Dolls and gentleteddies, we give you the amazing, the fantastic, the astonishing Ashley! So began the career of Ashley Rivera of Columbus , Georgia . "Moving a lot taught me to entertain myself, so I would sing all the time to my imaginary adoring 'audiences'. That’s where it all began," recalls Ashley who has come far, from figments to fans, and has enjoyed every moment in between. "I started singing when I was just a baby.... I wasn’t any good at it, but I was wailing it out! The earliest recollection I have of actually saying that I wanted to be a singer when I grew up was in pre-school, probably about four years old. At about fifteen, I realized that it kept me up at night, and was the only part of my life that drove me crazy. I thought, 'This is it.'"

"My father was in the Army and I was born at Fort Benning . Then my parents divorced and we settled down here in Georgia when I was five or six. The people in my life are so supportive and loving. I live with my mom, and have two older brothers that live nearby. Other than that, most of my family hails from North Carolina or Puerto Rico , so I don’t see them as often as I’d like. I always say that my band is my family!"

The members of this family are guitarist Brant McCaskill, Luis Rivera on bass, Lee Tylor of the strings and keys, Brian O'Heir with the drums and background vocalist Ivonne Rivera, her siblings in song. They came together in 2007 to bring their country sound with a twist and a twang.

"When I was nine years old, the owner of the local Flying Machine Restaurant in Lawrenceville gave me a chance to sing on his stage. After one performance, I was hooked. That gig led to other gigs which led to other opportunities and I started my band, BlackJack Ketchum, which has been the most rewarding experience of all." she exudes. "I am making music that is a little off the beaten path. I usually tell people that it’s southern rock, but it’s also been called outlaw country, country rock, or alternative country. I try not to get stuck on titles and just make music that I hope people can relate to. There have been mixed feelings towards the growing southern rock 'revival'. I’m one of the people (and further, one of the females) who is making that music, hoping that it can find a place to be heard, and enjoyed, without destroying any other genre’s integrity or heritage. At the end of the day, there’s room for everyone, and that’s really what making music is all about."

As Ashley makes music, music makes her. She has sung and played guitar all over the southeast, including appearances on CBS News Live and Nashville Onstage and has opened for Ronnie Milsap, Raven Symone and Jump 5 to name but a portion. A short while ago, Ashley was nominated Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year by the North American Country Music Association International.

"Last November, I released a five-song EP. Now, I’m trying to focus on touring and spreading the music. I’d like to give a growing southern rock audience a taste of what I do, and hope that new doors continue to open as they have in the past. I want the world to know that I love what I do, and that I’m excited to meet them! It doesn’t get any better than that!" the raven-haired rockette says with an addictive energy that has hooked many a follower. "Since I started down this road, there have been so many funny, crazy, amazing moments. I’ve had a lot of poignant experiences that have affected who I am today. But more than that, I’ve had people in my life that have affected me, who were experiences in themselves. I’ve known people who have changed me forever, who have taken pieces of me, and left parts of themselves."

With this giving and receiving of life and knowledge she makes her music, never knowing what might come next, but it's this that drives and inspires her. "I don’t think I’d have songs to write if I had myself all figured out, or even knew myself completely, for that matter."

"This is such a hard business that I’ve seen people become jaded right in front of my eyes. Out of anything that I could pray for in my musical future, it is that that won’t ever happen. Outside of music, I hope to continue life with great people around me, who make every day an adventure. I do what I do because I can’t fathom doing anything else."