Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, September 11, 2008

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Korey Blake Rose, a senior at Lafayette High School, says singers like George Strait and Alan Jackson turn out his kind of country music.

Korey Blake Rose is a high school senior who hopes his sad song brings him a happy ending.

“Letter from Daddy” already earned him a local win in the Colgate Country Showdown, a nationwide talent search. This weekend, the Lafayette High School student advances to the next round of the contest, performing Saturday at Annie’s in Cincinnati.

The winning song, which he co-wrote with 2008 Lafayette graduate Jeff Perdue, is about a family separated by war – a wife and daughter at home, a husband in Iraq.

“They way it’s sung, they’re writing their letters at the same time,” Rose said. At the end, the father dies and his letter is hand-delivered to his family.

“It’s a very sad song, with a lot of emotions whenever I play it,” said Rose, who with Perdue finished “Letter” a couple of months ago, just before the Showdown contest in West Liberty.

The two, who first met while on the school wrestling team, collaborate well – Rose concentrates on the music and Perdue on the lyrics.

Rose prefers old-style country music, like George Strait and Alan Jackson – and the stories, of course.

“Songs nowadays don’t tell too many stories. I think I can bring back what country used to be … the good ol’ country rather than pop crossover,” said Rose, who favors steel guitars over violins.

Though he never took lessons, he now can read music as well as play by ear.

“My mom’s side of the family all play music. They were playing bluegrass as I grew up. That’s what I learned on,” Rose said.

As his interest and skills have grown, so has his basement setup at home. Newspaper clippings, color snapshots and awards are pinned on the wall, reminding Rose of how far he’s come; a dresser drawer is filled with sheets of half-written songs and ideas in the works.

This makeshift studio is where he and Perdue are inspired – surrounded by guitars, a mandolin, an electronic drum machine, a keyboard, and sound and recording equipment that allow them to lay down as many as 24 instrumental and vocal tracks. This also is where Rose burns CDs to sell at school and at area festivals when he performs.

“He's a very talented young man,” said his mother, Tina. “We are very proud of him, and we know that by speaking to some of his past teachers, they are as well. I'm sure he will make Fayette County and Lafayette High just as proud. He will represent us well.”

In Saturday’s competition, each singer will have seven minutes to perform. Rose sent a demo CD so the backup band could learn “Last Chance.” “It’s about stuff that guys think about in high school,” he said, mentioning girlfriends in particular.

In his second selection, he will play acoustic guitar while singing “Letter from Daddy.”

Rose is not worried about his fellow contestants. “I’m always prepared,” he said. “I never get nervous because I don’t have anything to lose.”

And there’s a lot to win. The top singer in Cincinnati will earn $1,000 and advance to regional and national rounds, where the ultimate prize is $100,000 and a recording contract.

“It’s right up there with ‘Nashville Star,’” Rose said of the Country Showdown.

While he would like to pursue every country singer’s dream, he’s also realistic.

“I like music, but it’s hard to make it (in that field). If I make it, I make it. If I don’t, I have a backup thing to do,” said Rose, who plans to study heavy machinery at Hazard Community & Technical College in Perry County.

For now, he’s content to write songs with his buddy and perform regularly around the region.

“I’m all about spreading music to everybody,” he said.