When thunderstorms forced the evacuation of last year’s Carolina Country Music Fest, most performers packed up and waited for instructions.
Elliot Poston walked into a nearby parking garage, opened the back of his SUV, pulled out his guitar and started playing.
Within minutes, hundreds of people gathered.
Poston said he felt prompted in that moment to keep performing despite the cancelled set.
“I felt like I heard the voice of God say, open your guitar and start playing,” he said.
Whether audible or internal, he said, the message was clear. If there was a crowd, he would play.
Local television crews later captured the impromptu concert, where Poston performed for roughly two hours while attendees waited out the storm.
For the Lugoff resident and father of two, the moment was less about the stage he lost and more about the opportunity to perform.
That instinct did not develop overnight.
Poston, 39, lives near the Lugoff and Ridgeway line with his wife and two children. He works a full time job while pursuing music on nights and weekends, building a career that formally began in 2023 but traces back decades.
Long before he recorded singles or opened for nationally touring acts, Poston spent years leading worship in church. He also worked as a ring announcer in professional wrestling, a role that required commanding a crowd without the aid of an instrument.
Both experiences, he said, shaped the performer he is today.
Leading worship taught him how to communicate from a stage. It required reading a room, guiding emotion and building a set that flows. Wrestling demanded a different skill set. As an announcer, he learned to project, narrate and hold attention in unpredictable environments.
“I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now if I hadn’t done those things,” Poston said. “I’d be very awkward.”
In church leadership, he also confronted a tendency toward perfectionism. Mentors emphasized excellence rather than flawlessness, encouraging steady growth over unattainable standards. That shift, he said, allowed him to approach music with discipline instead of pressure.
After graduating from Francis Marion University with a degree in political science, Poston considered pursuing music more aggressively. He auditioned for televised talent competitions and explored opportunities outside the area. But as he and his now wife grew more serious, he made a different choice.
“I had a choice of pursuing music or pursuing my wife,” he said. “And I pursued my wife.”
The couple married in 2012. Music remained part of his life through church, but not as a full time ambition.
That changed more than a decade later.
In 2023, while out to dinner, Poston heard another musician playing locally and realized he could step back into performing. The original goal was modest. He wanted to book a few shows and earn extra income.
He borrowed a sound system, scheduled a first gig and quickly found himself playing weekly. Bookings increased. By late 2023, he recorded his first single and began planning releases.
Poston’s recent releases have helped him build momentum in the regional country music scene. His debut single, “The Country Way,” drew early attention from listeners and earned him a nomination for Carolina Country Music Male Artist of the Year. The release also helped him establish a growing fan base in the Midlands, where his single release event sold out and he was later named runner up for Columbia’s Best Local Solo Artist. Poston has also appeared on WIS Channel 10’s “Soda City Live,” where he discussed his music and the path he has taken toward building a career as a performer and songwriter.
His second single, “You Can’t Spell BUSCH Without USC,” has received radio play on Columbia station 94.3 The Dude during its college football pregame programming. Poston has continued expanding his catalog with songs drawn from personal experiences. His releases include “Better Than I Deserve,” the reflective storytelling song “Count to Three,” and the ballad “If Only,” written after the loss of two close friends.
Rolling Stone UK also included Poston on its 2025 artists to watch list, highlighting his small-town South Carolina background and storytelling style.
His newest single, “Journey,” was released March 5, with another song, “Onto the Next One,” scheduled for release April 16.
His momentum has also been noticed by others in the local music scene.
Jennifer Whittaker, who performs and hosts karaoke nights across the midlands as DJ Jen, said Poston stands out in a field where many singers take the stage each week.
“When you’re around live music as much as I am, you hear a lot of singers, but every once in a while someone comes along who just has it,” Whittaker said. “Elliot Poston is the real deal. The talent and authenticity are obvious, but what really stands out is the way audiences respond to him. You can feel the connection the moment he starts singing.”
As his visibility has grown, so have opportunities. Poston has opened for the country group Diamond Rio and recently recorded new music in Nashville.
He is also scheduled to perform at the Carolina Country Music Fest, a major annual country music event held in Myrtle Beach that draws national touring acts and thousands of fans each summer.
More information about Poston’s music and upcoming performances is available at elliotposton.com.
