Brentwood resident and Ravenwood High School Junior, Ava Claire Henson, earned a trip to Hollywood by winning over the American Idol Judges, who unanimously gave her a Golden Ticket.

Ava Claire has been charming audiences all over Nashville since age 11, with her mix of soulful indie/American original music. Counting Jade Bird, Ed Sheeran, the Beatles, Phoebe Bridgers and Jason Isbell as some of her current musical influences, Ava Claire has a strong command of her voice and tells her stories with truth and grit.

She played her first gig at the famous Bobby’s Idle Hour on Music Row in 6th grade. Since then, she has continued to grow as a songwriter and artist, gracing stages all over Nashville. She made her Bluebird Café debut last year with another show booked for May. She also played at The Listening Room for the first time in 2022.

Ava Claire has spent the last few years honing her craft on violin, guitar, piano and ukulele. She has written dozens of original songs. It was one of these original songs, entitled “Skin” that won over the American Idol judges, and she is committed to growing her body of work while strengthening her musicianship as a guitarist and vocalist. Ava Claire is an active member of the Nashville musical community, serving on the Board for Tunes for Kidz, a local non-profit (run by RHS students) which provides education and musical instruments to underserved communities in our area.

Ava Claire says, “lending my time to teach songwriting and guitar to these children has been a huge source of joy for me. Teaching has brought me growth as an artist and as a human.” These gifts combine to make Ava Claire what Lionel Ritchie called “the total package”.