Most 7-year old’s don’t even know what they want to eat for lunch or wear to school the next day, let alone what they want to be when they grow up. But for brown haired, blue eyed Southern Belle Abby Stephens, she knew the moment she started taking voice and piano lessons. Growing up in small town Benson, North Carolina, sometimes finding something to do meant getting creative, and Abby soon realized that singing around the house wasn’t cutting it. So, her mother and school teacher encouraged her to enter a singing contest and even though she didn’t win her first one, her road eventually led to Nashville.
And although the now 15-year-old still lives in North Carolina, she and her parents travel to Nashville about once a month to write, record, and receive mentoring as part of a program called PCG Universal. Led by industry veterans Bernard and Molly Porter, PCG offers training and coaching for those seeking a career in the unpredictable and often turbulent music industry. And while the roller coaster of the music business will definitely have its loops and sudden drops for Abby as she gets older, the poised and wise beyond her years songstress has already experienced some of the highs. Her excitement spread like Cinderella’s Magic Spell in the garden as she talked one on one with The Country Note about sharing stages and dressing rooms with her idols.
Influential females like Jana Kramer, Lauren Alaina, and Mickey Guyton have welcomed Abby with open arms and “were so inspiring”, she says. The advice they gave her? Work hard and keep going of course! And then there were all the times she got to sing with her favorite person, Kelsea Ballerini. Bobby Bones started it all way back when by pulling Abby up on stage at a show to sing with Ballerini, and the tradition continued again this past February at KB’s Valentines show at the Ryman. The “Legends” singer spotted Abby in the second row and invited her on stage to sing “Dibs.” Although her bucket list hasn’t been completely filled (she’s still hoping for a chance to sing with Reba someday!), that’s not a bad start for a girl who doesn’t even live here yet.
But something tells us in a few more years, she will be. Especially if her latest music video and song is any indication of her dedication, persistence, and talent. “Front Porch Swing” was inspired by her great-grandparents about a much simpler time before phones and technology. . .. a time when families actually sat around the dinner table and prayed. And in a day and age that lingered on, sitting on the “front porch swing” and watching the sun set after a hard day’s work was a must.
“I belong to the Southern wind. I’m an old sweet soul that’s born again. I’m a part of the river runnin, runnin to the coast. I can feel those good ole days where families gather around to pray. I can hear their voices talk to me when I’m on this Front Porch swing.” The song, with its powerful imagery, can only be matched with a video just as imaginative. Part of it was filmed in beautiful Raleigh, North Carolina and the other part was filmed on the Tennessee farm belonging to Rory and the late Joey Feek.
“They were such lovely people, “Abby says of the Feek family. “It was such a cool experience!” And if anybody knows anything about providing others with cool experiences, it would be Abby. A compassionate heart and an entrepreneur brain, Abby wrote a song at 11 years old called “The Best Day Ever.” And as a 12th birthday present, she got to record a music video with her friends, as any 12 year would ask for, naturally. What came out of that was The Best Day Ever Foundation.
“It really was THE BEST DAY EVER. And I decided I wanted others to have a day about them. . . they should be able to go out and have fun and have the best day ever too.” Abby’s shows raise money to be able to take kids shopping or to the movies or even pick out Christmas gifts.
Abby definitely has the right spirit and platform with which to impact others and send a strong message of love and positivity, which is really what she wants. Whether she ends up on the charts or teaching in a classroom, singing and using her voice to make a difference is what matters most to the joyful teenager. And we are behind her all the way!
For the full interview with The Country Note, click here! And for more information, you can find her on www.abbystephens.com, on Twitter @AbbyBStephens and on Instagram @abbystephensmusic.