THE Blue Water Country Music Festival will have more than 100 artists performing across 22 venues over five days this year and is recognised by the community as the largest festival in Port Stephens.

Bringing Country to the Coast is the point of difference that sets the Blue Water Country Festival aside from all other music festivals in Australia.

This year’s festival also includes Country Music Cruises on our Beautiful Blue Water Wonderland of Port Stephens from 8-12 June.

It has just been announced that headlining the Country Music Festival will be nine time Golden Guitar Winner, Beccy Cole.

The country songstress Beccy Cole has delighted Australian listeners and concert goers for more than twenty years.

With her stunning tenth release Sweet Rebecca, Beccy colours these winning qualities with bittersweet remembrance and reflection on her life thus far, both onstage and off.

“For me, every time I write songs it’s a very cathartic experience, because I write about my life,” Beccy said.

With nine Golden Guitars to her name (including four for Female Vocalist of the Year), as well as multiple ARIA Top 10 Country and Top 40 Mainstream albums, a Top 10 DVD, three gold certified releases, and more than a dozen Number 1 Australian country singles, Beccy Cole is one of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters.

Beccy has toured with Slim Dusty, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, and Glen Campbell, and fellow Australian performers including Felicity Urquhart, Sara Storer and Gina Jeffreys.

The promoter and facilitator of this wonderful five day event is the Tomaree Business Chamber, one group of the many movers and shakers in our community.

“Our first country music festival was in 2006, with Amber Lawrence making her first performance as a young artist,” Peter Clough, Festival Co-ordinator said.

By Jewell DRURY