Growing up, Sarah Reeves admired singer Rebecca St. James, crooned to cows in a pasture, fought with her siblings and loved Jesus.
She had big aspirations despite being from a small town — Elkmont (near Athens).
A member of a musical family, Reeves knew at a young age what career she wanted to pursue. And in April, just shy of her 20th birthday, she released her first album, “Sweet Sweet Sound.”
After high school, when classmates were packing their bags, saying their goodbyes and going off to college, Reeves was exercising her faith that God would open a door for a full-time job making music.
“I never had a peace about going to college,” she said. “God spoke to me through someone when I was 15 (who) said, ‘Whatever God is going to do in you, He’s going to do quickly.’ From that moment, God began to prepare my heart for the task that was set before me.”
The month after graduating from high school, Reeves met artist/songwriter Plumb.
“A demo that I recorded made its way into her hands,” Reeves said. “She listened to it and called my house the day after I met her. She said she wanted to help me further my career in music.”
And that she did.
“Plumb and her husband took me around to a few different record labels, and I felt the most peace with Sparrow,” Reeves said.
The 18-year-old signed with Sparrow Records in March 2008.
Her journey to that point began even before she was a kindergartener taking piano lessons. Prior to that, Reeves had begun singing.
“I remember when she used to stand on the back of my dad’s tailgate of his truck and sing to an audience of cows that were in our pasture,” said Reeves’ brother Ben. “I used to make fun of her so bad for that.”
But at some point, Sarah Reeves’ audience shifted from four-legged bovine to two-legged humans, who were eager to hear her message in song.
“It’s funny to think about (her singing to the cows) because I stand on stage right beside her as she sings in front of thousands of people,” said Ben Reeves, now a member of Sarah Reeves’ band.
Two years before she signed her record deal, Sarah Reeves appeared twice on “Cooper and Company,” a show on Athens television station WTZT. Performing to 300,000 households in four north Alabama counties gave her experience for what was in her future.
She feels that her singing comes naturally. Nonetheless Sarah Reeves has received vocal training during the past year.
“I have had some training from two of the best vocal trainers among the music industry,” she said of Mark Goff, who has worked with artists like the Backstreet Boys, and Kim Wood Sandusky, who has worked with Destiny’s Child, Beyonce and others.
Growing up, Sarah Reeves attended Elkmont Baptist Church in Limestone Baptist Association, where she played keyboard as her dad, Hershey, served as worship leader.
“It was great growing up in church because I learned the Bible and was able to memorize Scripture,” Sarah Reeves said.
“I grew to know and understand that Christianity is not about religion but a relationship with our Father.”
She now attends Calvary Assembly of God in Decatur, where she is the worship leader for the Thursday-night youth meeting.
Along with that, Sarah Reeves is writing and co-writing songs for her next album while promoting her current one on radio.
Recently she toured with Rush of Fools and Jimmy Needham, as well as the Robbie Seay Band. In May, Sarah Reeves performed at Soulstock, a Christian music concert in Athens.
“I’m still kind of in shock of why people would want my autograph or picture, but I just go with the flow and keep my eyes on Jesus,” she said.
While there are frustrating times in such a career, Sarah Reeves is thankful for them because she learns from them. She said if everything in life were perfect, then she wouldn’t need God.
When challenges do come, Nicholas Georgiou, one of her band members, said she is there to make everyone laugh.
“Sarah is the same at rehearsal, at a show or just hanging out. She loves Jesus with her whole heart, and it seeps out every day in a million different ways. She’s encouraging, she’s effervescent and she’ll make you laugh at least … once a day,” Georgiou said.
For more information, visit sarahreeves.net.
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