Kylie Frey performs in concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Holland Theatre. (PHOTO VIA KYLIEFREY.COM)
A rising country star fresh off of her appearance on America’s Got Talent earlier this fall will make her debut at the Holland Theatre next week, showcasing her heartfelt singing-songwriting talents and her true-to-herself grit and determination learned at a young age as a third generation rodeo girl.
Opelousas, La., native Kylie Frey performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, with Bellefontaine resident Jesse Jervis accompanying her on bass. Jervis also appeared with Frey on America’s Got Talent, as previously detailed in the Examiner.
Opening for Frey at the Holland Theatre is Ohio native singer-songwriter Brandi Sparks.
In her recent years of dedicated efforts, 28-year old Frey has already achieved eight number ones on the Texas Regional Radio Report, including “I Do Thing,” and “Horses In Heaven,” both performed on America’s Got Talent, along with “Spur of the Moment,” “Red Dirt Cinderella,” “One Night in Tulsa” and others.
Her set list for the Holland show will include a number of these favorites, along with a mix of “some cool covers” in there as well, she said.
“I hope to make the audience laugh, cry and everything in between,” said the Louisiana state goat-tying champion. “I also hope to get them out of their seats dancing as well.”
Frey’s passion for music and singing began at a young age. Her grandfather encouraged her to perform the national anthem at every rodeo she attended, noting that Reba McEntire got her start performing the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, the “Super Bowl” of rodeos.
At age 5, Frey remembers singing for the first time at a rodeo, but also having a little boost from her brave friend to perform in front of so many people.
“My neighbor and I started singing the national anthem. She would pull me into the announcer’s stand and get me to sing. I would’ve been way too shy to do it myself.
“My neighbor eventually wasn’t into the singing anymore and she didn’t think it was the cool thing to do, but I never stopped,” said Frey, who also dressed as Shania Twain for Career Day in kindergarten,
While the rodeo queen enjoyed the national anthem spotlights throughout her younger years, she also branched into songwriting as a teenager.
“As a high schooler, I started writing songs and thought I’d be a songwriter. I didn’t really imagine myself on stage at that time. But then I figured out that these were my stories and I needed to be the one singing them.”
Following her high school graduation, Frey said while she took one semester of classes at a local community college, she knew what she wanted to do was sing. So she began performing at “little dive bars and Mexican restaurants.”
“Since I grew up rodeoing, I had a lot of connections in Texas, so I soon moved there to be part of the music scene. Then I moved to Nashville when I was 21,” she said.
Jervis said he has spent the last year performing with Frey, whom he met through his time spent playing gigs in Nashville. They have performed in locations all across the country, from California to Washington, Colorado, Nevada and in Texas.
“She has really been building the momentum this past year, and putting in the time to get to bigger and bigger stages,” Jervis said in a previous Examiner story in August just prior to the start of the 18th season of America’s Got Talent.
A 2009 Bellefontaine High School graduate, Jervis also works locally as a fourth generation family member of Neer’s Sand & Gravel. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three daughters and just welcomed a baby boy to their family this summer.
While performing at big venues in other states has been quite enjoyable, Jervis is eagerly anticipating the upcoming local show.
“I’m very excited for the Holland Theatre show, where a lot of my family and friends will be able to join us to see what we’ve been up to for the past year. We’re hoping to really pack out the house, with the recent America’s Got Talent exposure. It’s going to be so special to me.”
Frey’s audition episode for the NBC hit show fittingly featured “Horses in Heaven,” a tribute to her late grandfather, who passed away in 2017.
“He lived, breathed and ate rode. Most of his kids and grandkids were in the rodeo, too,” she said.
“I never expected this song to resonate with people so much. I’ve found that the more detail that you put into a song, the more that vulnerability cuts through. It’s like therapy for me.”
Coming away from her run on America’s Got Talent, the Nashville resident said the experience was challenging but also rewarding to the point where, “I felt like I could do anything.
“There’s a lot more that goes into it than what I’d realized. It was a lot of fun and hard work. Usually performers don’t get critiqued by a panel of judges like that either.”
Her whirlwind year also included her first performance at the Grand Ole Opry in July, “a moment that I’ve long dreamed about.”
She said standing in the circle on the stage, which was pulled from the original Ryman Auditorium, “I felt chills and this electric feeling, the presence of my heroes who stood there before me,” including her country music influences from Patsy Cline to Kitty Wells, McEntire, George Strait and Wynonna Judd.
Frey just finished her “Your Bar Now” tour and will complete several additional shows this month to round out the year. Then her plans include focusing on the upcoming release of several new songs in early 2024.
Tickets for the show are available online at https://theholland.org/tickets/ or though the box office, (937) 592-9002.
Kylie Frey appeared on Season 18 of America’s Got Talent this fall, and Bellefontaine resident Jesse Jervis, second from the right, joined her on the stage on bass. (FACEBOOK PHOTO)
