COUNTRY singer Felicity Urquhart has supported the great Willie Nelson, and has a loyal following all over Australia.
At the 2001 Golden Guitar Awards in her home town of Tamworth, she won the best vocal collaboration award with fellow young stars Beccy Cole, Adam Harvey and Darren Coggan for a scintillating live a cappella version of Dolly Parton's, Do I Ever Cross Your Mind. In the space of two years Felicity, as she is known, was nominated for Best New Talent and Best Female Country Performer in the Mo Awards.
Since then she has twice been named Female Country Performer of the Year at the Mo awards.
She will return to Club Phoenix on Sunday.
Raised in Tamworth, 'the country music capital of Australia', Felicity's path was clear at an early age.
However, her rise to fame has been far from meteoric.
She has played everywhere from a stage set up on top of milk crates at a pub in the middle of nowhere, to Nashville, the undisputed country music capital of the world.
At 11 she bought her first guitar and began busking at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
'I'm country born and raised, that's why I do it,' she said.
'I'm very passionate about it.'
Felicity cut her debut album, self-titled under her full name, at the tender age of 16.
Two years later, in 1994, Felicity supported country music greats Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. 'From the first time I heard music I knew I wanted to be a singer,' she said.
'I use to tell my mum that I was recording.'
'I'd lock myself away in my room with a cheap cassette player and record myself singing songs off the radio.'
Felicity's professional career was kick-started by the NSW Schools Spectacular, of which she was a graduate with members of Human Nature, John Foreman, Nathan Foley and Darren Coggan, just to name a few.
In 1995, she released her second independent album, Follow Me. In 1999, Nothing to Hide, was her first major label release under EMI Music Australia. EMI Music Australia says the album is a combination of 'pure country, radio-friendly hooks and soulful balladeering'.
The album has achieved mainstream success with the singles Country Girl, We'll Never Get Along and Sugar Town. It also features a duet with Rick Price. Her commitment to an arduous touring schedule has paid off.
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