The Clay City Council presented local musician Skylar Wallace with a Certificate of Excellence last night, honoring her for her “numerous artistic achievements in the area of music.”
Wallace, 11, sings, plays guitar and writes her own music. She is going into the 6th grade at Briarwood Christian School and lives in Clay with her mother and grandparents.
“We’re proud of her because she’s from Clay,” Councilwoman Becky Johnson said. “She’s one of us.”
Wallace frequently sings at fairs and festivals around the state, including Clay May Days and the Alabama Butterbean Festival in Pinson. She has also opened for several southern gospel groups.
She was the Grand Prize winner of Alabama Talent Hunt, a state-wide competition, in May
. Through the five rounds of competition, she won her age group in Gospel, Country and Top 40. She received a two-year recording contract and a management contract.
Wallace also won the 2011 McDonald’s “The Gift” Inspirational Singing Competition, the 2010 Attalla Idol Junior, and won her age division in the 2010 and 2011 Kip Tyner’s Tuscaloosa Talent Search.
As a hobby, Wallace crochets colorful hats for children who have lost their hair due to disease.
“She loves to make them bright and colorful with cute flowers and sparkles,” Johnson said.
After the council meeting, the mayor and council members held a small reception with cake and coffee for Wallace.
“I feel very happy and excited,” Wallace said. “It’s an honor, and I mean a big honor, to be doing this for the city of Clay. I want to thank the mayor and I want to thank the city council and all of the people. They’re great people and I love them all. I hope I always just stay a great representative of the city of Clay.”