Leavenworth musician advances in national music contest

LEAVENWORTH —Local musician Devorah Gottesman, known simply as Devorah, has advanced to the quarter finals in a national contest for the chance to play in the Global Citizen Festival in New York City, appear in Rolling Stone, and win $50,000.

America’s Next Top Hitmaker’s contest began on May 27, with thousands of musicians competing for a stop spot through public voting. Over 65 contestants were placed in each of the 241 voting pools, which were narrowed down to the top five over four weeks. Devorah remained #1 in her group, advancing to the quarterfinals on July 3.

“It means that I'm on the right path with prayer and listening. It means that I always followed my dreams, but I knew that there had to be something new to serve. And the support – I didn't see it coming…It's exhilarating, it's daunting, and it's full gratitude,” said Devorah.

The singer and songwriter’s unwavering faith in her journey stems back to her childhood in Youngstown, Ohio, growing up with two musically talented and encouraging parents. When her mother was on her deathbed, she told Devorah to take care of herself and believe in her dreams. Ten years later, she wrote her first song, “Believe in Your Dreams,” and received her first Billboard Magazine Award.

Nicknamed the ‘Princess Of Persistence’ and the ‘Firecracker,’ Devorah built her career through talent and determination. In her early days of touring, she successfully pretended to be her band’s promoter to land gigs. When she got caught in Jackson Hole, the manager, impressed by the move, gave her band the top two weeks of the summer. 

She continued to perform throughout the country, and was even featured on “Wake up with Al Roker.” To promote her album “Irrepressible,” which earned her Seattle Artist of the Year, she rode her bicycle to Hollywood.

Shortly after, Devorah left Hollywood to bicycle across the country, raising awareness and money for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a national organization that provides assistance to wounded servicemembers and their families. Along the way, she advocated on local news stations and performed at schools, churches, synagogues, Veterans Affairs hospitals, and American Legion posts. Inspired by a veteran in her life, Devorah wrote and performed the song, “Wounded Warriors (Never Be Forgotten).”

After completing her tour, Devorah returned to her home in Friday Harbor, unsure that she could recreate anything that could match it or her “Irrepressible” album. Ready to retire and finish some songs, she moved to Leavenworth. When she arrived, her friends Steve and Debbie Demarest introduced her to local artists Chris Ward and Seth Garrido, who invited her out to play.

“[Chris] said, ‘Get back on the horse. You need a new sound system. Go get one.’ And I'm like, ‘Well, Chris, I don't have the guitar chops, because I had a band. I had a huge seven piece band…I don't know if I want to do a solo,’ And he just smiled, walked away,” said Devorah.

She started performing around town, and is now vying for the title of America’s Next Top Hitmaker. If she wins, Devorah and her producer Chad Quist will perform together at the Global Citizen Festival this fall. With the $50,000, Devorah plans to set aside a portion for Quist, Global Citizen, and local charities. 

A portion of the earnings will also be reserved for a docudrama about her childhood hero and baseball player Rocky Colavito, Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger. Devorah started the project with a team of documentary friends, including Emmy Award Winning film maker Michael Harris, but has yet to raise the funds. The remaining prize money will go toward recording the rest of her songs and promoting them.

“I got back on the horse…And I'm not afraid if I lose this, because the one thing I will be doing is finishing those songs with either a GoFundMe, something, anything, so that those songs that are not done yet can be recorded,” said Devorah.

America’s Next Top Hitmaker is organized by Colossal, a fundraising platform that raises money for charities through competitions. This year, the competition is raising money for Global Citizen, an international advocacy platform working to end extreme poverty. The competition is sponsored by SoundCloud and Fender.

To vote for Devorah, visit: tophitmaker.org/2025/devorah.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media