Michigan Holds Special Meaning For Grammy Winner Chappell Roan

Good luck, babe!

Missouri-born signer/songwriter Chappell Roan was inescapable during the summer of 2024 thanks largely to Tiktok and social media. However, many fans don't realize the artist has a close connection to the Great Lakes State.

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Not only does the title of one of Roan's most popular hits "Pink Pony Club" bear striking similarities to the Pink Pony Bar and Grill on Mackinac Island making it a popular photo op for fans and visitors, but Roan is known to have spent one special summer studying at a renowned Michigan performing arts camp.

When 2025 Grammy nominees were first announced  in the fall the famous Interlochen Center for the Arts shared exciting news that Roan and several other alums were nominated across 20 awards this year including Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album, Best Folk Album, and Best Orchestral Performance.

Roan received nominations for six of the awards’ most competitive prizes, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance.

According to the release Roan spent time in northern Michigan attending the Interlochen Arts Camp during the summer of 2014. A long ways from her home in southwestern Missouri! Roan even claims she wrote the song "Die Young" at Interlochen.

My radio career brought me to the Springfield, Missouri area in 2017, just as Roan was taking some major steps in her music career. I can remember Chappell and her mother coming into the studio often to visit and perform new songs. At the time I remember thinking that while it would be a tough road for Chappell, she definitely had the talent to back up her big dreams.

When her face and songs began flooding my Tiktok feed last summer and my younger sisters and their friends started inquiring about this trending new artist I thought Wait, I KNOW her!

When Roan wasn't opening for Olivia Rodrigo on tour or drawing record-breaking crowds at Lollapalooza she was headlining her own mid-sized venue tour including stops in Michigan at venues in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo-- both which completely sold out in minutes.

Chances are you won't catch Chappell Roan having lunch at Old Dog Tavern before a sold-out show at the Kalamazoo State Theatre ever again.