Teen phenom to headline Grange benefit

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
miltonreporter@yahoo.com

Keeghan Nolan

Country musician Stephen Abell has been playing gigs around New England for years, but he always dreamed of doing a show at the Grange Hall in his hometown of Milton.

Add a chance meeting with an up-and-coming country singer from Franklin County, mix in a group of seasoned musicians from the region, and Abell’s dream is set to come true this Sunday.

The group—known as Northern Jam—will back up 15-year-old country phenom Keeghan Nolan for a pair of benefit shows on Sunday, Oct. 21.

While the afternoon shows will help the Grange defray operating costs, Abell was clearly excited about his dream of a show at the hall coming true—and playing with such an exciting young talent.

“I’ve been talking about doing it for 15 years,” he said. “Keeghan came along and I thought this would be a great opportunity.”

It was an opportunity born of Abell’s chance meeting with Nolan a couple years ago during a talent competition.

Abell compared Nolan’s style and talents to a young Patsy Cline. Appropriately enough, Nolan performed Cline’s standard “Crazy” when they first met at the Colgate County Showdown in 2005.

Nolan took first place in that competition, which was hosted by St. Albans country station WLFE. Abell, who has connections with the station through his own career, was one of the judges. He said
Nolan’s presence and talent was apparent immediately.

“She just fills the room with sound,” he said.

Since then, Nolan has moved onward and upward. She took first place in the 15-year old category for the CMA Music City Rising Star Vocal Competition in Nashville earlier this year, and her song “Sparks Fly” was selected as the best overall original performance. Past that, Nolan placed third overall in the competition, which drew over 250 musicians from 35 states.

Nolan was also a headline act at the Champlain Valley Fair this year, which led to her getting in touch with Abell again about the possibility of his group backing-up the young singer for the event.

While that fell through, Northern Jam and Nolan got together in September are playing several gigs together in the area this fall. Nolan’s mother, Cheryl, said her daughter simply loves to perform.

“She does a lot of benefits,” she said. “She said it’s fine to get paid, but it feels so much better to go out and do a show.”

Keeghan has been singer since age 6 at least, continued Cheryl. She started when her older sister was diagnosed with cancer nine years ago, and used singing as an escape. While her sister has since recovered, she quietly stuck with the signing.

Then, at age 12, she performed a tryout for her music teacher to see if the talent was there. While Cheryl wasn’t sure, the teacher was blown away and it was linear path from there to the numerous talent competitions that have followed. At this point, Keeghan has some irons in the fire at Nashville and, though there’s no big announcement yet, Cheryl is hoping for the best.

In the meantime, Abell is thrilled about the Sunday gig.

“I think it’s exciting,” he said. “There’s a lot of interest…I’m hoping the public will turn out to support it.”

Tickets for the Grange concert are $5 apiece and can be acquired by calling Abell at 288-3353. The Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.