An Okotoks singer/songwriter is still reeling after sharing the microphone with a Grammy Award-winning country superstar last weekend. Local country singer Michela Sheedy was brought up on stage along with sister Chiara and mom Michele while at New Zealand country star Keith Urban’s Calgary concert on Sept. 23. Sheedy and Chiara were on the floor in front of the stage holding signs. Sheedy’s read “Will trade my sister for a chance to sing with Keith Urban” and Chiara was holding a sign that read, “take me.” “(Urban) always takes a moment in his shows to look out into the audience and read all the signs that people are holding up,” said Sheedy. “He noticed my sign and said, ‘Come on up.’” The three ladies stepped into the spotlight with Urban while Sheedy’s father recorded. “He was chatting with my family and said, ‘What do you want to sing?’” Sheedy recalls. “I said, I would love to sing one of your songs with you.’” Sheedy selected her favourite, We Were Us, a duet Urban sings with American singer/songwriter Miranda Lambert. “It was such a mind-blowing experience to be able to sing with one of my idols,” she said. “It was the coolest thing. We are huge fans.” For 16-year-old Chiara, it was like a dream come true. “It was surreal,” she said. “It’s that kind of thing you sit in the crowd and think one day he is going to pick me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would happen. “I was trying to record everything, even though my hands were shaking.” Chiara said she’s been attending Urban’s concerts since she was two years old and was in shock the entire time she was on stage with her idol. Although she dreamed of being a singer in her younger years, Chiara said her focus has recently been on volleyball. Upon returning to Holy Trinity Academy on Monday, Chiara quickly became the centre of attention. “A lot of teachers came up to me because we were actually on the news so we talked about it in social class,” she said. “It’s been a huge topic of conversation, which is cool.” The proud little sister said Michela did an amazing job sharing the microphone with Urban. “All of us were in complete shock and for her to perform the way she did I was so proud of her,” she said. Michela said the experience was different from performing on the Nashville North Stage at the Calgary Stampede or at the Saddledome. “It was very much way more overwhelming than it had been the previous times I’ve sang,” she said. “It’s all of those people and they’re cheering for you. The energy in the room – I just felt so much love in that space. It felt like everybody was rooting for the little guy.” While on stage, Urban asked Sheedy about her music career. She told him about being selected as one of Calgary country radio station WILD 953’s 12 finalists for Project WILD last spring, an artist development program designed to develop and launch the careers of up and coming artists in Alberta. “He let me plug the Project WILD showcase and my mom said, “She has a single out too, everybody go by it,’” said Sheedy. Michele was referring to Sheedy’s new single I Make Bad Look Good, where the young artist transformed harmful comments made about her appearance into a song to inspire people to accept themselves the way they are. Being on stage for Sheedy was not about a few minutes of fame, it was about celebrating the musical talents among many in southern Alberta. “Lindsay Ell is from Calgary and has been opening up for Keith on this tour,” she said. “It was a shout out to all the incredible artists that we have in our area. It’s not just me, it’s not just Lindsay. I was hoping to take this one home for the team.” Last weekend was Sheedy’s first time meeting Urban in person. “People ask me, ‘Did your people contact his people,’” she laughed. “My people is just me and no I didn’t contact anybody. It was all just a very lucky experience.” In less than 24 hours, the video of Sheedy and her family sharing the stage with Urban received 50,000 hits. “Things like this are lucky,” she said. “They are not things that makes an artist’s career happen. It’s the hard work that goes into songwriting and performing and knowing what is really going to set an artist apart.” To see a video of the experience click here https://www.facebook.com/keithurban/videos/273302363292660/UzpfSTEwMDAwMTUwOTAyNzk4MToyMTIzNzYzMjcxMDE3Mjg2/
