You can’t get anywhere in the entertainment business by beingshy.

Brookhaven’s Ashley Stephens, 14, wasn’t thinking about themusic business last summer when she belted out a rendition of “OhHoly Night” in a crowded elevator full of strangers at a youthretreat in Orange Beach, Ala. – and she certainly wasn’t shy.

After a couple of verses and one quick ride up the lift in thePhoenix condominium that day, however, the entertainment businessstarted thinking about her.

The Brookhaven High School freshman with a graceful voice hasgone from 8-year-old church singer to featured singer in anupcoming half-hour Christmas special set to air from Thanksgivingto Christmas in more than 11 markets in five – possibly six -states.

Bryant Bush’s Christmas Special is set to first air in theBirmingham, Ala., television market on Saturday, Nov. 29, and willbe aired in other markets in Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina andTennessee. At least two Mississippi stations – WAPT-16 and WLBT-3are looking into the special.

In the special, Stephens will give an encore of her performanceof “Oh Holy Night.”

Stephens’ first-ever TV appearance was made possible because oneof the passengers in the elevator with Stephens that day justhappened to be a man with some pull – Bryant Bush, the teachingpastor at Vaughn Forest Church in Montgomery, Ala., constantlytraveling Christian motivational speaker, and organizer andnarrator of the special.

“I was going up to my room and ended up in the elevator withhim,” said Stephens, who was 13-years-old at the time. “It was justme and two of my friends, and we were shoulder-to-shoulder withpeople I didn’t know.”

Stephens said her friends turned on the peer pressure, urgingher to sing for Bush, who was the guest speaker at the retreat. Theidea came up, she said, because Bush was talking with the girlsabout their home, church, hobbies and interests.

Stephens finally volunteered to sing “Oh Holy Night” – a strangechoice for a beach retreat in July, she admits, but the song wasfresh on her mind from a recital in Brookhaven at The Studio whereLorin Lewis is her voice trainer.

The elevator reached Stephens’ floor before the song wascomplete, but Bush was impressed, she said. The next morning, hehad her sing “Unchained Melody” for his wife in the condo lobby infront of another large group of strangers. Bush offered her theopportunity to accompany him on some of his speaking engagements tosing.

“He talked about it, but I didn’t think much about it becausehe’s so busy,” Stephens said. “He hinted at me coming to Montgomeryfor some of his events.”

Montgomery never happened, however. Stephens said she and Bushkept in touch, but she didn’t hear from him on the professionallevel for almost a year.

Earlier this year at the beginning of summer, Stephens got atext message from Bush, seemingly out of the blue, inviting her tosing on the Christmas special.

“The ‘Oh Holy Night’ thing came up,” she said. “He called andtalked to my mom and asked us to come to Montgomery for thefilming. I was so excited – but I was more grateful than anything.I was grateful that out of everybody he could have called, hecalled me. That’s the song I sang, and that’s the song hewanted.”

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Stephens and her mother, Carolyn,traveled to Montgomery for the filming. Stephens met the pianistfor the performance and ran through the song twice – on the set,they filmed the performance in one flawless take.

“I wasn’t really nervous, but the camera was kind of freaking meout,” Stephens said, remembering when the little red light thatsignifies recording lit up on the camera. “I just had to get thefirst few words out and after that I was doing good. Once I getstarted, I’m fine.”

As it turns out, Stephens’ only complaint about the experiencewas having to dress up in Christmas clothes – black pants and a redsweater – in September.

“I looked like a Christmas postcard,” she said.

Bush mailed Stephens a copy of the performance, which she hasreviewed during the two-month waiting for airtime. Judging by herown method of critiquing, she is satisfied with her work.

“Well, I didn’t cry when it was over, so that’s good,” shesaid.

Stephens didn’t cry, but her mother might.

“I am grateful for the opportunity, and I’m very proud of her,”Carolyn Stephens said. “If you ever heard her sing, ever since shewas a child, it’s a natural ability that only God could have givenher. He’ll pave the way for whatever lies ahead – He gave it to herfor a reason.”

Carolyn Stephens said the Christmas special started with avision from several southern Christian businessmen, who pooledtheir money to produce the show in an effort to reachnon-Christians on Christmas in a nontraditional way.

“It’s not just about Jesus’ birth – it’s full of neat stories,”she said.

The special was produced for free to allow TV stations to selllocal advertising time and profit from its airing. Carolyn Stephenssaid WLBT-3 is likely to air the program – the station is checkingthe copyrights now. WAPT-16 is a branch of a Montgomery stationalready airing the special, she said, and will likely bebroadcasting it.

Ashley Stephens is the daughter of Marty and Carolyn Stephensand member of the First Baptist Church of Brookhaven. After alifetime of singing, she hopes her appearance in Bryant Bush’sChristmas Special will give her the opportunity to make a career ofit. She plans to attend the University of Mississippi and major invoice.