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Candy Coburn, opener at Wednesday's fair

Born in Kentucky, raised in south Missouri while spending summers in Texas with her father, Candy Coburn's introduction to music came from her grandmother's 8-track tapes and records, consisting of gospel music, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Loretta Lynn and George Jones. But when it came to rock and roll, that was off limits.

By The News Tribune

Coburn is the opening act for the evening stage show at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at the Jefferson City Jaycees Cole County Fair. See www.jeffcityjaycees.org/Fair for fair information.

Published: Thursday, July 23, 2009 9:47 AM CDT

Have you ever met someone who had such conviction in what they were doing that you felt moved, that you looked at them and could really feel that they were doing exactly what they were intended to do with their life - that they are right where they need to be? Well, meet Candy Coburn.

If you were to ask her many fans across the country how would you describe Candy, it would be "she is simply infectious".

From the moment she hits the stage, you get the sense Candy is not your run-of-the-mill chick singer. Maybe it's the fact she doesn't count on her good looks to engage the crowd; she relies on her energetic delivery, true-to-life lyrics and a show that rocks. Or perhaps it's her signature green guitar; she never performs without it. Whatever it is, it's easy to see why Candy and her music are undeniably contagious.

Born in Kentucky, raised in south Missouri while spending summers in Texas with her father, Candy's introduction to music came from her grandmother's old console table. Out of its 8-track and record players, gospel music played along with the sounds of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Loretta Lynn and George Jones. She'd listen as her grandmother sang along, encouraging her to do the same. Today, even at 89 years old, her grandmother can still "belt it out," says Candy with a laugh. But when it came to rock and roll, that was a no-go.

"It was a big joke growing up even in high school, and certainly in the school of music in college that I didn't know hardly anything about the Beatles or the Rolling Stones -- anything normal or mainstream -- because I wasn't allowed to listen to it. My grandma thought it was the devil's music," says Candy. "I didn't listen to pop music until at least sixth grade.

While she grew up on and loved gospel, country music stole Candy's heart. As a child, she remembers watching her first CMA Awards show and getting this feeling in her stomach, one that said, "Man, I want to do that!" But it would be years before she was able to do her own music, her own way. As all life journeys go there were a few bumps along the way, a few detours, several wrong turns; but all that is necessary in making the outcome that much richer.

After high school, Candy landed a music scholarship to the University of Missouri and enrolled as a music major with a minor in journalism. There she studied opera, but a tenacious Candy wanted more. Her voice teacher told her if she wasn't doing opera she would be wasting her talent. It wasn't long before the teacher made her life miserable for daring to branch out in a new direction.

Discouraged, she quit school, got a job and played with a couple of bands in different areas and a worship team in church. However, Candy went back and finished at the University of Missouri with a theater degree.

"I started playing guitar then and wrote my first song. I was never told this entire time, 'Hey you need to learn to write a song and play an instrument.' When I go into schools and talk to kids now, I am amazed to hear they are already writing."

Candy will jokingly tell you she could write a book about how to not do things in the music business. She's been through every band drama you can think of; she's slept in cheap hotels that no normal person would dare step foot in, she's driven all night to a gig only to find it was canceled, she's lost more money than she cares to remember and she's been told "No" so many times a normal person would have said "Yes," to giving up sooner. But she keeps going ...

"This thing is unbelievable to me. When people get my music and it changes how their life is ... man I never thought I'd get to see that happen in my life. It makes me feel like I am doing something good. I have these female fans who, when I met them, were bummed out, didn't feel like they had a lot to give, but they hear something in my songs and it is something they can plug into and be a part of and believe in. "

Coburn is the opening act for the evening stage show at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Jefferson City Jaycees Cole County Fair. See www.jeffcityjaycees.org/Fair for fair information.


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Candy Coburn, opener at Wednesday's fair

By The News TribuneCoburn is the opening act for the evening stage show at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at the Jefferson City Jaycees Cole County Fair. See www.jeffcityjaycees.org/Fair for fair information.

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By The News Tribune

Coburn is the opening act for the evening stage show at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at the Jefferson City Jaycees Cole County Fair. See www.jeffcityjaycees.org/Fair for fair information.