Gabbie Rae to peform at Taste of Orangeburg
By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer Saturday, October 24, 2009Gabbie Rae was born with an underdeveloped trachea.
She had two major throat operations -- the first one at a month old and the second at 3 years.
For her first three years, it was very difficult for the young pint-sized girl to eat and breathe at the same time.
The second surgery would prove successful and “The Little Girl With the Big Voice,” as she is today affectionately known, has been singing ever since.
The 11-year old will bring her talents to Orangeburg on Sunday, highlighting the 13th annual Taste of Orangeburg. The event will be held on Memorial Plaza at noon. It will last until 3:30 p.m.
“It is funny to see their reaction when I start singing,” Gabbie Rae said about her performances. “I see their jaws drop. I want them to see a high-energy and a good-energy show. They did not come out to see nothing.”
Gabbie Rae will hit the stage at 1 p.m. as a Hannah Montana impersonator and 2 p.m. as herself.
Gabbie Rae first took the stage at age 6 in her first singing competition and won the gold.
At age 7, she took the stage with Famous Amos of Whitesnake and Ronnie James Dio at JR’s Fastlane in Providence, R.I.
“I remember I got on the stage and I said, ‘When can I do this again’?” Gabbie Rae said. “That was the first time I got a chance to do something like that.”
From there, the accolades continued to grow.
At age 8, she was selected by CBS/FOX to appear on The Tyra Banks Show as she was named one of the most talented kids in the country under the age of 10.
Rae currently performs throughout the Grand Strand and beyond as a full-time entertainer.
In May 2008, she released her first self-titled demo CD.
Despite the early fame, Gabbie Rae continues to maintain straight A’s at school.
“It is very hard sometimes,” Gabbie said, noting that she sometimes tries hard to hide her career from strangers in order to avoid undue attention. But she said family and friends are supportive.
“They are always there when I need them,” she said.
Gabbie said one of the most significant challenges is keeping her voice healthy through the correct diet and being able to digest new song material.
“I know so many songs, it is hard to remember them all,” she said, with a laugh.
But she takes the challenges in stride.
“It makes me proud and happy to see children wanting to be like me someday,” she said. “I feel like a role model. It is nice to see everybody enjoying what I do.”
Bernice Tribble, executive director of the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association, said organizers of the Taste of Orangeburg take pride in bringing a top event to downtown.
“We always try to provide a wide variety of entertainment during the Taste,” Tribble said. “Michael Bedenbaugh does an outstanding job of lining up our entertainment. When Michael saw Gabbie Rae performing in Myrtle Beach, he was quite impressed with her talent and stage presence. It is impressive to have a performer engage the audience the way she does at such a young age.”
Joining Gabbie is the band Red Hour, which will perform around 1:30 p.m.
The Red Hour Band is the “brainchild” of local drummer Eddie Thompson. Thompson was the former drummer with Riptide before leaving the music scene for a few years.
“I had a hankering and I wanted to play a little bit,” Thompson said.
The band was formed in 2007 and includes life-long friends Randy Tuttle, bass, and Rad Cochran, lead guitar, and lead vocalist Troy Pooser.
“We got together and had dinner and decided what kind of music we wanted to play,” Thompson said. “I did not want to be a Southern rock band, I didn’t want to play beach or rhythm and blues. We do everything from The James Gang in the 1970s and Nickelback and the newest thing they have.”
Thompson said the capability of doing a variety of musical genres rests in the band’s combined decades of experience playing music.
“It will not be the same old same old,” Thompson said. “We are different.”
The band has played in a number venues in Orangeburg, Santee and Columbia.
Other performers include the First Baptist Church Praise Team led by David Childers at 12:15 p.m.; Christian contemporary artist Cindy McKeown at 12:30 p.m. and End Zonez at 2:30 p.m.
All performance times are approximate.
In addition to the musical entertainment, the event will have plenty of Orangeburg’s dining fare to feast upon.
Mama’s Kountry Kookin’, All Star Deli, Darby BBQ, Eatery at the Depot are among participating restaurants.
Taste of Orangeburg typically draws hundreds of people to the square to enjoy such fare as shrimp and grits, fried fish sandwiches, barbecue, home-baked goods, fried oysters, pizza and smoked turkey legs.
Food tickets are available at the event for $1 each, and most food and drink items cost one to three tickets.
Ticket booths will be at each corner on the square.
There is no admission charge, and individuals can purchase tickets or the food items they want to enjoy.
Bleachers will be provided but lawn chairs are encouraged.
The corporate sponsor for the Taste of Orangeburg is South Carolina Bank & Trust.
All proceeds from the event will go toward DORA projects, specifically the development of downtown parking.
