A country singer from Moncton is sharing her voice and love of old-time country, hoping to help others overcome their own hardships.
Melly Dunn, also known as the Rhinestone Cowgirl, says she recently recorded her first record in Nashville. But her own story of overcoming health battles to follow her dreams may be the best ballad of all.
After posting some of her performances online during the pandemic, Dunn said she got an unexpected call to audition at a recording studio in Nashville working with music producer Larry Strickland.
“They wanted me back down there right away. They just fell in love with my voice,” said Dunn.
Now off the heels of cutting her first record, which will be released next month, Dunn says it feels like a dream come true.
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“Country music — the old, real country music — is what is most in by heart, like we’ve got Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline,” she said.
Once a shy little girl from England, Dunn started out singing backup for her husband and Elvis performer Thane Dunn.
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“When I first started doing backup vocals for Thane, I was behind a curtain ’cause I just did not want to be on the stage,” said Dunn.
But from hardship, she said, comes strength.
“With everything that she has been through, she has become a beacon for people,” said Thane Dunn.
The Rhinestone Cowgirl has had to pull up her bootstraps a time or two on the road to realizing her dream.
She battles severe anxiety and depression following a car accident. She also had cancer.
“I survived ovarian cancer when I was 25 years old and that was a deep part of my life that changed me,” which she said helped her overcome her fears and follow her passion for singing.
Dunn now shares her struggles with her fans and followers hoping to help others who may be suffering.
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“I have people reach out to me from all over the world to tell me their story to look for help or wisdom or some words that could encourage them,” she said.
Read more: N.B. tourist attraction closes early due to damage from storm Fiona
Dunn’s breakout performance scheduled for last weekend in Truro, N.S., had to be cancelled due to post-tropical Fiona, which caused extensive damage across Atlantic Canada on Sept. 24. Her performance has been rescheduled to Oct. 21.
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