Reagan Golden’s biggest gig thus far is the St. Mary’s Parish Festival, but that will change on July 11 when she performs at Red Rocks.
Golden started playing the guitar in fourth grade and sang by fifth grade. She said she wrote her first good song at the age of 12. Aside from doing local gigs around Campbell County, Golden didn’t have any large performances on the books until she entered a contest to perform with bluegrass folk band Trampled by Turtles at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado and won.
“I have followed them on Instagram for a really long time, so I saw they posted about it, and I sent it to my dad. Our whole family is huge fans of them,” Golden said. “And I was like, Oh my gosh, this is so cool, and they were like, you should enter, not knowing how big of a deal it was. I just entered because I post singing videos on my TikTok a lot. So, I just did it, kind of just for fun, and then it took off, and I was a finalist.”
The Trampled by Turtles song Golden sang to enter the competition was “Winners,” which is the song she will get to sing with them on July 11.
The top three finalists of the competition had to be voted on within 24 hours to win. Golden said the community showed up for her by voting.
“We’ve always thought Reagan had a special talent and unique voice, but for her to be recognized by the band in making the top three was a true testament for her musically,” Reagan’s mom, Denise Golden, said. “I knew she had a shot at winning after the first few hours of voting because our community really came through for her. To see her up on the stage at Red Rocks will be truly surreal and something so many people wait their whole career for.”
The day Golden learned she had won the competition, she was in Lexington with friends. She said she knew the band was announcing the winner on June 21 but didn’t know what time. Golden said she was anxious sitting by her phone all day just waiting.
“Then I saw that they had posted an (Instagram) reel, and I didn’t have service, and it wouldn’t load, and the caption said, ‘and the winner is…’ So, me and my friend were freaking out because it wouldn’t load,” Golden said. “So eventually, we got it to work, and we were just screaming together. And my mom didn’t know, so I called her, and I told her, and then she started screaming. It was surreal.”
Golden said she expected her immediate family to want to come to watch her perform, but many others are planning on making the trip, including a former teacher and a bunch of family friends.
Golden’s alma mater, Bishop Brossart High School, posted about the competition on its Facebook page, encouraging people to vote for her.
“We are incredibly proud of Reagan as she is an explosive ray of sunshine who radiates positivity and talent,” said Christie Schroder, Director of Advancement at Bishop Brossart High School. “Her music has already moved mountains in our community, and we can’t wait to see what her future holds.”
Golden said she has always wanted to attend a concert at Red Rocks, and now, her first time there, she will be up on the stage. She said the big dream is to make a career out of singing and performing but for now she is majoring in journalism.
“I just want to say a big thank you to the band,” Golden said. “This is an insane opportunity once in a lifetime, and I cannot believe that I won. It still doesn’t feel real. I don’t think it will feel real until I’m there.”
