BLAKE O'CONNOR CROWNED 40TH TOYOTA STAR MAKER

Congratulations!

Blake O’Connor was announced as the 2019 Toyota Star Maker in front of thousands of country music fans at the 40th Toyota Star Maker Grand Final held at the Tamworth Country Music Festival last week.

Blake’s performance received high praise from the judging panel, to win the prestigious title.

Blake grew up in a home surrounded by country music – mostly Johnny Cash. At 14, he scored a gig as a wedding singer, so he wrote his first song for the occasion, and hasn’t stopped writing and performing since.

In 2015 he was a featured artist in the NSW Schools Spectacular playing four shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with audiences of more than 20,000 people.

BLAKE RECEIVED THE KEYS TO HIS TOYOTA RAV FROM ANDREW WEARING, SENIOR MANAGER, NATIONAL MARKETING, TOYOTA AUSTRALIA AT A SPECIAL EVENT HELD AT TAMWORTH CITY TOYOTA.

Blake has opened the show for a number of big stars including Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont, Adam Brand, Russell Morris, Drew McAlister and Brad Cox, the 2018 Toyota Star Maker winner.

Like many big stars before him, Blake has entered and won talent quests, busked on the streets of Tamworth, won the CCMA Junior National Talent Quest and received a scholarship to the CMAA Academy.

In 2018 Blake released his debut, self-titled EP, which saw the singles 'Travelin' Man' and 'Blackwater' receive significant airplay and chart success.

Blake said; “TCMF19 was my best festival yet and one I won’t ever forget. To have been crowned the 40th Star Maker on the first Sunday of the festival was definitely the highlight and will be a night I’ll remember for a very long time! I am absolutely stoked to be able to fly the Toyota Star Maker flag around Australia and can’t wait to hit the road and play some shows!”