From Alton to Nashville: L&C Alumnus Tommy Karlas Finds Success in Country Music

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College recognizes alumnus Tommy Karlas, a professional country music singer-songwriter signed with Sony Music Publishing/Droptine.

Karlas has written for some of the biggest stars in country music and performs around the world, including regular appearances at the renowned Bluebird Café in Nashville. He considers himself fortunate to have made music his career and has celebrated over 300 million streams as a songwriter. Karlas plans on returning to L&C in October for a homecoming concert.

"My most memorable experience at Lewis & Clark was before I even started attending the school, when I stepped onto the Ann Whitney Olin Theatre stage at the age of 13 for a talent show," Karlas said. "There was something about that show in that theatre that marked the beginning of a long career in music and entertainment."

Karlas said that his experiences led him to fall in love with music, songwriting, and performing. At the age of 19, he created a five-year plan and moved to Nashville. He received his first publishing deal on Music Row sooner than he had anticipated. Shortly thereafter, his songs were recorded by Randy Travis and Blake Shelton.

Eventually, Karlas achieved a multi-week number one song in country music titled “Roll With Me,” which earned him a nomination for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Songwriter of the Year.

Karlas said attending L&C was exactly what he needed to transition into the world successfully. He also noted that it was the place where he fell in love with music at an early age and discovered the kind of atmosphere that life could offer.

"L&C has played a significant role in my life and was my first step into the world beyond my hometown. It truly prepared me for my career outside of my community," Karlas said. "I don’t believe I would have transitioned as smoothly into the world if it weren't for my time at L&C."

Karlas is currently writing for Sony Music, the world's number one publisher. He is excited to return home to the Hatheway Cultural Center on Oct. 25 to celebrate reaching 300 million streams. His performance will resemble his previous performances at the Bluebird Café. Karlas believes that the theater is the ideal venue for the upcoming show.

Karlas said the best career advice he received was to prioritize doing what you love—something you would continue to pursue even if you were not getting paid for it. He emphasized the importance of fully dedicating yourself to that passion.

Tommy Karlas

Tommy Karlas is a professional country music singer/songwriter for Sony Music Publishing/Droptine. In 2001, at the age of 19, Tommy moved to Nashville from East Alton and secured his first publishing deal on Music Row. Since then, he has written songs for country music's biggest stars such as Blake Shelton, Randy Travis, Old Dominion, Warren Zeiders, Montgomery Gentry, Trisha Yearwood, Tyler Farr, and many more. Furthermore, it was the multi-week number one smash hit, “Roll With Me,” that went on to be the fastest rising and most downloaded song of Montgomery Gentry's long career, earning Tommy an ASCAP Songwriter Of The Year nomination. As an artist, Tommy has released music reaching over 3 million streams worldwide, and as a songwriter, well over 300 million streams. Tommy performs all over the country and plays regularly in Nashville at the world-famous Bluebird Café.