Maybe Singer Taylor Hughes Will Be the Good Luck Charm UK Needs

Singer Taylor Hughes hoped to be a college volleyball player but had to switch to music after a high school knee injury. (Hank Jr. Productions)

Kentucky coach Mark Pope might not know it yet but he has a good luck charm coming to Rupp Arena tomorrow tonight.

Lexington native Taylor Hughes will sing the national anthem, something she did at a UK football game in 2022 and has also done at UK baseball games. However, this will be her first time singing the anthem in Rupp Arena.

“Hopefully I will be a good luck charm. Every Kentucky game I have sang for, we have won,” said Hughes.

Kentucky needs a good luck charm after losing two straight Southeastern Conference games, including one in Rupp Arena Wednesday to Missouri.

“I have been trying to get my husband into a basketball game for a few years. He is a huge fan. I got tickets, so he is coming,” the award-winning singer said. “They (UK officials) loved when I sang for football and baseball. Baseball called last year to do the NCAA Tournament but I was pregnant and it was the same weekend as my baby shower so I couldn’t do it.

“When they called for basketball they gave me several dates and I picked this game because it is my birthday so that was perfect for me. I will be singing, rooting for my Cats and celebrating a birthday.”

The Nashville-based country music singer follows her Cats religiously.

“My husband listens to KSR about each day and usually I am with him. I try to follow on social media and will watch games if I don’t have a show,” she said. “We really enjoyed watching the volleyball games and cheering for them. I am an ex-volleyball player myself, so it was incredible watching them in a bunch of games. They were so much fun to watch.”

Hughes played volleyball two years at Lexington Catholic before transferring to Henry Clay for her junior and senior years. She went to volleyball camps, including ones at UK with coach Craig Skinner.

“I had plans of going to college on a volleyball scholarship and had a few schools reach out before I blew my knee out my junior year and was unable to fully recover,” she said.

Hughes was a “scrappy” libero who loved throwing herself on the floor going after balls — and would love to be invited to sing the national anthem at a UK volleyball game.

“I had actually talked to UK about playing there before I tore my meniscus,” she said. “That is when I dove in music, so I guess it all worked out okay.”

She started taking guitar lessons and stepped on stage in Nashville for the first time at age 18. Now she’s both a successful singer and songwriter who is easing back into tour life now that her daughter is 6 months old.

“As long as you are busy, it is a good thing,” Hughes said. “Eventually I hope to bring my daughter on the road with me. She already likes to sing along with the music.

* * *

To see more about Hughes’ music, background and tour schedule go to: https://www.taylorhughesmusic.com/.