Aug 7, 2025 By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger 4 min read

With a powerhouse voice and a sassy attitude, 13-year-old Josie Sal will hit the stage at the Horseshoe Amphitheatre in Russellton on Saturday, bringing her unique blend of country music to the spotlight.

Hailing from Venetia, Sal will open for chart-topping headliners Justin Moore and Mitchell Tenpenny. Moore is known for No. 1 hits like “Small Town USA” and “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” while Tenpenny gained popularity with his breakout single, “Truth About You.”

Though young, Sal is already being hailed as a rising star. Those who have seen her often comment on her talent. Mark Healy, brand manager for country music stations in New Hampshire said, “Josie has a great voice and a tremendous stage presence. She has surrounded herself with a great team and I have no doubt she has a great future ahead of her. She is going to be a star.”.

An early achiever

“I’ve always loved music, from singing in the car, in the shower, you name it,” said Sal, who got her first taste of performing after accepting a dare from her father while the family was vacationing in Florida. Encouraged by the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction, she soon began taking guitar and vocal lessons.

Since then, Sal has appeared at venues across the country, including Nashville’s Lower Broadway, the CMA Fest, Pittsburgh’s Hard Rock Café and various venues in Florida.

Her music blends country, rock and pop and she describes her influences as being country singers Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson.

One of the standout moments in Sal’s burgeoning career happened when she took the stage at The Pavilion at Star Lake outside Burgettstown to sing with rapper Jelly Roll. She was invited onstage during his performance to sing in the song “Save Me”. She was 11 at the time and holding up a sign stating that she could sing Lainey Wilson’s part.

“It was so cool-there are no words to explain it,” she said.

Then there was the time when she shared the stage with Wilson at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Once again, a sign captured a singer’s attention. It said “I’m too young for ‘American Idol,’ but I can sing ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ with you.’ Sal recalled. “When I was called on stage I was bawling as we sang the chorus and Wilson said, ‘We’ve got a superstar right there.'”

Sal said things really took off after that. When Wilson shared the video on Instagram, the folks behind “American Idol” saw it and she was given a VIP pass.

“I didn’t know that she uploaded the video to her feed until I woke up and the phone was blowing up with about 600 Instagram notifications,” she said.

Family-fueled inspiration

Sal is the youngest of four children and said that she gains lyrical inspiration from experiences of her 19-year-old sister and from brothers who are 21 and 23. “I see what they go through and can relate to it,” she said.

Sal has a new single, “Redneck Weekend.” She will also be opening for Gavin Adcock at the Field of Dreamz Crossroads Music Festival in November in Florida.

She is looking forward to the Russellton performance. “People show up for live music in Pittsburgh and because I’m around so much, I can appreciate the talent that’s here and I love catching up with friends and family,” she said.

Sal is one of the lucky performers who doesn’t suffer from stage fright- perhaps she is too young to be affected by it. One thing she knows is that she is blessed and wants to continue bringing her music to the masses.

“I hope to tour with bigger shows, release as much music as I can and one day be the headliner,” she said.