Houma teen becomes voice for community

She picked up a pair of drumsticks when she was about 8 years old because she wanted to be just like her dad, and 14-year-old Houma native Bonnie Wells’ passion for music has flourished ever since.

“I remember when she was about 2 years old standing on a laundry basket with a microphone,” Bonnie’s mother, Amanda Wells recalled. But she didn’t start really singing until last year, and said it’s been in her life ever since.

“I just like the energy that the crowd has, I like getting a crowd pumped up,” Bonnie said in regards to performing onstage. “I like performing in general and making a good impression on people, the adrenaline is my favorite part.”

Bonnie was no stranger to music growing up, however. Aside from her dad, Bob Wells, playing in bands, her two older sisters, Natalie, 22, and Hilary, 20, both sing as well.

“Creativity runs in the family,” Wells said. “We call it the ‘living room concert series’ when the girls all sit around and sing and play.”

It wasn’t until recently that Bonnie started writing her own songs.

“She started writing little rap songs that she did when she was in elementary school, but she started writing more serious songs in the last year or so,” Wells said.

One of the more serious songs Bonnie wrote has written has a direct relationship to the oil disaster in the Gulf.

“Her dad is such an avid outdoorsman and has a love for the land, and she just saw how upset he was about the oil spill affecting the marshes,” Wells said.

Bonnie said the idea came from one night at home.

“My parents were watching the news one night, and my dad would always fuss at the TV, saying how people don’t know what they’re doing they’ve ruined our coast,” recalled Bonnie, who admits she didn’t know what her father was talking about at first.

“He had to explain to me what was going on, and told me we might have to move. I was frustrated and angry about it, so I went in my room and wrote the song,” she said. “I was trying to get [the message] out to more young people that this will affect our generation too.”

Her song, “Ain’t So Blue Anymore,” is available on iTunes, and the proceeds will go to the Voice of the Wetlands, and other organizations dedicated to restoring the Gulf.

“I’m not focused on making myself a profit, I’m trying to help save the coast,” Bonnie said. “This is my generation’s town when we get older, and we don’t want to leave it like this. It should be cleaned up, I don’t want to lose Houma.”

Bonnie, who was born and raised in Houma and attends Houma Junior High School, hopes her message will be far reaching to people her age across the Gulf, and so far, it seems to be working.

“Me and my mom were in New Orleans eating lunch and some people came up to the table and asked if I was the one who wrote the song about the oil spill, so that was really cool,” Bonnie said.

“Music is a very powerful thing, and I’m glad I can be a voice for those who just didn’t know how to put this anger and frustration into words and I’m glad that I can speak for them.”

Bonnie Wells performs at Hofman Music Rock ‘n Roll Summer Camp in 2009 at the Cajun Event Center in Raceland. The 14-year-old penned a song titled “Ain’t So Blue Anymore,” which is available on iTunes. COURTESY PHOTO