In the event of inclement weather, the Taste of Orangeburg will move to the cattle barn at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.
She had two major throat operations -- the first one at a month old and the second at 3 years.
For her first three years, it was very difficult for the young pint-sized girl to eat and breathe at the same time.
The second surgery would prove successful and “The Little Girl With the Big Voice,” as she is today affectionately known, has been singing ever since.
The 11-year old will bring her talents to Orangeburg on Sunday, highlighting the 13th annual Taste of Orangeburg. The event will be held on Memorial Plaza at noon. It will last until 3:30 p.m.
“It is funny to see their reaction when I start singing,” Gabbie Rae said about her performances. “I see their jaws drop. I want them to see a high-energy and a good-energy show. They did not come out to see nothing.”
Gabbie Rae will hit the stage at 1 p.m. as a Hannah Montana impersonator and 2 p.m. as herself.
Gabbie Rae first took the stage at age 6 in her first singing competition and won the gold.
At age 7, she took the stage with Famous Amos of Whitesnake and Ronnie James Dio at JR’s Fastlane in Providence, R.I.
“I remember I got on the stage and I said, ‘When can I do this again’?” Gabbie Rae said. “That was the first time I got a chance to do something like that.”
From there, the accolades continued to grow.
At age 8, she was selected by CBS/FOX to appear on The Tyra Banks Show as she was named one of the most talented kids in the country under the age of 10.
Rae currently performs throughout the Grand Strand and beyond as a full-time entertainer.
In May 2008, she released her first self-titled demo CD.
Despite the early fame, Gabbie Rae continues to maintain straight A’s at school.
“It is very hard sometimes,” Gabbie said, noting that she sometimes tries hard to hide her career from strangers in order to avoid undue attention. But she said family and friends are supportive.
“They are always there when I need them,” she said.
Gabbie said one of the most significant challenges is keeping her voice healthy through the correct diet and being able to digest new song material.
“I know so many songs, it is hard to remember them all,” she said, with a laugh.
But she takes the challenges in stride.
“It makes me proud and happy to see children wanting to be like me someday,” she said. “I feel like a role model. It is nice to see everybody enjoying what I do.”
Bernice Tribble, executive director of the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association, said organizers of the Taste of Orangeburg take pride in bringing a top event to downtown.
“We always try to provide a wide variety of entertainment during the Taste,” Tribble said. “Michael Bedenbaugh does an outstanding job of lining up our entertainment. When Michael saw Gabbie Rae performing in Myrtle Beach, he was quite impressed with her talent and stage presence. It is impressive to have a performer engage the audience the way she does at such a young age.”
Joining Gabbie is the band Red Hour, which will perform around 1:30 p.m.
The Red Hour Band is the “brainchild” of local drummer Eddie Thompson. Thompson was the former drummer with Riptide before leaving the music scene for a few years.
“I had a hankering and I wanted to play a little bit,” Thompson said.
The band was formed in 2007 and includes life-long friends Randy Tuttle, bass, and Rad Cochran, lead guitar, and lead vocalist Troy Pooser.
“We got together and had dinner and decided what kind of music we wanted to play,” Thompson said. “I did not want to be a Southern rock band, I didn’t want to play beach or rhythm and blues. We do everything from The James Gang in the 1970s and Nickelback and the newest thing they have.”
Thompson said the capability of doing a variety of musical genres rests in the band’s combined decades of experience playing music.
“It will not be the same old same old,” Thompson said. “We are different.”
The band has played in a number venues in Orangeburg, Santee and Columbia.
Other performers include the First Baptist Church Praise Team led by David Childers at 12:15 p.m.; Christian contemporary artist Cindy McKeown at 12:30 p.m. and End Zonez at 2:30 p.m.
All performance times are approximate.
In addition to the musical entertainment, the event will have plenty of Orangeburg’s dining fare to feast upon.
Mama’s Kountry Kookin’, All Star Deli, Darby BBQ, Eatery at the Depot are among participating restaurants.
Taste of Orangeburg typically draws hundreds of people to the square to enjoy such fare as shrimp and grits, fried fish sandwiches, barbecue, home-baked goods, fried oysters, pizza and smoked turkey legs.
Food tickets are available at the event for $1 each, and most food and drink items cost one to three tickets.
Ticket booths will be at each corner on the square.
There is no admission charge, and individuals can purchase tickets or the food items they want to enjoy.
Bleachers will be provided but lawn chairs are encouraged.
The corporate sponsor for the Taste of Orangeburg is South Carolina Bank & Trust.
All proceeds from the event will go toward DORA projects, specifically the development of downtown parking.
In the event of inclement weather, the Taste of Orangeburg will move to the cattle barn at the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.