Amber Renee Thornton wants to break out into song at a moment’s notice. But if that’s not possible, Thornton will do the next best thing – she’ll perform on stage and she’ll want you to sing along with her.
“I really feel like I am my true self when I am performing,” Thornton said.
Thornton is now a contender in a new live singing competition called Sing for Your Life. The competition, comparable to “The Voice,” features 12 competitors performing for more than a three-month time span. Thornton is of the remaining eight performers competing for a cash prize and studio time, among other winnings.
Thornton’s passion for song and perfor- mance began at a young age.
“My mom kind of pimped me out to her friends, like ‘sing this’. I was probably 3 years old and she had me singing ‘Come to My Window’ by Melissa Etheridge,” Thornton said. “As a child I was a shameless entertainer.”
Since then singing has played an important role in her life, but it was not until recently after graduating from Georgia State she decided the time was right for her to bring music to the forefront. SFYL helped Thornton do just that.
“Naturally, because it’s a competition, there is a comparative element, so I think it’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself with other people,” Thornton said. “But the thing that I’ve learned the most is that these people don’t have to be your enemy.”
Thornton believes SFYL to be more of a collaborative effort than anything, and that her success as a singer does not necessarily depend on her winning.
“Regardless of the competition I plan to pursue music. In fact, it’s kind of where my soul lives,” Thornton said. “If the competition goes on and I win that’s great, but if not, that’s fine too. I’m going to do music forever.”
What is SFYL like?
SFYL is a competition akin to American Idol or the X Factor, except that it is unique to Atlanta and is live rather than televised. The audience casts their votes for their favorite competitors of the evening, and the two with the least amount of votes “sing for their lives” for the judges to make their final decision on who stays and who goes. The three judges represent three teams of performers.
When and where is SFYL?
SFYL is held every Thursday night at the Jungle Club Atlanta at 8 p.m. Tickets are under $10 per person. Each week has a unique theme; the January 7 show will be 90s themed.
How do I cast my vote?
Cast a live ballot at the show. In the event of a tie, the live poll on singforyourlifeatl.com serves as a tie breaker. You can visit SFYL’s website or Facebook page for videos of previous performances, photos and more information about the teams and all things SFYL.
