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Lauren Mink Fraser is known as many things across Winchester, insurance agent and Christmas parade planner among them, but before all that she was known for belting out songs on the local stage.

“I’ve been singing since I was a teenager at the Pioneer Festival- that’s the first big thing I did- entering their talent competition,” Fraser said.

Before the festival talent show, Mink worked on her vocal talents at church, something that took a little coaxing in the form of a promised visit to the movies from her at the time babysitter due to her shyness.

The bribe worked because as the years passed by, Fraser set her sights higher and eventually worked her way through the audition process of the smash-hit reality TV show, “American Idol,” during the show’s 11th and 12th seasons in 2012 and 2013.

During her first appearance on the show, Fraser got a chance to show the town she calls home off to a nationwide audience.

“The first time they actually came to Winchester and did a hometown visit at the Stride Program where I was working at the time … That was really cool,” Fraser said.

Even though she was eliminated in the first round of cuts out in Hollywood, Fraser returned the next season and almost made it through the final cuts before she was eventually one of the final two women sent home before the competition began in earnest.

“It was really cool, but that feels like a lifetime ago,” Fraser said about her experience.

Since Fraser’s time on one of her all-time favorite shows, she has gotten married, started a family and switched from working in the non-profit sector to Clark County Farm Bureau.

But performing is in her DNA and she has settled into being a part of the central Kentucky music scene.

Fraser and Dale Adams formed an acoustic duo that has frequented events at wineries and private parties for the better part of a decade. The duo have been joined by a rotating set of musicians to form a band that has played everywhere from Jeff Ruby’s Steak House to Thursday Night Live in Lexington.

And any time the Lauren Mink Band plays live a good time is guaranteed – at least that is what the band’s lead vocalist and namesake hopes.

“I love 90s country and the band love stuff like 80s rock so we combine all those to perform a set that a girl would love to sing along to in her car,” Fraser said about the band’s style.

She counts Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Sugarland among her sources of inspiration.

And like some of the greats, Fraser has an alter-ego – sort of.

“I actually don’t like to talk in front of people but I’m good at singing in front of people … I’m more of a free spirit [on stage],” Fraser said.

The Lauren Mink Band was scheduled to play at Friday’s “Rock the Block” event in Winchester but had to pull out and will be replaced by The Richmond Stone Band.

For more information on seeing Fraser perform live visit www.facebook.com/LaurenMinkMusic.