Category: Radio Release
Sixteen-year-old Kelbi Watkins is excited to release her very first single “Christian Country Girl” written by her producer Rick Schweinsberg. Though Kelbi may be a new name to Christian Country fans, she is certainly not new to singing.
Kelbi has been singing in church for as long as she can remember. Her grandfather is her pastor, and her daddy, Ryan Watkins, Christian Country artist, is her worship leader. Kelbi wanted to be on that stage, too. At the age of 8, Kelbi gave her heart to the Lord at VBS. God has given her a gift.
To look at Kelbi, such a beautiful teen who holds the title of “Miss Northeast Alabama” in the thirteen- to fifteen-year-old division and won many other pageants, one might think her young life has been an easy one. That is far from the truth.
Kelbi’s parents, Tanza and Ryan shared her story.
“At age two,” Ryan shares, “Kelbi was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. We were going back and forth to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville from our home in Ider, Alabama, for about eight months.”
Tanza continues, “Kelbi began walking like an old woman. Her ankles were really swollen. She could no longer run but walked very slowly. In the first appointment, the doctor began telling us what life would look like for Kelbi.”
The young parents were devastated while looking at their beautiful first born little girl, not knowing what the future held, having nothing but the doctor’s description of what all their lives would be. They only knew to pray.
“On the way back home from Nashville, I felt God tell me ‘Everything is going to be all right,’ says Ryan. “I shared that with Tanza. When the Lord speaks to you, you know it’s Him, and you can trust Him. I heard Him say, ‘There’s an end to this!”
Tanza shares, “The doctor had told us Kelbi would have to have a test where they put her under. We didn’t feel comfortable with that. We chose to trust God and not have the test.”
“Our family members were scared and wanted us to get the test done,” says Ryan. “They pressured us to get it. It was hard to stay strong and trust God, but we knew what He had told us. After eight months, we went back to the doctor and Kelbi was running all over the place. We knew we had witnessed a miracle. The doctor was amazed.”
“From that time on, Kelbi has had a special anointing on her life!” continues Tanza. “When I see her singing, all I can do is cry, knowing she is a miracle.”
In 5th grade, Kelbi and her best friend, Alexa, won the Nationals at BETA Club held at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. They sang "The Truth I'm Standing On."
“To sing a Jesus song in front of thousands of parents and students, competing with the best from every state in forty or fifty schools against all types of talent, and then to win at such a young age was such a blessing,” says Kelbi.
Kelbi has sung for three years at The Ark Encounter with her daddy for the Forty Days and Forty Nights events. She is also looking forward to singing for the Founders Day events and parade in Ider on Labor Day. She will get her drivers license soon and is looking forward to traveling and singing more and playing on her girls' varsity basketball team for her coach who has won a state championship. Kelbi is looking forward to what God has for her through this single release.
When asked why she chose her new release “Christian Country Girl” as the song she wanted to record for the first time, Kelbi shared, “I have always wanted to sing professionally and see what it was like in the studio. It was great doing that for the first time with my dad also recording a song that day.
Kelbi continues, “I picked this song, because I related to the sassiness in it. I seem outgoing, but I can also be reserved. I was able to express my strength through the song. When someone cusses at school, I tell them I don’t speak that way and don’t want them to speak that way around me. Sometimes, you have to stand your ground for the Lord in hard situations. This song talks about that.”
There is no doubt Kelbi Watkins is here to stay and stand her ground for the Lord. She is definitely a Christian Country Girl!
Sixteen-year-old Kelbi Watkins is stepping into Christian Country music with the release of her debut single, “Christian Country Girl,” written and produced by Rick Schweinsberg. Although she may be a new name to Christian Country listeners, Kelbi has been singing in church for as long as she can remember. Her grandfather is her pastor, and her father, Christian Country artist Ryan Watkins, serves as worship leader. Kelbi gave her heart to the Lord at age eight and has continued using her gift of music to share her faith. Her journey has included winning a National BETA Club talent competition with her best friend, Alexa, performing “The Truth I’m Standing On,” as well as appearing alongside her father at The Ark Encounter’s Forty Days and Forty Nights events.
Kelbi’s story is also one of faith through adversity. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at just two years old, she experienced severe swelling and difficulty walking while her family traveled regularly from their home in Ider, Alabama, to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. Her parents prayed and trusted God through an uncertain season, and months later Kelbi returned to the doctor running and playing, something her family has always regarded as a miracle. Today, the singer, pageant winner and varsity basketball player brings that same determination to “Christian Country Girl.” Kelbi says she connected with the song because it reflects both her personality and her willingness to stand firm in her faith, even when doing so isn’t easy. For Kelbi Watkins, this first release is more than the beginning of a music career—it’s another opportunity to share the faith that has shaped her life.
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