NOTE: American Idol contestant Didi Benami named Rebecca Joy Lear as her “biggest influence” in her audition that aired earlier this month. Benami and Lear attended Belmont University in Nashville. Following Lear’s first semester, she was tragically killed in an automobile accident while driving back home to Kansas for Christmas in 2005. Those close to Lear know she loved music and her passion was to become a singer.
USA Today reported that Lear’s mother wrote a blog post before Benami’s audition: “Didi was encouraged in her love of music by Rebecca’s passion, and after Rebecca’s death, Didi promised us that she would always work to “get Rebecca’s music ‘out there’ as that was Rebecca’s great desire.”
At Strum Magazine, we strive to write about great singers and songwriters. Although none of us on staff had the privilege of meeting Rebecca during her life, she has left her music behind, and the stories of the wonderful person she was, told by those that knew her best. Those things are Rebecca’s true legacy. Today, February 10, would have been Rebecca’s 23 birthday. We wanted to honor her memory (and help promote her music) by doing a review of her songs.
Happy Birthday Rebecca!
Rebecca was definitely in the right place when she moved to Nashville, TN in 2005 to attend Belmont University. Seconds after I started listening to one of Rebecca’s songs, the world faded away and the song captured my attention. Rebecca’s voice and her amazing original songs have the power to do that. Her recordings sound like the work of a seasoned professional instead of a seventeen-year-old girl.Just by listening to one song, I could tell that Rebecca was something special. Her voice stood out and had an honest and soulful tone that made me want to listen to more. Her vocal control was amazing and the lyrics she had written was solid proof that she was wise beyond her years. Her songs seem reflective and analytical at times – a feat that writers twice her age struggle to accomplish.
Rebecca’s song, “The Girl In Your Song,” managed to capture young love perfectly. It’s all that feeling of having special feelings about someone and hoping they feel the same way. It’s a common theme in songs, but Rebecca breathes new life into a tired idea. She has a way to really connect with the listeners. The honest insecurity comes through and listeners are not just listening to a song about Rebecca’s life, they are listening to a song about their own.One of my favorite songs by Rebecca is “Don’t You Ever Let Him Down.” It carries more of that raw emotion that runs through Rebecca’s music. It is her plea with another woman, begging her to love and take care of a man she’s developed strong feelings for.
Her maturity is apparent as she tells this woman that she wishes she could be the one she loves, but wants him to be happy. Rebecca sings, “Please don’t hurt the boy/I can’t stand to see him cry/ You bring him so much joy/ I only wish it were I.” I think the song has the potential to become a hit, if it were in the hands of an artist like Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum. From what I have read about Rebecca, she was a truly amazing person. Some of her songs are a reflection of her Christian faith.
In her song “Lullaby,” she sings: “There is hope/There is peace/ There is comfort, sweet release/He wants to love you/He wants to save you/ You’re His baby/Let Him hold you.”After listening to several of Rebecca’s songs, I am convinced she was on the road to being an amazing artist. I hope that the publicity her music is getting through Didi’s appearance on American Idol will eventually cause one of Rebecca’s songs to be recorded and released as a single. That would be a perfect way to honor her. However, one thing is clear. Rebecca’s music will live on. Her music is still touching people, including me.
Rebecca’s music can be heard at www.rebeccajoylear.com and on her MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/beccalear.
