Worksop beauty queen's Nashville move to pursue country dream

Sassy Vezay, from Worksop, has used the heartbreak of losing her mum and dad during the pandemic as her reason to carry on reaching for her dreams.

Sassy first found herself entering into the world of performance after winning a talent contest as a Shania Twain tribute act shortly after qualifying as a fitness instructor at Rother Valley College.

Winning the talent contest became the platform she needed to become an in-demand tribute artist - which later saw her aspire to become her own star.

After touring England in several tribute bands, her newly developed confidence allowed her to become a solo artist in bars and clubs.

Then came the pandemic. Sassy said: “I lived in Sheffield during those two difficult years, facing the grief of bereavement when both my parents died within a few weeks of each other and my relationship with my fiance ended unexpectedly a few weeks later.”

That same year, Sassy took the plunge to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to fulfil a promise to her mum to achieve her dream of living in Nashville. Before long, Sassy recorded her first album.

Within weeks of releasing her first radio single Slow Dance in January 2021, it entered the Top-70 US Country Charts, and was soon nominated in the UK Country Awards.

She said: “Never ever has the journey been a smooth road for me. Losing my parents has been such a life-changing experience.

“Even though I’ve carried on working, it’s slowed me down mentally and physically. I’m still trying to find my way. Without music I’d find it difficult to survive - it heals my heart and soul.

“I am so glad I could care for my mum during the last year of her life, dying from heart and lung disease.

“I found it helped to work through the pain of her death by writing long letters to mum every day for the first few months after her passing.

“Those letters became my next song ‘Mom’ which I co-wrote with artist-songwriter Stephen Wrench in Florida.

“I am delighted Mom will be released in the live sessions Nashville album with a full live band in Nashville’s OmniSound Studios next year along with six other songs.”

South Yorkshire is at the heart of Sassy’s next release with the powerful ballad Doncaster and the Kingdom for veteran charity Victoria Cross.

Doncaster and the Kingdom will be released with festive favourite I’ll be home for Christmas later this month.

Sassy said: “I have worked really hard to make it this far despite so many setbacks.

“People say I have my mum’s heart and my dad’s drive and ambition. They were both so creative and passionate. I keep rising above setbacks, believing I can accomplish all my dreams by talent and hard work.

“I will always be grateful I was able to draw inspiration from my heartache, channelling my loss and grief into writing and recording."

The full Nashville Omni Studio Live Sessions will be released in early 2023.