HGTV's Erin Napier Had A Totally Different Passion Before She Started Renovating Houses

Erin Napier and her husband, Ben Napier, have been starring on HGTV's "Home Town" since 2016. With their renovation prowess and on-camera charm, Ben and Erin have also been involved in spin-offs of their show, like "Home Town Kickstart" and "Home Town Takeover." In addition, the Napiers have multiple talents and interests. Beyond their TV work, they own three different businesses: Laurel Mercantile, Scent Library, and Scotsman General Store. 

Early in her TV career, Erin thought it was daunting to be on camera, and she even referred to herself as an "extreme introvert" in a 2017 Instagram post. Surprisingly, however, a little-known fact about Erin is that she has a long history of being comfortable performing onstage. "Music was my first love," Erin explained to People in 2022. "When I was 13, I started to play open mic night at a coffee shop downtown." Erin was so successful as a musician that, over a few years, she built a dedicated audience.

Besides having fun, Erin was fortunate to be able to get paid gigs singing and playing guitar. Along with some friends, Erin was a member of the group Sunday's Maria. "We played a lot of Blind Melon and Alanis Morrissette and Ani DiFranco and Barenaked Ladies cover songs," Erin wrote on Instagram, along with some vintage photos of the band on stage. She and her friends were also Counting Crows fans, and Erin noted that the group's name was based on a recurring character in their music.

While she may not perform weekly gigs anymore, Erin Napier's musical enthusiasm keeps motivating her to pick up a guitar. After taking a hiatus when she graduated college and embarked on a professional career, Erin revisited her love of playing music in 2011. At the time, she combined her passion for music with her work as a designer, and, as she wrote in her online journal, Erin created a "series of concert posters for ZZ Top, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Huey Lewis."

Erin's also integrated her musical abilities into her on-camera endeavors. When she and Ben Napier were in the film "A Christmas Open House," the inseparable Napiers volunteered to join another actor in a scene that emulated Erin's coffeehouse performance days. A couple years earlier, in 2020, Erin got involved singing in an actual coffeehouse on "Home Town." She took the lead vocals on "Amazing Grace" and performed a guitar duet with her one of her clients. 

Then, on a May 2024 episode of "Home Town," Erin saluted her musical past and her renovation present even further by reuniting with her childhood friend, Brad Smith. Besides singing together in their school's show choir, Smith was the drummer for their childhood band, Sunday's Maria. "Tonight we make his bachelor pad less country cottage, more grown up and ... Bradgical," Erin teased to promote the show on Instagram. In addition to redesigning Smith's house, the longtime friends took the stage to perform together during the episode.

Although Erin Napier played music as a college student, when her epic romance began with Ben Napier, he hadn't caught any of her performances. "When I started dating Erin and fell in love with her, I had no idea she was talented," Ben said in a 2020 "Home Town" episode (via People). Ben continues to support and encourage Erin to play guitar and sing more often. He was particularly delighted when Erin and her longtime friend, Brad Smith, were set to play live on "Home Town." "I've been like chomping at the bits waiting for this," Ben enthused in a promo for the May 2024 episode.

Ben's not the only Napier who loves Erin's music. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Erin posted her performance of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's "Something to Love" on Instagram and dedicated it to her older daughter. "Helen loves this one," Erin wrote. The HGTV star was humble about her performance, adding, "I'm rusty, forgetting chords, but it still feels good to sing a song." Just like her family, Erin's fans responded enthusiastically to her performance and complimented her voice. Several found her rendition especially moving, and one encouraged Erin to make a CD.