Phoenix, AZ -- Rockford, Illinois, isn't considered a music mecca like New Orleans or Nashville, but it gets a note of praise from rising star Sarah Kelly.

The Rockford native spends much of her time on the road or in Phoenix and Los Angeles but admits if she wants to write a really good song she has to go back to her roots.

In her words, "I write my best songs in Rockford."

Kelly doesn't know why Rockford works for her but thinks it's because she spent her youth at the Cheap Trick Museum, which honors the town's most famous band.

But Kelly could get a museum of her own if things keep going the way they are. She just released her debut CD, "Take Me Away," which is getting rave reviews.

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