CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Savannah Kasay is a rising star who beat the odds.
The 18-year-old just released her first album, Friday Night Lights. It’s a fitting title, given her dad is superstar NFL kicker and retired Carolina Panther John Kasay.
However, Savannah is making a name for herself, creating music despite being legally blind.
“While the other kids were at the library and doing that kind of thing, I was learning braille,” Kasay recalled. “It was definitely a challenge growing up.”
She’s been legally blind since birth, originally diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease.
“She was supposed to be completely dark, not see anything by the age of 18,” her father, John, said.
At 18, Savannah has some of her sight, although she can’t drive or read music. That’s why when she picked up a guitar for the first time, she had to teach herself how to play.
“You don’t need sheet music necessarily for the guitar,” Savannah said. “So I was able to teach myself with YouTube videos.”
Her album is written from a perspective all her own.
“I couldn’t really watch the game because physically I couldn’t see what was going on, same with my dad’s games,” she recalled with a laugh. “I even clapped for the wrong team a few times.”
John said he’s happy to step into Savannah’s shadow.
“My star has long since set, and now I’m Savannah‘s father, that’s the role I play, and gladly so,” he said smiling. “She’s real, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and you can’t help but love her.”
Savannah is finding her own spotlight by baring her soul and releasing her first album before heading to college.
“It tells kind of my life story, my album does,” she said. “I want people to be able to find themselves in it, too.”
Friday Night Lights just launched and is now available on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes. You can also listen here.