Star De Azlan was just 13 when she started singing at open mic nights in San Marcos, Texas. The music was country and the place was legendary - the Cheatham Street Warehouse, where George Strait and his Ace In The Hole Band got their start in the mid-'70s, and where the sounds of Willie Nelson, Flaco Jimenez, Jerry Jeff Walker and Asleep At The Wheel still echoed in the cobwebbed rafters.
The little girl who loved the classic country singers impressed the band, who began calling her to the stage no matter where they were playing, and they impressed her with their flawless renditions of the songs she sang. Eventually, she learned that these were no ordinary musicians. Three of them were members of the Ace In The Hole Band, playing for the love of it in the place that gave them their start, and they were joined now and then by members of Asleep At The Wheel. Star had proven herself among some of country's finest.
Her earliest musical memories are of her grandfathers, one of whom played violin and sang opera, while the other sang her to sleep at night. She took Suzuki violin lessons beginning at age 5, and had her first experiences playing in public at recitals. Her parents owned a family restaurant in San Marcos, where her father would sometimes feature mariachi music, which Star learned to love early. After performing at Fiesta San Antonio when she was 12, she returned often to perform in the city's Market Square area. By the time she was in high school, she was in the school's mariachi band and refining her skills by performing regularly at Cheatham Street as well.
"Cheatham Street came back into the picture again," she says. "It's where I did the showcase for Mike Curb that got me my record deal as well as showcased for Dennis Hannon and other Curb VIPs. It's been kind of a lucky charm!"
Just 22 now, Star is a veteran performer with a passionate approach, a mature writing style and a world-class voice. She remains both a fan and student of classic country.
"I was and still am in love with all the greats--Tammy, Tanya, Patsy, Loretta, Willie," she says. "They have unforgettable voices really left an impact. You know right away who they are, and there is something real and raw in all of them. I'm a big believer that if you're going to sing something to other people and want it to get through, you need to feel the songs and live them, and they really lived their songs."
With her single "Like A Rose", Star shows that she has learned those lessons well.
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