We would like to introduce you to Rebecca Richards, who is a shining example of how, at age 50+, life can be reinvented through music. I am going to let Rebecca tell her story in her own words, and hope that she can be an inspiration to anyone who doubts that age is a barrier to success. Success can be many different things to many different people; from performing at humble open mics to winning awards. Here is Rebecca’s story:

“I’m from the valleys in South Wales in the UK, where I have lived my whole life, and if you had asked me at 18, I would have said music WAS my life. I had been so involved in everything and anything I could get myself into, from being classically trained from age 7 in piano & flute, singing in choirs, performing in shows, playing in orchestras, performing in several rock bands, playing piano in my church, and singing with my family in chapels across South Wales. I even conducted the church choir! Looking back now I still cannot quite believe I gave it all up. But I did.

At 21 I got into a serious relationship with the wrong person, and realising it was wrong, pretty much ran away from everything and everyone, including music. Some people said it brave to move away from everything I had known, but I’m not sure if it was bravery. I just needed to get away. Life carried on as it does, I built a successful professional career,  remarried and had a daughter. Before I knew it, over 25 years had passed and that thought of “I’ll get back to it someday” was long overdue in execution.

A chance meeting with a now dear friend at an ice skating club found a mutual love of country music, followed by an impulse decision to go to a country music festival with people I hardly knew, literally changed everything. I started to play again, bought myself a piano and rediscovered my passion which was just lying dormant beneath the surface waiting to be stirred. I started singing country covers with my ice skating friend and shed tears at the joy of rediscovering how I was able to express myself in a way which is uniquely me. I found my voice, both vocally and lyrically, and began to express everything I’d been feeling through my music, and it’s been so liberating.

I’ve made so many new musical friends, it’s like I’ve found the lost tribe I’ve been searching for. I feel so at home. Reconnecting with old musical friends has been joyous. The most unexpected thing has been that, when I’ve shared my creations with others, they have given me such positive feedback, it’s been a real surprise and I’m still shocked every time, but it spurs me on to try harder, to do better and just keep going. I still can’t quite believe that, since October 2022, (* When Rebecca completed the Talent Is Timeless Create and Release Course with a performance at The Camden Club in London), I have released 5 singles and an EP, and have played at some amazing venues, including the Cavern Club, Liverpool as part of a BCMA showcase. I’m never giving up now. Even if the public facing part of my music fades away, I will never let music be lost to me again.

I had written just a few songs in my teens, and I started songwriting again in earnest about 4 years ago. Following my return to music I was keen to explore the sort of music I could create, rather than replicate through doing covers of other people’s songs. The truth is, I did not believe I could write a song, apart from tunes with silly tales I would improvise for my daughter whilst she was growing up. Around the time of my return to music I had written a handful of songs, when I discovered ‘Talent is Timeless’. There I connected with people from all over the world, and began joining in the monthly challenges and events to really start growing my skill. It was within the community that my confidence started to grow, having received such positive feedback about my songs, my singing and performance. I have been regularly approached to collaborate with others which again helped me grow in ability and confidence. I write from the heart, from my own experiences and sometimes from my imagination, and always aim to put a beautiful tune and chord progression with it. I strive to move listeners both lyrically and musically.

It was, as a result of my participation within the community, that I released my first single, “Unluckiest of Hearts” in October 2022, which has been played on radio stations all over the world and received such positive reviews. Spurred on by this I released a further 2 singles within the following few months, one of which, “I Love It When You Smile”, I released as a charity single for a beautiful local charity called ‘The Matthew Walklin Make A Smile Foundation’, which does wonderful acts of kindness to raise a smile for people undergoing cancer treatment across South Wales. It was this song which was nominated for song of the year at the UK Country Music Awards, where I got to sing it live to an appreciative crowd in Donnington in October 2023. I have also been fortunate to have played in local festivals and fabulous venues in the UK, and in November 2023 I released my debut EP “New Yesterdays”, which has also been streamed all over the world.

In April 2024 I released “The House”, which fleetingly entered the UK iTunes Country Music Chart at number 7, which was incredible. Through the summer I played a few local festivals and I was again shortlisted for song of the year at the UK Country Music Awards, held in Manchester, for my song “New Yesterdays”, where I got to play it live to the awards ceremony audience. In November 2024 I once again hosted the South Wales Country Music Festival in Newport, where celebrated artists from the US and the UK came to play to an enthusiastic crowd. I’ll be hosting again for its third year again in November 2025. I have made a tentative foray into radio presenting and can now be found co-hosting the ‘Pure Country’ radio show for Newport City Radio every couple of weeks, where I share what I’ve been up to and bring in country artists I’ve met through my new found connections, to share their music and experiences. Finally, I released the single “Aces are High” across all streaming platforms in January 2025, which has reached number 9 in the European Hot Disc Chart, and number 2 in the British and Irish charts.

As an aside, “New Yesterdays”, “The House” and “Aces are High”, are songs which had their origins in writing for the monthly challenges with Talent is Timeless, so there will be a video somewhere on the site of my initial write and record of these songs in their infancy. (“New Yesterdays” was originally called “Brand New Highway”)

What’s next? Well, I am currently working with “Sarah’s Side Kicks” Line Dancing Group, to create a line dance for “Aces are High”, which I hope to film as a video release for the song. I have joined the classes and I am enjoying learning to line dance. I will be joining in all the line dancing at the future festivals that I will be attending as an audience member! I will be playing a few local festivals again over the summer with a line up of Myself, Sean Evans on guitar and Llewellyn Parfitt on bass. It would be cool to add some drums at some point. I have also been working with a few different producers and will be releasing a number of singles throughout 2025, with the aim of releasing my debut album in the next year.

I’m sure none of this would have happened had I not joined Talent Is Timeless. I could not have mustered the confidence to just go and try the things I have done at my age without the encouragement and kindness shown to me by Saskia and its members, and I will always be grateful for it.”

Website: www.rebeccarichardsmusic.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/becmusician

Twitter: http://twitter.com/becmusician

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083153937074

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Becmusician

So, there you have it. Rebecca is now living her dream and we wish her even more success in the future. Thank you for sharing your story, Rebecca.

Graham Larkin