Retro revival

Long-time singer and songwriter Pebe Sebert, aka pop singer Kesha’s mother, drops her first and only album tomorrow, December 12.

The self-titled project unearths the ‘hidden talent’s’ original recordings from the 1980s, which have been newly remastered for modern listening.

The 69-year-old creative’s career began in the 1970s as the pen behind the songs of country artists including Dolly Parton. She eventually set out to record her own music. However, a series of unfortunate events, including her marriage falling apart, put a hold to her venture; she stopped showing up to recording sessions and completely disappeared.

Pebe kept the 11 tracks throughout the years, expecting to do nothing with them, until a few friends who heard the songs encouraged her to revisit the project, believing that they stumbled upon ‘80’s pop gold’.

Her daughter supported her too and is releasing the work through her label Kesha Records.

“Kesha started her own record company, and she said, ‘Hey, the first record I’m going to put out that’s not my record is going to be your record’,” she recalled.

Pebe describes the album release to be a happy ending, as it is not only coming out at a time when she is healthy and stable but also after her daughter’s personal and professional struggles; her long legal battle with former record label Kemosabe Records, which allegedly had her trapped in a contract that was stripping her creative freedom.

“There’s been a lot of very high highs and very low lows for me as a person, and for my daughter and our family and her career,” Pebe noted.

“The whole point is to touch people with your stories and maybe make somebody’s life just a little bit better for a minute. I know Kesha’s definitely done that with her music, and I’m so proud of her. I’ve had so many people tell me how she’s changed or saved their life, and I’m just happy to have what I did so long ago come out and maybe change someone’s life a little bit for a minute.”

Pebe is credited as the co-writer for a number of her daughter’s songs and has also written hits for a number of modern-day artists, including Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Pitbull.