The sad girl who sang at assemblies

At the public school I attended we would have general assemblies one day each week. Usually there would be announcements/reminders, and perhaps some little speech or something by someone from the faculty. Occasionally someone from outside the school would address the student body.

Once or twice a year we would have a sort of talent program. Anyone who wanted to could participate. Several times there was a girl from Sugar Grove who would sing as her participation. Sugar Grove was a very poor community south of town which was somewhat of a standing joke because of their toughness and lack of culture, through no fault of their own. This girl sang a country ballad a cappella, and because she stood alone on the stage and sang, it was somewhat awkward for the audience, since it seemed very pathetic. However, looking back on it, I seem to remember that she had a strong, clear voice and sang well. She wanted to sing badly enough that she was willing to endure the embarrassment to do it. She never won any sort of a prize, but she probably should have.