In the new White Chair Film released by global storytelling organization I Am Second, award wining country artist Meghan Patrick shares about her journey from hopelessness to fulfillment, including how unexpected friendships and a change of course gave her a new hope.
Growing up, Patrick had a young, successful start in competitive snowboarding and an ever-developing interest in music. Following a sudden significant injury, her snowboarding vocation was halted. It was then that Patrick found a deepened comfort in music as she began to avidly play and sing, not knowing at the time that this would be the very grassroots of her future career.
But before her move to “Music City,” Patrick found herself in the middle of a violently abusive relationship.
“It started as emotional abuse and then led to physical abuse,” Meghan Patrick shares. “I used to be the girl that said, ‘Oh I’ll never be that girl; I’ll never stay with a guy that abuses me.’ But when you’re in it, that person has taken a lot of time to make you feel like you’ve done something to deserve it. It was the loneliest time in my life.”
Patrick attributes her rescue largely to prayer, something she had never done before. As the abuse got worse and worse, out of utter fear for her life, she started to pray, begging God — if he even existed — to save her. Following a miserable night of violence, a police officer’s straightforward reaction to her situation led Patrick to see the hard truth.
“That police officer…looking back, I know that God sent him because that was such a turning point in my life.”
Shortly thereafter, Patrick moved to Nashville, where God orchestrated several chance encounters, resulting in friendships with Nashville Artists Lainey Wilson and Kasey Tyndall. These friends showed her something different: authentic love. They encouraged Patrick in her talents, confidence and faith but also inspired her in ways she had never known before, ultimately compelling her to share her powerful story with others — specifically through her songs. In fact, the film highlights the context for Patrick’s testimony song, ‘Praying Right,’ inspired by these friends and their bold faith.
Today, Patrick lives a life she could have never imagined. Beyond her vindication journey, the lasting friendships formed and an inspired career, the added elements in Patrick’s story (including her recent marriage to country music artist Mitchell Tenpenny) reveal just how full-circle her life has come, serving as an empowering message of hope for those in the darkest of circumstances.
To watch the exclusive I Am Second film, visithttps://www.iamsecond.com/film/meghan-patrick. For anyone who might be a victim of domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
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About I Am Second
I Am Second is a nonprofit launched in 2008 that ignites hope and inspires people to live for God and for others. Its website, iamsecond.com, features written and film-based stories of more than 190 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I Am Second.” For information, visit iamsecond.com.
About Meghan Patrick
Hailing from Bowmanville, ON, 18x CMA Ontario winner and back-to-back CCMA Female Artist Of The Year Meghan Patrick released her debut album,Grace & Grit in 2016, leading to an avalanche of awards and recognition upon its release. Her sophomore album, Country Music Made Me Do it, yielded her first No.1 single at Canadian country radio with “Walls Come Down,” followed by her JUNO Award-winning EP, Wild As Me (2019). Her latest album, Heart on My Glass (2021) also earned Meghan multiple CCMA and CMA Ontario Award nominations, including three CMAO Award wins.
Most recently, Meghan was nominated for the 2023Canadian Country Music Association Award(CCMA) for Songwriter of The Year for “Greatest Show On Dirt,” which peaked at #14 on theCanadian Country Mediabase chart and spent six weeks inside the Top 20. The song is the title track of Meghan’s recently released EP Greatest Show On Dirt, features six tracks that define the new era of Patrick. Meghan made the EP announcement during her stunning debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry stage in April of this year, where she also received the news that she earned another career milestone with her first Canadian Gold certification for her song “Wild As Me.”
