Avis Berry’s nerves were abuzz when she found out her idol and star of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” Nell Carter, was coming to her hometown theater at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall.

Berry was only 10 years old, but her mother saw a spark within her daughter as a young performer. They arrived at the theater early and were ushered backstage — to this day it remains a mystery to Berry on how her mother arranged it — and sent flowers and a handwritten note to Carter’s dressing room.

Berry remembers how her hero lit up the stage, and how desperately she wanted to grow up and follow the same dream. After the show, she was stopped by a bodyguard and brought backstage once more. Carter wanted to see the girl behind the note.

“She sat with me for a good 10 minutes while I told her I loved singing,” recalls Berry. “She was so supportive and told me to keep pursuing my dreams and that she would write me back. She did and sent me an autographed picture. From that moment on I was convinced that music and performing were for me, and I couldn’t get away from it.”

To close out 2016 Berry is looking forward to a new collaboration with the Tallahassee Swing band. They’ll be ringing in 2017 at the Monticello Opera House for their annual New Year’s event. With so many jazz standards to choose from, she’s eager to duet with the other singers that will be playing throughout the evening, creating surprising new compositions exclusively for Monticello. Invigorated by the wall of brass behind her, she’s eager for the panhandle community to usher in the New Year with her in a beautiful, big band way.

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