramer Miranda Lambert and of course, Keith Urban. She tells us that her musical influences are Martina McBride, Christina Aguilera, Leann Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Sara Evans and Miranda Lambert- quite the sorority of women to aspire to. Listening to Whitney sing, you can hear hints of these stars in her voice. She has sung the National Anthem at Fenway Park, the TD Garden, the DCU Center and Gillette Stadium. But she has never sung in front of a crowd like there was at the Xfinity Center on Saturday night.
Recently, a friend of Whitney’s named Ross Montolio, texted her and told her that Country 102.5 posted a contest on their website that gave aspiring singers the chance to sing with Keith Urban on stage. After receiving this text message, she went home, learned the lyrics in about an hour or two, practiced the song, and recorded her video.
The deadline to enter the contest was Wednesday night. Whitney sat by her phone all day on Thursday, staring at the phone, just hoping it would ring. Being in many singing competitions and even trying out for different singing television shows, she knew how many people usually try out for these sorts of things. She was realistic in thinking that she would not get picked, not because she was not good enough but because of the number of people who entered. However, right around 5:00PM, her phone rang and on the other end of the line was Country 102.5 telling her that Keith’s management has chosen her as the grand prize winner and that she would be singing with Keith on Saturday night. Whitney reacted like anyone in her spot would- jumping up and down and screaming. She tells us that her mom held her hand over her mouth in shock. After getting off the phone with WKLB, she immediately called her father and then Ross, who had told her about the contest. She then told her friends including her neighbors, Elaina and Shawna, who immediately purchased tickets to the show.
Whitney woke up on Saturday morning full of excitement. This was her dream. To be able to sing at a sold out concert. And she was going to be able to do it in front of her family, friends, and nearly 20,000 New Englanders. After arriving at the Xfinity Center, she was treated like a real star. She entered through the VIP/artist entrance and was even given a dressing room backstage, where she sat for awhile and just let it all sink in. Before soundcheck, she explored the venue and she ran into Jerrod Niemann backstage near the buses. She says that he was very nice, they talked about cornhole and took pictures together. At soundcheck, she was introduced to the man of the night: Keith Urban. Keith gave her a big hug, introduced himself and asked her where she was from. He even thanked her for coming out to sing with him that night. They sang the song during soundcheck and Keith told her that she did a nice job and that they were going to have fun and told her not to be nervous but have fun. Whitney says, “As soon as we were introduced, he made me feel right at home on his stage. I couldn’t have been welcomed better than that!”
Whitney had quite the entourage with her that night. As all of her friends and family bought tickets to the show including her mother, brother, grandparents, cousins, boyfriend, neighbors, and other friends. However, her father got to experience the VIP treatment with Whitney as she gave him her other PIT and backstage pass. We can only imagine how proud this father was of his little girl.
Whitney watched Brett Eldredge and Jerrod Niemann perform from the PIT. And after four of Keith Urban’s songs, she headed backstage to prepare for her big moment. From her dressing room, she could hear the concert so she knew exactly when it was her time to report to the stage. After passing through, what she calls “really cool glass doors you walk through to get behind the stage,” she was wired up with ear monitors and given a microphone. This was it. Whitney Doucet’s debut to the country world and to one of the biggest and most interactive audiences she had ever sung in front of.
“The stage is HUGE! It was really cool having amazing musicians and Keith Urban right next to me singing. The lights were really bright. It was kinda warm up there. But I could see every single person in that crowd when the lights went on. I just thought, ‘Yep, I am positive this is the direction I am meant to take.’ I did not want to get off the stage. I was thinking in my head, I wish I could sing all night!'”
So here’s to you, Whitney Doucet. You made your friends and family proud. You made Fitchburg proud. You made Massachusetts proud. You made New England proud. And all of us at New England Country Music wish nothing but the very best for you. We hope that you continue on this path and you reach your goals. One of our favorite quotes is, “Dream big, and don’t fear failure (Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner).” Just don’t forget New England Country Music when you get that big record deal and are headlining your own shows all over New England!
Want to hear more of Whitney’s music? You can here on ReverbNation!
You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Whitney has some upcoming shows in the area. Go see her LIVE at the following locations:
July 31st: Market Square (Newburyport, MA; 11:00-12:45AM, 4:00-4:45PM)
August 1st: Primetime Pub (Lunenburg, MA; 9:00PM-12:00AM)
August 2nd: British Beer Company (Westford, MA; 9:00PM-12:00AM)
August 8th: Blueprint (Westminster, MA; 9:00PM-12:00AM)
August 10th: Texas Roadhouse (Cranston, RI; 8:00-9:00AM)
August 16th: Atlas Fireworks (Cheshire, NH; 3:15-4:15PM)