Mickey Guyton will make history during ACM Awards

Mickey Guyton is taking the country music world by storm and on Sunday night April 18, she will make history. Along with the legendary Keith Urban, the singer will co-host the 56th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. She will be the first black woman ever to host the big event. The program will be broadcast from three historic Nashville music venues — the Grand Ole Opry House, the Blue Bird Cafe and the Ryman Auditorium. This year will feature the most diverse set of nominees than any country music awards show in history. There was a time when the only African Americans who were successful in Country music were Clarence Carter and Charlie Pride. Thankfully things have changed and now a black woman has been included.

She was born Candace Mycale Guyton on June 17, 1983 and was raised in Texas. Mickey is the second oldest of four children born to Michael Eugene Guyton and Phyllis Ann Roddy. Her material incorporates elements of country pop and contemporary country. Guyton was exposed to a variety of music at a young age, and after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she signed a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville. In 2015, the label released her debut extended play, Unbreakable. Mickey married attorney Grant Savoy in 2017 after dating for 11 years. The couple has 1 child a son Grayson Clark born in February of 2021.

In 2015 the country singer released her debut single Unbreakable on Capitol records. The song reached the top 40 on the country chart which earned her a nomination from the Academy of Country. Guyton released her second extended play that same year. . In 2020, she released the single, "Black Like Me," which dealt with the Black Lives Matters movement the George Floyd protests. This song further elevated the singer's career and was nominated in the country category by the Grammy Awards. Later in 2015, Guyton released her third extended play Bridges. She was then featured on "Boys" with Dean Brody which went to number 1 in Canada. This made her the first African American female to reach Number One on the Canadian Country chart.

Guyton began singing as a child and developed an interest in music around five years old. Like many singers before her, she often performed in church choirs, notably at the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington. Mickey was inspired to begin a career in singing after watching LeAnn Rimes sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the beginning of a Texas Rangers game. Guyton has said in interviews and reiterated on The Talk on Friday, April 16 that she does not believe anyone should be locked down to a specific music genre.

Regarding her cohost Keith Urban, Guyton says they get along really well. She told the ladies of The Talk that she believes this is because they both have been outsiders in country music. Urban is Australian and Guyton is black. In 2020 the duo performed together on What are you going to tell her? during the CMA (Country Music Awards) in September. Guyton says that she became distressed when so many people gave her warnings about what type of music to sing. She was told to stick to traditional country music or she would not experience any success. The singer was also advised not to sound too pop or R&B. There were also those who believed that because of her race she should be performing pop, hip hop, or R&B.

Guyton says that although she attended private schools she still dealt with racism and that her best friend's parents referred to her with racial slurs. (I wonder what those folks are thinking now). After signing with Capitol Records Nashville, the singer performed at the White House alongside established entertainers James, Taylor, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, and Darius Rucker. Be sure to tune in Sunday night and catch Mickey Guyton and Keith Urban. The 2021 ACM Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on April 18 at 8:00 PM EST. You can also live stream the annual show.