A song in her heart

Gabby Gire loved country music as a 2-year-old watching Country Music Television; and that interest has led her, at 14, to the verge of statewide recognition as a singer.

Performing before 1,000 people at Bushwhacker Days June 10, she was judged the best of 12 entertainers in the local Texaco Country Showdown, advancing to the state level Aug. 7 in Washington, Mo. The winner there will go to the regional Midwest contest and then possibly compete in the national finals next January in Nashville, where the top prize will be $100,000 and the title "Best New Act in Country Music."

"When I started, this was hard to warm up to," Gabby said before leaving with her parents Leon and Monty for a Friday talent show in Rich Hill. "But I'm not nervous anymore. It's more natural to relate to the crowd because I'm just out there to have fun.

"The more I practice, the more fun I get to have with the songs."

She did Sarah Darling's "Something to Do with Your Hands" here and will take that instrumental track with Laura Bell Bundy's "Giddy on Up" to the Washington Town & Country Fair 50 miles west of St. Louis.

"If you love your job, you don't work a day in your life," she said, explaining that she hopes to make a career of music. "So this is my goal. It's being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people."

Gabby also plays second base and catcher with the traveling softball team the Thundercats, will be a freshman cheerleader at Nevada High School, is in the school's show choir and will play softball there after volleyball and basketball at Nevada Middle School.

On her Quarter Horse "Rat," she rides in western pleasure, English pleasure and western trail events at 4-State All Breed Horse Association shows.

An only child, she was doing a fundraising walk at 5 when disc jockey Dalton Windsor heard her singing and asked her mom, "Do you realize she can sing?"

"Gabby's been watching the country music channel since she was a little kid, as soon as she could watch anything," said Monty Gire, a 3M quality control worker. "She goes to all the Idol contests and just finished second in Pittsburg.

"We were hoping for second place and $100 at the Alaska Idol in Fairbanks last year because we wouldn't be able to go back if she won. She got second among 64 contestants. She hasn't had any voice or dance lessons."

Dr. Leon Gire is a psychologist at the Wellness Co. counseling center in Nevada. The family lives at Sheldon.

KNEM-KNMO Radio Program Director Sheena Dickey, whose station is sponsoring Gabby, has been a fan since seeing her as a 9-year-old. "Gabby had so much spunk, I immediately just loved her," Dickey said.

"She has that attitude and her voice is amazing. I don't know how far it's going to take her, but I think if she wanted to take it all the way, she could."

Asked her musical role models, Gabby cites Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift. "I started wanting to sing when I saw Carrie Underwood on American Idol because I could sing her songs," she said.

"Country music is upbeat and I liked the tempo of it."