The North American Country Music Association’s “Rising Star Song Writer of 2016” is none other than Morrow County’s own, Bec Silveous, also known as, Rebecca Kiernan.
Former member of the “Morrow County Potholes” band, song writer, performer, guitar player and author “Bec” is prolific in her performances and writing ambitions. “I have been singing and playing since I was 15 years old,” she explained. “I am now 67.”
“After the band (Morrow County Potholes) broke up, I started doing karaoke, singing along to popular songs at the Cactus Club (in Marengo) which is where I started my singing career,” she says. “That started with a contest in Centerburg in the summer of 2013. I didn’t make the grade, but that didn’t stop me from following my dream of a singing career. I followed that with a run in a contest at the Big Walnut Grill (in Sunbury) in 2015 where I decided karaoke wasn’t my bag, and I started to write and perform my own work.”
Regularly performing in her black cowboy hat, boots and pearl necklace at several venues in Westerville, Morrow County and the greater Columbus area, Silveous made a name for herself locally before stepping into the national spotlight.
In Pigeon Hole, TN, at the Country Tonite Theatre, the Morrow County native, she won the NACMA’s title of “Rising Star” for her special presentation of her original song, “When the Leaves Fall” as well as “2016 Most Promising Female Entertainer of the Year.” She adds, “I entered the contest against 500 others. What are the odds?”
In order to qualify to compete in the NACMA, she first had to earn a high score in the Buckeye Country Music Organization competition in 2015.
She notes that many others only sang along with prerecorded tracks.
“I can sing karaoke, but I choose to perform with my guitar and my original songs. My expertise is in songwriting.”
Her irresistible presence, smile and energy are immediately obvious. Although her guitar playing days started at the tender age of 15 her singing career didn’t begin until the early 2000’s, and has proceeded to blossom into her now single performance act.
Now, the 67-year-old wife to husband William, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother shares her talents not only in song but also in print, with her self-illustrated books Grasserhops and other short works of poetry. Additionally, she enjoys discovering old poems that she sets to music.
She has won several awards over the years in various contests, and is never to be discouraged as a force in entertainment, as is obvious from her strong voice and equally confident and entertaining guitar playing.
Silveous recently entered seven of her own original songs in several categories in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, an international songwriting competition comprised of 12 categories, ranging from country to rock. The winners in each category are expected to be announced Sept. 11.
The Buckeye appears to not fall far from the tree for Silveous, and as she put it, “I am Ohio.”
