Angela Roewe

She's been silent for almost a year, and it's been too much to take - not just for her, but for hundreds of fans who relished in her voice and the energy that accompanied her performances.

Shelley Ostman returned to the stage late last year with a voice sexier and stronger than ever. She's the lead vocalist for one of the newest and most promising local acts of the decade - Social Remedy.

Most remember Ostman as the lead vocalist of Dixie Express, a three-decade-old band, which for years ranked as the No. 1 musical acts in the Metro East. When Dixie Express chose to call it quits last January, Ostman was ready for a break. She wanted to focus more on her career as a hairstylist for Salon Systems in O'Fallon, and her personal life.

Working five to six seven a days full time, then performing one or two nights a weekend with the band had taken its toll on the 30 year old. After all, she joined the country western band's family at age 20, and it had kept her rocking, putting much of her personal life on hold.

But, after only a few months away from the stage, she heard the music calling her back. It was a large part of her life, and she realized she couldn't live without it. Singing at weddings, karaoke nights, and for friends and family just weren't enough; she missed the electrifying sensation surrounding performing for large crowds with other experienced musicians. She wasn't sure when, or even if, she would be able to be in the spotlight again with an act as talented as Dixie, but she hoped.

Then, one weekend over the summer, she gathered with some friends, all musicians, to practice performing a concert for a benefit event.

"We finished singing a song and I turned around and looked at one of the guys, a good friend of mine, and we just grinned," she said. "We both knew it was time to start a band of our own. We talked about it, developed a website, came up with a name, made some calls, and began practicing for our debut."

Social Remedy took the stage Nov. 14 at Shenanigan's Sport Bar and Grill in Belleville to a full house, many of which were there to hear Ostman.

There aren't many people in the Metro East who haven't heard of her. Her voice is unmistakable, soothing, and solid. She brings every song she sings to life thanks to her passion, down-to-earth personality, style, and grace.

Her talent was evident at a very young age, before she could even converse.

"My parents and family love to tell the story of how I would suck my fingers and hum really loud," said Ostman, a finalist in the 2006 Branson, Mo., Idol competition. "I could barely talk, but I could come up with my own music. Later, I could always copy any song I heard."

At age 6, she sang at a cousin's wedding, and began singing at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Belleville - the same parish she attended school at until sixth grade. She continued her talent while being a student at Emge School in Belleville.

Word of mouth, musical performances, and competitions helped her talent, and the demand for it, grow. Her parents, Gloria and Jim Ostman of Belleville, enrolled her in Belleville Area College's Masterworks Children's Chorale. Those were the only lessons she ever took. Singing just came naturally to her. She even starred as "Annie" in the musical for a Cathedral Player's Guild performance.

"There I was acting as an orphan," she jokes, "braces and all."

When Dixie Express members approached her so many years later, she had performed here and there with bands on stage. She had her doubts about accepting Dixie's invitation, thinking she couldn't cut it, but knew it was the chance of a lifetime.

"I remember the first time I took the stage publicly with them; it was at the Belleville Chili Cook-Off, and I was terrified," she said. "It was a moment I will never forget. I had dozens of family members and friends right in front of the stage, and once I finished my first song, they threw red roses at my feet.

"When I first began Dixie I hated country. I didn't listen to it. I knew nothing about it. I learned it, and it's now one of my favorite styles. They changed my entire singing ability for the better. They helped me find who I was as a singer. They were and still are like family to me. I am who I am today because of them. I grew up with them. I am forever grateful for the all the opportunities, guidance, and support they gave me."

She hopes Social Remedy's future is filled with the same success and closeness as Dixie was.

"I love our new group and all we have to offer those who come out to watch us," said Ostman, a Belleville West High School graduate. "We are very versatile, singing it all - country, blues, rock 'n roll, Motown, alternative, 80s, 90s, and more."

She admits that she still gets butterflies in her stomach each time she takes the stage, but they quickly pass.

"I'm human, and I put myself out there in public, and people do judge, often very harshly," she said. "Singing makes me feels so good inside, so I just do the best I can each time I go out there.

"What I get to do is something many dream of. I've seen every aspect of life, singing at weddings, funerals, bars, benefits, etc., and I've met many wonderful people along the way. Without them, my parents, and brother Scott, I would not be able to do what I do. I know now that I can't step away from the microphone again. Singing is my therapy. I can get any emotion I have bottled up out through the music because the music understands."

For more information or Social Remedy upcoming shows, log on to www.socialremedy.net. Upcoming shows performances' include: Jan. 23 at Papa's Wheelie's in Trenton, and Jan. 29 and 30 at Shenanigan's in west Belleville.