Rehya Stevens Named May “Best Vocalist Of The Month” With Her Song “Baby, Goodbye”

Rehya Stevens

Rehya Stevens, a mainstream pop/R&B singer & songwriter based in Los Angeles, has won the May SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “Baby, Goodbye" (co-written by Carmen Grillo). This recording is the song's demo version; Stevens will be recording a master version of "Baby, Goodbye" that will be included on her upcoming debut album Vintage Love, which will be released this fall.

“Baby, Goodbye” is a traditional soul/blues ballad, which is in the vein of classic artists like Etta James. This song provides a good showcase for Stevens' powerful, stirring vocals. Her vocal performance starts off in a more understated way, and then slowly builds in emotion and intensity. This demo version was capably produced by Stevens & co-writer Carmen Grillo, and features Stevens playing keyboards and Grill playing guitar.

Stevens was born in Pasadena, CA (near Los Angeles), and when she was eight she moved north with her family to Sacramento. Stevens began singing at a young age, and by age 15 she had learned to play piano and had started writing songs. Growing up, she was inspired by listening to such favorite artists as Carole King, Aretha Franklin and Karen Carpenter.

By high school, Stevens was already performing live regularly, including playing jazz festivals and other gigs with her father, who was a jazz/R&B keyboardist. For college, she attended Sacramento State University, and then she moved back to Southern California to study at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood. It was also during this period that she recorded a six-song EP.

Rehya Stevens

During the past few years, Stevens has earned a living as a professional singer, doing many studio sessions (jingles, commercials) plus performing live with a big band for corporate events and other shows. She has been the featured vocalist in commercials for Mattel and Banana Boat suntan lotion, and she sang the theme song for the TV show, Scott Baio...45 & Single.

Stevens has also developed her skills as a songwriter. "I've been building my song catalog, with over 40 songs," said Stevens. "I've been able to place my songs in TV shows such as Hawthorne (on TNT) and The Rememberer on CBS."

Currently, Stevens is working on her first, full-fledged album release, which will be called Vintage Love. "I'm excited about writing and recording the songs for this album," she said. "I will be writing with some great writers for the album, like Jennifer Adan (who co-wrote the hit "She Wouldn't Be Gone" for Blake Shelton) and Gardner Cole (who co-wrote hits for Madonna and Jody Watley).