Charity Lockhart walked onto the stage carrying far more than nerves. At 49, she introduced herself with a warmth that immediately won people over, and when asked why she was there, she opened up about a life shaped by hardship, music, and motherhood. After a divorce, she and her children once lived in a car. With no safety net, she survived by singing in clubs and bars, asking live bands if she could join them for a song and leaving with a little money at the end of the night.