Australian singer/songwriter Danni Stefanetti shines brightly as she makes her mark on country music
NEW YORK -- It's business as usual in the music business with stadiums and arenas packed with millions of fans who are ready to cheer again - but getting back to normal has also given a boost to new talent.
Many stars of tomorrow found their forward momentum halted by the pandemic, and now those young people are free to try and find their place in the spotlight.
Entertainment Reporter Sandy Kenyon said one of the joys of his job is the chance to throw a bright spotlight on new talent before stardom hits.
He found singer/songwriter Danni Stefanetti thanks to an old friend who was once his boss.
Her talent is undeniable. Stefanetti is tomorrow's star here today - shining as brightly as the songs she writes and plays.
They are original songs she began composing at the age of eight.
"From the moment my mom put me in guitar lessons and I started playing by ear, I instantly knew that was my purpose here on Earth," she said.
Stefannetti grew up in Australia and was inspired by her grandfather's affection for American country music.
"It's finding what you love and just focusing in on that and eventually you're gonna get great at it," she said.
The chance to play for a fellow Aussie in 2014 during a visit to Nashville gave her much encouragement.
Like Keith Urban before her, Stefanetti has big dreams which are now on the way to being realized.
For that, she credits Jeff Panzer, a former ABC News producer turned music industry heavyweight who happened to see one of her videos.
Panzer's longtime friendship with William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys led to a recent collaboration between two generations.
"I'm playing at bars and just playing at little dive bars," Stefanetti said. "To go from that in the same week as playing with a country music legend in Nashville, I had to pinch myself. It was pretty cool."
Golden called Stefanetti "a real treasure, a real gift, God's gift" to country music.
Kenyon said she reminds him of a young Bonnie Raitt who once sang, "Let's give 'em something to talk about" -- and that's exactly what she's doing.
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