Eckrich Announces Winner of National Country Music Competition

LISLE, Ill., Oct. 12, 2016 -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, today, announced the winner of its “Music City Sing-Off” competition during an electric finale competition held at Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge “Birthday Bash.” 

Karla Davis Wins Eckrich Music City Sing-Off and $50,000 Brand Ambassador Contract

In front of a live crowd of thousands of fans, Karla Davis from Monroe, N.C., and now living in Nashville, Tenn., was announced as the winner by a panel of judges highlighted by Platinum-selling country music artist Randy Houser and Grammy-nominated producer, Dave Brainard. 

Davis not only won a $50,000 brand ambassador contract with Eckrich, but also the opportunity to record a single with Brainard.  Davis was the winner of the Columbus, Ohio regional contest held earlier this year and was thrilled to win the finale competition. 

“I won and I was not expecting it,” said Davis. “This feels like the best day of my life!  Eckrich had this opportunity and I told myself to jump in with both feet.  Sometimes you just need a break and this is mine. I do know when you’re in Nashville, you have the best talent and you’re just looking for that big opportunity.  Eckrich has provided that for me and I’m ready to work with them and work with Dave Brainard.  I just feel so lucky that I won and it’s a great feeling.”

The final competition was a fierce sing-off that featured the winners from all four qualifying contests which occurred across the country this summer. Each contestant performed for the judges who scored the competitors based on presentation, originality and creativity, melody, vocal ability and music and entertainment value.  Brainard was impressed by the winner and is looking forward to working with her in the studio.

“It was great that Eckrich could bring all this talent to Nashville,” said Brainard.  “To work with Karla is going to be fantastic.  There is something in her voice and in her songwriting that really makes her standout.  Her experience showed tonight and it’s appealing for me to work with someone who has showcased great talent.”

Houser was amazed by the talent of all the competitors and is especially excited for the winner, Davis.

“This contest by Eckrich is great because it gives someone a boost in their career,” said Houser.  “I loved that Karla played her guitar like a songwriter.  You could tell that she was comfortable doing that.  She wasn’t trying to play the same song I’ve heard all day on the radio and she showed a lot of originality.”

The Eckrich ”Music City Sing-Off” finale will be featured nationally on the Great American Country (GAC) network, during their popular program, Top 20 Country Countdown to premier on Friday, October 21.

“Eckrich is proud to support aspiring country music artists through our ‘Music City Sing-Off’ competition,” said Jennifer Zmrhal, Senior Director, Marketing, Smithfield Foods.  “We want to congratulate Karla Davis as the winner of this year’s competition.  We are excited to work with Davis throughout 2017 as our newest brand ambassador.  We also want to thank all of the finalists for a great finale.”

For more information about the Eckrich “Music City Sing-Off,” please visit www.eckrichsingoff.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.

Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Eckrich
Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

Contact:
Jeff Dennison
Breaking Limits for Eckrich
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Direct: 704-766-9061
Cell: 704-252-3356
E-Mail: [email protected]