ALL roads lead to Tamworth each January for the country music festival, which has launched many national and international careers.
One just has to look at the stars it attracts.
The list is the who’s who of Australian country music with names such as Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley, John Williamson,
The McClymonts, Adam Harvey and Luke O’Shea having performed at this year’s festival.
It was one of the highlights of 17-year-old Becci Nethery’s life being presented with the winner’s award in the open section of the National Songwriters Contest by none other than Harvey. Becci, still officially a junior, received the award for her song I Wrote This One For You. The song is from her debut CD and won the national open-contemporary song in the Tamworth Songwriters Association awards.
The song has also won two Queensland-based competitions.
Another song from the CD, Walk Away, made it into the top 20 at Tamworth.
The success augurs well for the future of the budding young Chillagoe girl’s country music career.
But success didn’t come overnight for this gem of Australian country music talent.
The North Queensland Register first came across Becci competing in the Croydon Country Music Competition in 2007 and again in 2008. Becci’s win at Tamworth is no small feat.
The Tamworth Country Music festival is the largest music festival in the southern hemisphere and one of the top 10 in the world! There were over 4000 different performances at the 2015 festival.
Becci was born in Chillagoe in 1997, attended Chillagoe State School for her primary education and completed her secondary studies at St Monica’s College in Cairns.
She showed an avid interest in music from a very young age and her country and western loving grandad, and Chillagoe local, Fred Burdell began giving her guitar lessons at the age of eight.
Realising the depth of her passion for country music, her parents Kerry and John entered her in many country music competitions including the well known annual Charters Towers Country Music Festival and the Croydon Poddy Dodgers Country Music Competition.
Becci placed second in Queensland in the junior female section of the 2013 Champion of Champions competition held in Brisbane.
That secured her a spot in the muster marquee at the Gympie Muster in August.
Becci recently recorded her first EP with Tamworth producer Greg Williams. It’s a 4-track EP and was launched at this year’s Tamworth Festival.
In a telephone interview with the budding county music star, Becci told the North Queensland Register her next career move is to do a bachelor‘s degree in music and performing arts at the Sydney Academy of Music from which she has received an “offer to study”.
“After that I will see how my performing career goes. I might also do my masters’ degree which will also give me a career as a teacher,” she said.
There are sure to be quite a few more chapters in the life of this young, up and coming country music star.
