Claire Childress
The Birthplace of Country Music announces Claire Childress represented East Tennessee at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville in March after delivering a standout performance during the 2025 Tennessee Songwriters Week showcase round at Paramount Bristol. Childress competed against 15 other songwriters for the opportunity to perform in one of Music City’s premier listening rooms.
“Claire comes from an incredibly talented musical family and has been performing with her sisters since she was very young,” said BCM Communications Manager Charlene Baker. “She and her sister Madison have competed in qualifying rounds at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum for the past three years; it’s been a great pleasure watching them progress as songwriters and musicians. The honor is well-deserved, and we couldn’t be happier for her.”
Childress is a multi-instrumentalist, music educator and songwriter from Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Though she grew up playing folk and old-time music with her sisters, she has broadened her repertoire to include blues, indie and contemporary forms of jazz. Childress co-founded Mac Music Lesson Studio with her sister, Madison Denhardt, which offers instrument repair and private music lessons. Subscribe to her YouTube channel at youtube.com/@clairechillmusic.
Explore Bristol, Paramount Bristol, and BCM partnered with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to bring the Tennessee Songwriters Week showcase round to the historic Paramount stage in Bristol as part of a statewide effort to celebrate the foundation of the craft for which Tennessee is known. TDTD partners with The Bluebird Café, Nashville Songwriters Association International, Taylor Guitars, music venues, local convention and visitors’ bureaus, and chambers of commerce and partners across the state—all of which are committed to make sure songwriters can share their original work onstage with other writers. For more information on Tennessee Songwriters Week, visit tnvacation.com/songwriters-week.
