TOYOTA Star Maker’s 2015 winner is the perfect example of perseverance and consistent hard work paying off.
Mickey Pye, who grew up on a small farm at Oberon, on the State’s Central Tablelands, was announced the winner of the prestigious competition on Saturday during the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Winning the competition wasn’t a result of luck for Mickey (pictured), who said he had worked “extremely hard” for five years to improve his music career.
This year was Mickey’s second go at the title, following his first attempt in 2010.
Luke Austin took the title that year, which was at first disappointing for Mickey, but he said the loss encouraged him to dedicate more time and effort into improving his music career.
“I really believe thinking back on it that losing in 2010 was the best thing that could have happened to me,” he said.
“Five years on I entered the competition and was way more confident going into it.”
Although Mickey’s family has encouraged him with his career, becoming successful was something he had to achieve by himself.
His father Dave, who works as a truck driver, and his mother, Noeleen, taught Mickey that if he wanted something, he’d have to work hard to get it.
“They weren’t your typical stage parents that were always rushing us to gigs and competitions,” he said.
“They taught us to stand on our two feet.”
To support himself financially, Mickey ran his own business which helped him get to gigs and promote himself as an artist.
Winning the Star Maker competition – and the prize package that includes a new Toyota vehicle – will help Mickey significantly in the coming year.
“Winning the vehicle was probably the biggest thing for me – I’ve been provided with the tools to get around rural Australia,” he said.
With guaranteed performances booked in at major festivals throughout Australia this year, Mickey said he was confident the Star Maker experience would boost his music career.
“They say winning the competition will forward your career by five years,” he said
“I’m going to love travelling the country this year to share my music in rural Australia.”
Mickey said he’d also like to use the opportunity he has to encourage other up-and-coming country music artists to follow their dreams and improve their music.
Whilst he’s on the road, Mickey said he would try to get to as many schools as possible and use his teaching experience to assist kids in developing their music skills.
“I’d love to inspire some other kids out there,” he said.
This year’s country music festival was one to remember for Mickey who would usually be supporting other acts or doing continuous gigs throughout the two weeks.
“This year everything flipped for me,” he said.
“I used to feel as though I was the person boosting everybody else over the line and I was stuck on the other side, but that changed this year.”
Mickey grew up listening to the likes of John Williamson and Slim Dusty which hooked him to the idea of starting a country music career.
Through the years, Mickey said his musical influences had changed with the Australian country music industry and had started to become more “Americanised”.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of the great guitar pickers like Toby Keith and Brad Paisley,” he said.
Mickey said it had been interesting to watch his musical genre change with the industry, which had altered to accept different types of country music like folk music.
“I’m very proud of the industry for accepting the change,” he said.
The aspiring country music singer completed a degree in music at the University of Sydney but was straight back to rural NSW after he completed the course.
“I grew up with country in my veins, the city wasn’t for me” he said.
“I got my piece of paper and moved back home.”
Winning the competition has put Mickey in the history books with extremely successful country music artists like Keith Urban and Beccy Cole, who were also once Toyota Star Makers.
“It’s great to be included with them,” he said.
