Disney star coming to city

After seeing Emily Osment for years on TV and film, most notably as Hannah Montana's best friend Lilly Truscott, fans will now get their first chance to hear her in concert. She will perform on MuchMusic's first annual SodaPOP tour which will stop in Fredericton at a sold-out show on Monday, June 28 at The Playhouse. Osment will be joined by Toronto-born singer and songwriter Jesse Labelle, R&B sensation Danny Fernandes, dance-rock group The New Cities and new pop artist Alyssa Reid.

In a telephone interview with The Daily Gleaner from Edmonton, where Osment was on a tour stopover, she talked about her music, this tour and life after Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel hit TV show. Her character is best friends with Hannah Montana. Is Osment best friends with Miley Cyrus?"Sure. Yeah ... We have known each other for six years."

When the show started, Osment was 13. No one, including Osment, had any idea it would be the mega Disney hit that it has become. Osment says she believes shows like this one don't come around often. She calls it a privilege to work on a show where the writers made it what it was with great scripts that took into account the interests and tastes of the kid viewers.

"We had a lot of fun. In the beginning it was kind of like playing myself because at that age I was goofy and crazy and I didn't really care what anyone else thought of me. Both of us grew up and they adjusted the character a bit."

This 18-year-old, who resides in Los Angeles, is now focusing on her music and part of that includes this seven-week tour which she calls a whole lot of fun.

"I love being on the road and seeing all of these kids and I love playing music with my band. It's like a party all the time."

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