Anyone who’s had the opportunity to experience a live show at Nashville’s iconic Station Inn is likely familiar with the mesmerizing Val Storey. The petite dynamo has been a staple at the iconic venue for several years. With her versatile, crystalline vocals, Val’s performances, ranging from driving bluegrass to traditional county, gospel and jazz stylings, evoke genuine emotion in her many fans.
With the May 2023 release of Share Your Secrets With Me, produced by the legendary Larry Cordle, those many fans are sure to multiply for the diminutive singer with the powerful pipes.
Storey is indeed one of the entertainment industry’s premier vocalists. Her pure and sincere styling takes the listener to a very personal place, evoking a colorful palate of emotion. Her flawless and captivating performances, both in the concert hall and the recording studio, have earned for her the admiration of fellow musicians and fans alike. In short, Val Storey is truly a “singer’s singer.”
Raised in Roanoke, Virginia, Val moved with her family to Nashville, picking up bluegrass, country, gospel, blues, and jazz influences along the way. With an undeniable gift, performance opportunities came quickly for the shy teen, including working with the legendary Jordanaires. She later became the lead vocalist for the jazz group Pulse. She was one of the youngest performers to be featured regularly in various country music shows at Nashville’s Opryland theme park.
As a Nashville session singer, Val has worked for major labels and publishing companies, including Columbia, Mercury, RCA, Rounder, Sony, and Universal. Storey has lent her voice to recordings for Dolly Parton, Joey + Rory, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Bradley Walker, Gene Watson, and many more.
Where Flowers Bloom was her first full-length solo CD; an independent release. The young singer chose to follow her heart rather than the restriction of the many record label offers that came her way. She has remained on that genuine, heartfelt path, creating and sharing music with a traditional flavor and interpreting each song in her own stirring and transcendent way.
Val eventually reconnected with Grammy award-winning producer and songwriter Carl Jackson, whom she’d first met when Jackson recorded her family’s own recording studio. “I would sneak down after bedtime and listen just outside the studio door,” Val remembers. “I knew even then that Carl was an amazing musician.” Little did she know that, just a few years later, Carl would be producing an album with her as a featured artist.
Carl invited Val to lend her voice to his on the 2010 project, Mark Twain: Words and Music. Her haunting vocal on “Love Is On Our Side” hearkens to the grief experienced by Twain at the death of his oldest daughter, Susy. The critically-acclaimed project introduced Val to top names in music and entertainment, and a worldwide audience.
Val and her husband survived a devastating motorcycle accident in August 2020, and months of rehabilitation followed. “God’s keeping me around. With COVID, the accident, all the challenges, God has been there for me every minute. I pray and talk to God. I know He is in control. I know that with Him, we can find comfort and peace.”
Fortunately, Val was able to return to the Station Inn stage with a weekly Sunday gospel show, and a Monday night performance brimming with traditional country and more; both shows include a cast of Val’s gifted and high-profile friends. She was a special guest at the Country Hall of Fame and Museum in July of 2021. Filmed as part of the exhibit, The Station Inn: Bluegrass Beacon, Storey shared stories from her career in an installment of the Live At The Hall music and education program.
Val’s own story continues to unfold, with her sophomore album, produced by the legendary Larry Cordle, set for release in May of 2023.
“Val Storey belongs in a special group of female vocalists… better than good, better than great… elite! God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams by allowing me to sing with the best of the best… you know those “first name” singers… Linda, Dolly, Emmylou, Tammy, Patty, Trisha, Alison, Sonya, Martina, Rhonda, etc… and every Monday night at the Station Inn I get the same goosebumps on my arms, the same chills running down my spine, and feel the same pride singing with… Val.”
– Grammy winning singer, songwriter, producer, Carl Jackson“We’ve all heard the expression that that person has the voice of an angel. That’s the only way I know how to describe Val Storey. She truly has the voice of an angel. She knows how to connect her heart and her voice to a song and deliver it to the person that needs to hear it. And when you hear Val Storey singing, you will definitely think there’s an Angel singing. She’s a wonderful person inside and out and I am proud to know her as my friend.”
– Multi award winning singer and songwriter, Jimmy Fortune
“When I think of heaven, I think of angels singing. When I hear Val Storey sing, I start to think I’m already there. Her angelic voice is a glimpse of what I can only hope it will sound like there. Val is, without a doubt, one the greatest singers God ever gave breath to.”
– Multi award winning singer and songwriter, and Grammy nominated producer, Jerry Salley