When talented Christchurch singer Steffany Beck wrote her country anthem What Would Dolly Do, her wildest hope was that the icon herself might hear the track one day.
In a twist that feels like it was lifted straight from a Hollywood film, just a few months after the song’s release, Steffany was performing a small gig in Rangiora when she was spotted by none other than Dolly Parton’s long-time PR agent.
He has since come on as her musical mentor, along with a former Sony Music promoter, to help the world see Steffany’s star potential.
“I put the thought out into the universe that I’d love for Dolly or her team to hear this song, and to know how much I admire and respect her,” the 35-year-old shares. “Thank you, universe! This is way better than I ever imagined – being a part of the Dolly Parton family. I’m a distant relative at this stage, but I’m getting there. I have to pinch myself.”
Though she has yet to meet her idol, after more than a decade of trying to break through in the music industry, Steffany’s hard work’s beginning to pay off.
Her latest EP, Pillars, reached number six on the New Zealand album charts and she’s performed at countless festivals across the country, from Christmas in the Park to the Festival of Lights in New Plymouth.
When she speaks to the Weekly, she’s in Auckland for a whirlwind week of press for her new single Country Strong.
She balances it all with a full-time job as a health and safety manager for a commercial construction company. And despite her busy schedule, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“My life is insane at the moment,” she laughs. “But you have to hustle to make your dreams happen.”
Steffany has felt drawn to music for as long as she can remember. She wrote her first song when she was eight and took any chance at church or school to be on stage.
When her family moved from Portland, Oregon, to Christchurch in her teens, she embraced the change. She formed an all-girl band, competed in Rockquest and won a national songwriting competition. Her prize was recording her winning song and filming a music video.
She left school excited to build on her early success. But when her dad, Michael, died in a tragic hunting accident in her twenties, her life changed course.
He was only 49 and the loss was such a shock to the family that Steffany and her five siblings returned home to live with their mum Jennifer, 61, in the months after his death.
It was the only time she considered walking away from music for good.
“He was there one day, and the next, the police were on our porch telling us what had happened,” Steffany recalls of that day 12 years ago. “It was devastating. I miss him every single day.
“I felt lost and unsure of what to do next. So, I put my music aside for two years. That was the hardest time of my life because a part of me is being a singer and songwriter. It’s how I express myself.”
Steffany credits her dad for nurturing her love of music and eventually decided he would have wanted her to pursue her passion.
“He couldn’t sing at all,” she laughs. “But he loved music. He’d quiz me when we were in the car, ‘What’s the band? What’s the name of the song? What year did it come out?’ It was our thing.”
Last year, she released a moving tribute to her dad called Carpenter’s Daughter and surprised her mum with the track. Unsurprisingly, it is Jennifer’s favourite song.
“Whenever I perform it, I always find her in the crowd,” she shares. “And I can see she’s got a tear in her eye.”
With a team of heavyweight music players in her corner, Steffany’s confident she’s only just getting started. She will head out on her first-ever international tour this year. With each rung of the entertainment ladder she climbs, she knows she’s one step closer to her ultimate dream.
“If I’m ever on stage with Dolly Parton, I’ll know I’ve made it!”
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