AUSTIN, Texas – After The Voice, Rose Short launched a nationwide tour with a sold-out show in her hometown of Killeen, Texas.

Four days later, a global pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization, and the singer’s entire career came to an immediate halt. Like so many others, she is now out of work without an income, but she has no shortage of faith that it’s all part of a much greater plan.

When you flip through the channels and click on the different shows on reality tv, you’ll find a Texas singer being featured in almost every music television series that aired this season. Whether or not that correlates to the mass number of incredible musicians hailing from the Lone Star state is debatable, but there’s no wonder why Short was swept up by NBC producers last year when she auditioned for The Voice. Even with her powerhouse, chills-down-your-spine vocals aside, Short’s undying passion for life, love and faith will seize your heart within moments of meeting her.

“I remember somebody telling me a long time ago, ‘If you had a microphone that could reach the whole world, what would you say?’” Short told Lone Star Music Beat this week. “Of course we could clown, and we could joke, and we could do all those things… but why not lend your voice, not even just your voice, but your services, to things that matter?”

The first time the Lone Star Music Beat team from Spectrum News spoke with Short was in December of 2019. The then-34-year-old just wrapped up the first night of Season 17’s two-night finale when she approached us. Short and the other three finalists, Ricky Duran from Austin, Texas, Jake Hoot from Houston, Texas and Katie Kadan from Chicago, took turns speaking one-on-one with our team about their journeys on the show. Each person’s story was unique and inspiring, and it was evident they were eager and ready to share their gifts with the world. More than eager, however, Short was humbled to be used as a vessel and determined to not let the spotlight be wasted in vain.

Tara Petitt and Rose Short in Los Angeles (photo credit: Tara Petitt/Spectrum News)

“At the end of the day, all that is cool and well, but if you have a platform and you not choosing to bless nobody or be a voice for anybody, then it's for not,” said Short. “It's pointless. You know?”

Rose Short with Killeen Mayor Jose Segarra as he proclaims January 11, 2020 "Rose Short Day" in Killeen, Texas (photo credit: Khandys Kamera Darden)

The last several months have been extra challenging for Short and her family, and even though she continued to push forward through the difficulties, several life forces made her current situation inevitable.

“I've lost my aunt. My uncle got diagnosed with COVID. I had lost a good friend,” Short said. “Right when I had came back to the live rounds for The Voice, she had just died. So, I hadn’t really dealt with anything. Everything came at once. It was a lot for me. I started feeling crazy. I was like, ‘God, why would you do this to me?’ Everything was coming together!’ But it's been beautiful at the same time, cause this is forcing us, as creatives, to come up with different ways to not only keep ourselves sane, but staying in it, staying in there, and keep doing this music.”

Although her physical platform was swept up from beneath her, Short’s mission and purpose has remained the same throughout the pandemic, and her voice has never been louder.

“It really challenged me in a way to tap into things that I was already supposed to do, dealing with things that I hadn't dealt with mentally,” said Short. “A lot of times, we'll question a lot of things because it's scary. It's a lot of evil in the world, and you don't understand. You're like, ‘Why?’ So, it was kind of like ‘Girl, take this time to do the things that you said you want to do. Go all the way out, and don't hold back.’”

Although it’s been difficult to process, Short has been embracing new opportunities to follow her dreams, and she’s even allowed herself to consider life options outside of touring as a career artist.

Since March, the 35-year-old has been busy with two podcasts, a web series, and the release of her first original single, “Push Me.”

Before she was chosen to compete on The Voice, Short spent eight years serving as a correctional officer in an all-male, maximum security prison. During that time, she knew that God had a purpose for her, and she was determined to keep moving forward and grow every day. When the time finally came for her to step into new possibilities, she was ready.

“That's how I had to kick the doors down,” said Short. “We got up, and that's just how I'm living. My life is not waiting for opportunity to come, but creating them myself.”

Although many bars and music venues in Texas were given clearance to reopen Friday, large concerts and gatherings like “The Rose Short Experience” are still a long way away.  Some economists predict it could be as long as two years before live music events return as we know them. Regardless of what the future holds, Short says she’s allowing hers to be decided by a higher power.

“We don't know when the live experience will happen again. We don't know what the new normal is going to be, but sometimes you just have to step aside and let it be what it's going to be. Sometimes it hurts. It don't feel good at all, but we just have to be thankful that we aren't in certain situations- and if we are, then he'll bring us out of it.”