Beverly McClellan in Bradenton, Florida's Village of the Arts

I didn’t think it was possible for my hair to stand on end for over two hours, but that’s exactly what recently happened. The singer/songwriter/instrumentalist, Beverly McClellan sang her heart out, without a break, at the Blues Revue Office in Bradenton, Florida's, Village of the Arts. From the moment I heard her sing on NBC’s The Voice, as part of Christina Aguilera’s team, I knew she was a complete original with the kind of voice that makes you look at everyone around you as if to say “Did you just hear that? Do you believe this???”

Her versatile style ranges from jump out of your seat powerful to soulful, nuanced blues and everything in between.  At any moment, in any song, you really don’t know what you’re going to get.  And that’s part of her genius. She makes each song her own, no matter how well known the song may be.  Because before the show, we were lucky to just sit around and talk with Beverly, as she introduced herself, and her wise and lovely partner, Daron Michel,we discovered how different Beverly really is from the Hendrix/Pirate persona that was foisted upon her by the network.

We also saw how she treasures the wild ride that has become her celebrity life (after twenty years of singing) and the regular people who support her (she did this concert for free under a huge oak in a small front yard). Most touching was to watch Beverly and the love of her life, Daron, who are yin and yang, but glow together in that perfect fit which is the realm of opposites. “She’s my partner in everything,” Beverly said. “She keeps me grounded.”

                                            copyright pbeck 2012

Off camera, it turns out that Beverly is a jeans and tee shirt sweetheart of a girl. This is in sharp contrast to the unapproachable rocker look we saw on TV. (So unnecessary- Beverly could wear a burlap sack and still knock it out of the ballpark.) In fact, quite the opposite of a self-absorbed star, her friendly Tennessee inflected conversation, sing-with-me smile and twinkling eyes really connected with the appreciative crowd.  Perhaps most poignantly, she seemed intent on repeatedly encouraging those who feel different than others, to remain true to themselves; a message which clearly had personal significance for her.

Beverly grew up listening to church hymns, Porter Wagner and Dolly Parton. Her world changed when her mother gave her the first Journey album. Today, Beverly’s band is the same one who played with her idol, Etta James- a kismet connection Beverly holds dear. Then coming up soon in March, she will be opening for B.B. King.

“B.B. King!” she exclaimed incredulously. “B.B. King! Can you believe I’m going to be with B.B. King?”  Yes indeed, absolutely, we can.

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