2026 Rising Stars

Rowdy Shea

Rowdy grew up in Bowling Green and attended South Warren High School. Reflecting on his upbringing, he said, “We had the quintessential upbringing in Bowling Green, and we’re proud to be from here.”

Athletics and horses were a large part of his childhood. His passion for music began around the age of 20 when his mother encouraged him to pursue his music dreams.“I was at a crossroads in my life, and she told me to pick something I loved and go for it,” Shea recalled. After taking a vocal lesson, he fell in love with singing and quickly picked up the guitar. When those 2 worlds collided, he knew where he was always meant to be.

He has been a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” where he competed on Team Gwen. Since then, he’s been writing with some of Nashville’s finest and getting ready to release his first solo project.

When he’s not playing a show, you can probably find Rowdy working with horses in some way shape or form. He has covered a lot of cowboy miles doing just about every job you can name.

Rowdy Shea is where the western sky meets top 40 country radio.

We are very excited to welcome Rowdy to the Gatlinburg Songwriters family!