OCTOBER 2007: "There were many who told me I couldn't do it, and there were many doors that refused to open for me, but there also were many who believed in me and invited me in. For this, I am grateful, and I am proud of my journey, and I am proud that I never gave up." Casey Stark, excerpt from "The Story of a SongMom".
2007 was a big year for this Songmom of Three. In February 2007, Casey was invited to open for her idol, JUICE NEWTON, and in August 2007, she opened for another musical hero, Hal Ketchum. Since then, she has been on creative fire, writing not just songs but stories. Stark contributes twice monthly as a columnist at AOL's new online news network Laguna Niguel Patch! Her unique column follows her journey as a wife, mother and songwriter on "Travels of A SongMom" and creatively mixes music and videos to further enhance her stories!
Born in and with a heart as big as the sunshine in Southern California, Casey comes from a long line of talented musicians. Her father, Don Stegall, started his musical career when he was nine, playing standing bass for his family band "The Stegalls" on Radio KASA in Oklahoma, before going on to tour professionally as a pedal steel guitarist. Casey's Aunt, Vicki Young ("Let There Be You"), was signed as an R&B artist with Capitol Records and was a regular performer across the country with her then husband, legendary drummer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Hal Blaine. Most notably, her Nashville cousin, Keith Stegall, has enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter/producer (Alan Jackson, Jaime O'Neal, Terry Clark). Despite being born with a rare blood disorder and other physical handicaps, Casey began singing before she could talk, and by the time she was six had written her first song and began teaching herself to play the piano. At 12 she was awarded national and state scholarships for her songwriting, but kept her singing and songwriting as a hobby in order to pursue a more "normal" life while her daddy played in honky tonks across the country. Having grown up on the road, Casey was all to aware of the sacrifices music required. She longed to put roots down, so she went to college and became a paralegal for a high profile aviation law firm in Los Angeles, got married and had three children with the love of her life, Kevin, married for nearly 20 years now. But music always played a major part in her life, and through every moment, good or bad, she found herself drawn back to her piano, and wrote about it.
Following the death of both her parents in 1996, Casey found her way to her piano for good, and 2002 Casey returned to Nashville for her own musical career.
Motherhood plays first in her life, and she is constantly inspired and encouraged by her children. Her blend of California Country has found a solid audience in her hometown of Orange County, California, and frequently she can be found either playing keys at the Marine Room, or picking her way on guitar, sitting on the sand at classic California surf spots like Old Man's or Dana Point, and singing in showcases across Southern California and Nashville. Casey's storytelling, wit, and soulful country sound combine the best of the AAA singer/songwriter genres. For booking please contact: RiversEnd Entertainment Group at camelot@cox.net LOS ANGELES
