Backstage with ... Smithfield's National Anthem singer Bria Kelly

Backstage with ... Bria Kelly

Home base  Smithfield

Style of music  Country, rock and blues

Bio  The 13-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist – with her own five-piece band – started singing a couple of years ago when she performed the national anthem at a Norfolk Admirals hockey game.

Since then, she has performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” close to 40 times and in front of 225,000 people, including kicking off events for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Orioles. She’s also opened for national recording artists Miranda Lambert, Travis Tritt, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Sara Evans.

The Smithfield Middle School eighth-grader traveled to Altavista over the summer to participate in the local Colgate Country Showdown competition, which she won. That allowed her to enter the state competition at the Virginia State Fair this month.

The Bria Kelly Band also features guitarists Nick Gargiulo, 12, and Holly Taché, 14; drummer Tyler Connelly, 16; and bassist Marah Strickland, 15. “We met through my guitar teacher,” Bria said. The players are all students of local musician Lewis McGehee.

The band performs mostly covers. “My favorite is 'Steamroller Blues’ by James Taylor,” Bria said. Another favorite is Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” Bria has co-penned an original, “Do the Math,” with Boston songwriter David Reuter, and she takes sole credit on “Never Let Go.” “The first line is about my best friend. The line starts, 'I can’t believe we used to hate each other/Now, I can’t see us disliking one another.’”

Quote  “I want a cell phone.”

Playing  9 p.m. Friday with band, opening for the Carter Twins, Sharx Sports Grill, Virginia Beach, (757) 491-4900; singing the national anthem, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Komen Tidewater Race for the Cure, Virginia Beach Oceanfront, (757) 490-7794; and performing at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oceana Naval Air Station Air Show, Virginia Beach, (757) 433-3131.

Web site  www.briakelly.com