Meet Sarah Hardwig, A Country Singer & Songwriter With An Incredible Story
A blind singer’s big dream to sing at the Grand Ole Opry recently came true.
Sarah Hardwig is a country singer and songwriter with an incredible story. When she was five months old, Hardwig was diagnosed with a condition called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis. The condition resulted in the impairment of her vision.
According to The Cleveland Clinic, Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, “is a rare condition that affects the retinas in babies’ eyes. Babies born with LCA have low vision — they often lose some or all of their sight. Many babies who have LCA are born blind.”
But Hardwig didn’t let her condition keep her from pursuing her dreams. She started singing at a young age, and her love for music grew stronger over time.
Hardwig’s official website details how she currently majors in songwriting at Nashville’s renowned Belmont University.
She is also a well-known National Anthem singer, having performed it over 250 times. Most notably, she sang the Anthem at the 2022 Music City Bowl at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
Hardwig has shared the stage with country stars such as Lauren Alaina, Lady A’s Charles Kelley, and LOCASH. On one occasion, she got the chance to sing Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.
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Hardwig has performed at some of Nashivlle’s most iconic venues, including the Bluebird Cafe, Tin Roof, Live Oak, and the Listening Room Cafe. But one place Hardwig hadn’t performed was the Grand Ole Opry.
Blind Country Singer Gets The Chance To Perform At The Opry For The First Time
Charlie Rocket, the founder of the nonprofit Dream Machine Foundation, helped make one of Hardwig’s biggest dreams come true.
After Hardwig sang the National Anthem at the Deal Maker Experience event, Charlie Rocket surprised her with the news that she would soon get the chance to perform an exclusive private show at the Grand Ole Opry. Hardwig was speechless as she processed the surprise news.
Hardwig shared several videos on social media showcasing her Opry performance; you can watch two of those below. Near the end of the last clip, she says the Opry is one of her dream venues to sing at and that it was a “pleasure” to be in its famous Circle.
Congratulations to Hardwig on her dream-come-true Opry performance!
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