Biography
There are many and varied reasons for artists producing albums - but in the case of DEB BECKETT, the inspiration was both simple and compelling.
In October last year, the much awarded songwriter and twice winner of the W.A. Female vocal award in 2007 and 2009 was diagnosed with Colon Cancer.
"It really was a shock," says Deb. "I'd never been sick in my life before and suddenly I was facing something that could take my life. I decided early on I was going to fight it with everything. I would keep really positive and not let the circumstances stop me from pursuing a dream which suddenly became not just rekindled but blazing.
"One of the things that suddenly seemed so important was to make sure that if I didn't win the battle, I'd leave behind something that said what I was about apart from being a Mum, daughter and sister."
Deb's 25 year career began in 1985 with Perth band KALEIDOSCOPE.
"When I think about my career, the first part had a great deal of promise but I really lacked the confidence back then to make my dreams come true," reflects Deb. "I worked with a few bands until 1995 when my husband and I went to NSW where we stayed for the next five years.
But the confidence finally emerged, thanks to Deb's songwriting.
"In 2005, I entered one of my songs in the W.A. Country Music Awards. I'd never entered anything before and won with a song called Off To The Diggings. So off I went to Boyup Brook in the February and dipped my toe back into country music - and it felt good so I decided to dive back in."
The dive back into live performance was a revelation for Deb.
"I'd never felt comfortable being out front on the stage, even though that's where I wanted to be, and I never thought in a million years I could do it.
"But at Boyup Brook in 2005 I had to sing my winning song - my husband Glen backed me on guitar on that huge stage and I found the confidence I'd always lacked. The stage fright was gone - it was like finding a dream you'd tucked away and forgotten about.
"I came home with a rekindled dream to be a singer/songwriter, and I've pursued that since 2005 working around Western Australia ."
Back to the impact of the shattering cancer diagnosis in 2008.
"It got me really motivated and focused" says Deb. "When the chance to record my songs came about, my Mum and Dad whom I call the Bank of Mary and Ivan stepped in. It really has been a dream come true."
There are 12 songs on the album, diverse and revealing, running through the musical spectrum from comedy offerings like the award-winning (and first radio single) Ode To Elsie to great story songs, a torch ballad and even a gospel song
"The album is a good selection of the songs I've written these past five years," says Deb. "and with TERRY BENNETTS producing we set about to make an acoustic album that was a good representation of me as a singer/songwriter."
That objective has certainly been achieved with a warm, eloquent and at times funny collection of original songs that we probably deserved before this.
But inspiration is a selective thing, and whilst the reasons behind this album are clear, Deb's amazing upbeat attitude should be an inspiration to plenty of others out there.
"I guess that having this Cancer, though a horrible thing, has brought about some positive things as well, like not taking things for granted and making the most of every day and not putting things off until tomorrow," says Deb.
"The little things I used to worry about have fallen away and a new motivation has come along. I've realized it's not about whether your dreams come true - because some peoples don't - but about giving it all you got and going for it. There's no failure in that."