Buddy Jewell's first single was released two days after he won the first Nashville Star competition, and his first album was recorded in only two weeks. Still, despite the rapid turn in fortune, Mr. Jewell's success was hardly sudden.

For Mr. Jewell, who will perform Saturday at the Hammin and Jammin Festival in North Augusta, "overnight" success meant toiling for 15 years in the Nashville trenches, singing on nearly 4,000 demos and hoping for his big break. When that break came, in the guise of a reality television show, Mr. Jewell was ready.

"I sang a lot of songs, and a lot of them were really bad," Mr. Jewell said with a laugh during a recent telephone interview. "So I learned early on that regardless of what I thought of a song, I would always give it the best I had. More than anything, it helped with my writing. I was able to see things I thought worked and was able to work with some of the greatest writers in Nashville."

Mr. Jewell's first album spawned several hits and built the singer a substantial fan base. His second, by his own admission, was a disappointment. Still, he said the momentum built in those first few weeks after Nashville Star continues to carry him.

"The truth is, in this business you are only as good as your last hit," he said. "And that second record, well, it didn't sell near as well as the first. But I'm still here. I have another project I'm working on, and yeah, I'm still reaping the benefits from that first record and those first hits."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.