DAPHNE, Ala. — “My heart and my music go out to all our military men and women,” Hunter Beasley said, sitting on a sofa in the living room of her parents’ Lake Forest home. The 14-year-old — a freshman at Daphne High School who has a knack for singing and practices daily — said she dedicates her performances to those serving our country overseas and here in America.

The up-and-coming singer — who shared her talents at last year’s Daphne Christmas tree lighting celebration, and at the 2007 Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival — has big plans that figure into her patriotic spirit. 

After finishing high school, she hopes to further her singing career, make a name for herself and eventually entertain the service men and women who fight for our freedoms.

“I would love to sing for all of the troops, even if I had to go to Iraq to do it,” Beasley said.

“I’d really like to be out there creating music of my own and inspiring other people,” she said.

For now, she can entertain part of some 37,000 people expected to attend this weekend’s 20th annual Jubilee Festival. Beasley will be among several acts who will take to the stage at the event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday. (For a complete schedule of acts, see page 2A.)

Beasley is  an ambitious adolescent, an aspiring virtuoso who — even at such a young age — has exhibited her talent for playing country music at many local events.

Beasley said she approached the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce about performing at this year’s Jubilee Festival.

“I saw their (news release) in the paper stating they needed artists,” Beasley said. “I sent them one of my demos and they called back saying they’d love to have me.”

Beasley’s demo CD includes covers of popular country songs such as Carrie Underwood’s “So Small” and “Jesus Take the Wheel”; Kellie Pickler’s “Red High Heels”; and an old favorite, “Amazing Grace.”

Beasley said she’s looking forward to performing at the festival.

“I think it’s really exciting because I get to play for my hometown,” she said. “The people here get a chance to enjoy my (singing). I think it’s going to be really fun,” she said.

Part of the excitement comes from her confidence; Beasley said she used to get nervous before going on stage. Now, she just gets excited and can’t wait to perform. Past shows treated her to more than stage experience; she sometimes found herself in good company. One of the biggest highlights, she said, was performing at the Shrimp Festival.

“I got to meet and sing with Trent Tomlinson,” Beasley said, referring to the rising country-music artist whose Gospel-themed “One Wing in the Fire” and romp “Drunker than Me” produced frequent radio play. Beasley was most excited about getting inside Tomlinson’s tour bus at the Gulf Shores Festival, where she hung out with Tomlinson and met his band mates.

She has also sang for various charities including the 2007 Five Rivers BBQ Charity Event and the 2008 Hog Wild BBQ Festival in Mobile. She’s performed at local restaurants including LuLu’s Restaurant in Gulf Shores and Fisherman’s Corner in Perdido Key, Fla. Other gigs include events at the Blues Cafe in Pensacola, Fla., according to a news release.

Beasley’s parents’ living room doubles as a studio; when she practices, the fireplace serves as a stage and the couches, she imagines, are filled with adoring fans.

This is the world of Hunter Beasley, a budding young country singer who’s been sharing her vocal gift for as long as she can remember. “I always sang, since I was little,” she said.

Her stepfather, Roger Davidson, said that at around 9 years old, Hunter got to the point where “he could notice there was something there,” referring to her progressing talent. It was then that Beasley began training with voice and guitar coaches.

Beasley’s life largely is consumed by music. When she’s not performing or practicing—or doing homework—she’s usually in her room singing along with the radio or watching country music videos. She said her favorite show is the “Top 20 Country Music Television Countdown.”  Beasley cites Celine Dion, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood as her biggest influences.

The singer also enjoys giving back to her community. Her stepfather noted how active she is in the community.

“Even when she first moved into Lake Forest, she was active in the neighborhood,” Roger Davidson said. He added that  Beasley has gotten involved in community cleanup programs, having cleared trash from the streets in coordinated neighborhood efforts.

“Most kids at that age are into more destructive things,” Roger Davidson said.

As for singing, he said he is most impressed with how developed Beasley’s ear is.  “What amazes me is how quickly she can pick up a song and commit it to memory,” Roger Davidson said.

Beasley’s mother, Martha, is proud of her daughter. “I’m ecstatic,” she said.

“I’m blessed to have a child that can go somewhere in life with her talents.”