Beccy Cole - country music star: In the Adelaide City region of South Australia

Many country music fans are sure to remember a television program called the “Country and Western Hour”. The program, produced at Channel Nine’s Tynte Street studios ran for ten years and in its heyday was broadcast to 26 affiliated stations throughout Australia. It was a great fillip to the careers of country singers like Adelaide's very own Carole Sturtzel.

But little did we know that those casual get togethers amid the hay bales and the gingham tablecloths would play an inspirational role in another great country singer's career, Carol’s daughter, Beccy Cole.

“We had two choices in our house - to love country music or hate it,” laughed Beccy. “With mum, of course, being a country singer, there was a lot of it in the house and I just loved it straight away. And always have.”

As a toddler Beccy would often be in the audience soaking up the atmosphere and projecting into the future when she'd be a star like her mum.

“I used to sit in the audience and I'd look around and I'd see how people just loved her. And I wanted that so badly.” Said Beccy.

“Beccy would come along to the shows and watch me sing,” said Carole. “And I'd look down and Beccy would be singing the words along with me. My steel guitar player said ‘she knows all the words to your songs’. That was what she was doing. Doing her own little apprenticeship down in the audience.”

Now Beccy Cole is one of Australia's most successful country music performers with two Female Vocalist of the Year Awards. But as a recently released DVD attests, the road to the top of country music has been long and difficult, happy and sad. The fun times include a meeting with one of her biggest musical influences, Dolly Parton when the great country singer came to Adelaide.

“I looked at her and I looked at the camera and I remember thinking if you want something bad enough, if you wish hard enough... you know it happens.”

Now, many of her dreams have come true. They started small with talent quests in country South Australia.

“When I was about seventeen there were two major talent quests in South Australia. One was the Port Pirie Music Festival and the other was the South Australian Country Music Awards, which were held at Barmera. And still is.”

Of course she won both. That was back in 1991. Another South Australian country singer, Kasey Chambers won the junior awards at the same shows and over time a life long friendship grew. It’s taken them both into the bush where there are two kinds of music - country and western.

Today, Beccy’s passions remain the same - her music, her football team (Crows memorabilia adorns her office), and her young boy, Ricky.

The DVD contains a number of video clips and one in particular delves into the past.

“I always wanted to write a song about my hometown of Blackwood,” said Beccy. “Blackwood used to be called Blackwood Hill.”

The lyrics to the song include the line “And the dreams of little children echo still on Blackwood Hills.”

It's been an amazing musical journey from the Country and Western Hour and the Adelaide studios of Channel Nine to the many back roads of country Australia. And throughout it all she's maintained a zest for life and a great sense of humour.

The DVD, Beccy Cole "Just a Girl Singer" is available from all good music retailers.

Beccy Cole - "Just a Girl Singer" DVD available at all major music retailers