We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Beth Terry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sarah Beth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I was born famous. I knew it deep down, And for the life of me, I just couldn’t understand why the rest of the world was so ignorant to my obvious charm and destined fame.

Then the world noticed, only not in the way I had hoped. I wasn’t rolled out a red carpet, but often times, kicked to the curb, rode out on a rail, laughed out of town, and trampled on by those trying to get one rung above me on the ladder.

That brazen and bold little girl, born famous and future star started losing her shine.
Told to “tone it down”, “reel it in,” “bite your tongue.”

I was too big for the room.
I smiled and nodded,
I waited my turn.
I practiced good manners and good sportsmanship and good raisin’ until I finally said, ENOUGH!!

At 41, after four decades of loving, leaving, living, learning, and then laughing about it now, I’m on the road that was always meant for me, and turns out, I had to pave it myself. So, I guess the answer to your question is: BOTH.

I wish I had kept that sassy peacock attitude of my unfaded youth before the world and the mirror started telling me I wasn’t good enough, I wish I had soldiered on and had thicker skin, but my heart was too tender and my feathers too easily ruffled. I wish I had pursued every single opportunity to be on a stage and the center of attention instead of politely declining in the face of southern manners and Appalachian guilt.

But at the same time, I had the verve but not the vitriol. I had the talent without the toll. I had the sizzle without the steak.
I was still growing into my wings, and Lord knows this crown is too heavy for a child.
I had to live the songs in order to sing them. I had to heal the pain by writing about it. I had to break in these boots.
God doesn’t work on your timing, as my namesake in Genesis will attest.
Sarah was old as hell before she got her blessing.
I’m damn near a Spring chicken in comparison.

But the point of the discussion is this: you’re never too old to have exactly the life you want.
It’s never too late to live happily ever after.
And someone else’s victory does NOT constitute your failure.

You’re gonna have to start over. And over. And over. And that’s ok!
Yes, I would’ve loved to have been a Mozart Prodigy, but history has shown us that child stars hardly end well.
and I won’t give you the whole “Grandma Moses/Julia Child/Brooks & Dunn” success stories. you have google.
I can just offer this advice: Start where you are. Go get your happy.

I’m learning to not believe in regrets and live and love more intentionally.
And so what if I crash and burn a few times a long the way? More songs, more stories.

Sarah Beth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In the wilds of Kentucky…was born a gifted extraordinary creature who never quite fit in.  She rebelled day one against the crap served up by society and called mandatory. With a long draw of a cigarette punctuated by a swig of aged Kentucky Bourbon or a swill of Ale 8 she looked at society and said impolitely…no.  She is both yin and yang.  Drawing from classic poetry, mountain witchcraft, and Bible totin’ preachers, she tests every boundary presented to the breaking point.  She writes songs with a depth and truth that challenge the listener to face their ugliest pain. To feel it. Scream it. And make it known without shame.  At the same time she will catch you off guard, laughing so hard at things that are hilarious and obvious but mostly overlooked.  Sarah Beth Terry doesn’t…overlook.  She sees.  We are all her subjects.  Even if she has never met you, she has written you.   Her songs sing invasively as if she has walked into your heart, your heartache or your bedroom.  Her pen is a night vision camera to your soul.  Her songs will be so on the mark you will find yourself looking around to see if anyone else knows she is singing about you.  But is she?  Or is she singing her own life?  Hard to tell.  That’s what makes her Sarah Beth Terry.  Don’t make the mistake of overlooking this obvious extraordinary because she doesn’t fit the glass slipper.  Glass slippers are all fairytales. Sarah Beth is real.  Unabashedly. Unapologetically. Real.  And after you have had real, nothing else will ever be enough. – Devon O’Day (Author, Hit Songwriter, and really cool Radio Chick)

Meet Sarah Beth Terry, the Cigarette Mom of comedy—quick-witted, unfiltered, and running on Kentucky Ale8s and good gossip. She doesn’t just tell jokes; she serves up truth like a Marlboro Menthol, pointing out life’s absurdities with a wink and a well-timed punchline. Raised on Appalachian grit, Bible Belt guilt, and a front-row seat to people making highly questionable life & fashion choices, she’s the real-talk storyteller you didn’t know you needed.
She’s got the bite of a divorce attorney, the energy of a small-town trailer park cat fight, and the charm of an aunt who “probably shouldn’t be saying this” but absolutely will. No topic is off-limits, no moment too awkward—she dives headfirst into the chaos of life, calling out the ridiculous, the relatable, and the things we all think but don’t say out loud.
If you like your comedy sharp, a little sassy, and just inappropriate enough to make your meemaw clutch her pearls, Sarah Beth Terry is your kind of people.

more information at sarahbethterry.com
 

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

How many people get to share their views and stories with an audience? Who among us loves to live on truckstop coffee and drivethru dinners in the attempt to connect with the masses?
Chasing the neon rainbow has always been feast or famine, and doing this for the money is your biggest mistake. Do it because you love it.

To me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is the reaction.
I live for it.
Hearing a crowd laugh at a joke.
Seeing them tear up at a sad song.
Watching them engage and relate with the song, with me, with each other.
That’s the good stuff.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Stop treating the arts as an elective.

This trend started in the early 2000s, where the focus shifted to “common core” education and conveniently left out the arts: music, visual art, drama class, etc.

And boy howdy, have we paid for it.

Everything in Hollywood is a remake.
Everything on the radio is sampled.
Everything has been done before.

you know why?
Because we discourage creativity and imagination in the hopes of higher test scores.
We replaced the heart for a machine.

You want to see a renaissance? Encourage little Susie to play piano. Buy Timmy the finger paints.
Validate and support arts in education and watch the magic.
Create real opportunity for the arts and stop treating it like fluff.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarahbethterry.com
• Instagram: @sarahbethterrymusic
• Facebook: @sarahbethterrymusic
• Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/sarahbethterrymusic
• Youtube: @sarahbethterry

Image Credits

© Sean Courtney Music