Recently in the past couple of years, Delaware has been a hidden gem for producing celebrities and superstars in the entertainment industry and in sports. We all for the most part know about Aubry Plaza & Elena Delle Donne, but today I want to give a shout-out or recognition to some Delawareans who are rising to stardom.
First-person that should get some recognition is country music artist Jimmie Allen.
Shea Flynn*
Allen, who grew up in Milton, Del., broke into the country music scene in 2018. That year, his singles “Best Shot” and “Make Me Want To” both hit #1 on the Billboard Country Music Airplay chart and went platinum. Since then, his duet “This Is Us” with Noah Cyrus has gone gold.
In 2021, he won New Male Artist of the Year at the American Country Music Awards – the first Black solo performer to win this award. He also created and headlined the Bettie James Fest concert event in Milton, published a children’s book called “My Voice is a Trumpet” and joined Season 30 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Allen even performed at this year’s Grammys premiere ceremony, was nominated at this year’s Grammys for Best New Artist but fell short with the award going to Olivia Rodrigo. The future is very bright for country’s music hottest rising star.
Next person to get some love and recognition is Nah’Shon Lee “Bones” Hyland.
During his junior year in high school, his 11-month-old cousin and grandmother died in a house fire. Hyland escaped by jumping from his second-floor bedroom and suffered a torn patellar tendon, sidelining him for six months. As a senior, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game, leading his team to the semifinals of the state tournament. He was named Delaware Player of the Year and earned first-team All-State honors.
Now Hyland plays professional basketball in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets. He played college basketball for the VCU Rams before being drafted 26th overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Nuggets. He is one of the NBA’s young rising stars. Hyland even played in the Rising Stars Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend.
Hyland has shown great promise this year with the Nuggets and has the whole league buzzing about his performances. Hyland Is averaging 10 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
The last person on my list is Nitro Nitra.
According to her bio on https://nitronitra.com/bio
“Nitro Nitra is an astral-pop and soul-rock singer from the Delaware (Philly) area. She has been singing since before she could even walk. Having spent a long period of her life in repetitive loops of mental bondage, she found a way to break free and transcend the conditioned cycles that kept her from reaching her full potential. She had a mystical, spiritual awakening in 2019”.
She now uses music as a vessel with which to share her newfound knowledge with the world. Nitra’s goal as a musician is to create a shared experience by lifting her fans up to a place where they can open their minds to new levels of existence and awakenings.
Nitra’s voice has been compared to Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross. The differences that these women share is a testament to Nitra’s versatility as a vocalist.
Currently Nitra is on NBC’s “American Song Contest”. Based on the worldwide phenomenon “Eurovision Song Contest,” organized for 65 years by the European Broadcasting Union and watched by 200 million viewers annually, this amazing musical spectacular combines the competitive spirit of rooting for your favorite sports team with the joy of watching a beloved singing performance. In the U.S. version of the international megahit, “American Song Contest” will feature live original musical performances, representing all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and our nation’s capital, competing to win the country’s vote for the Best Original Song.
The live competition consists of three rounds as the acts compete in a series of Qualifying Rounds, followed by the Semi-Finals and the ultimate Grand Final where one state or territory will emerge victorious.
Nitra is truly making Delaware proud and will hopefully win the competition.
