It’s hard to believe that singer/songwriter Kate Cameron was ever shy. Having sung since she could talk, Cameron at only age 18 has already performed in over 100 shows around the South Shore area. This summer, she was hired by Country 102.5 radio to perform at events at least two to three times a week, if not more.

“She was painfully shy, and that’s why she took up writing, I think,” said her mother Karen Cameron. “She would just write and write and write.” Cameron believes her shyness was a blessing in disguise.

“I think if it wasn’t for being shy, I wouldn’t have had the time alone in my room to focus on my music and perfect it,” said Cameron, a 2011 Duxbury High School graduate.

While Cameron may be reticent in everyday life, she certainly isn’t shy about performing. Her first paid gig was at age 16 and she has been performing for fun and with groups like the Chamber Singers at DHS ever since. On a whim, Cameron may even take center stage at the Winsor House Inn when her family goes there to eat. Owner Patricia O’Connell said Cameron came in a few years ago with her family, and just got up and gave a show.

“She is extremely good,” said O’Connell “She comes in with her parents and she even played here a few weeks ago. She’s very amazing and quite professional in her performances.”

While Cameron can’t seem to stop performing, her big break came after a major personal discovery. Having been brought up singing mostly classic rock and blues songs, she discovered that her soulful voice was a perfect fit for country music.

“I consider my voice to be soulful,” said Cameron. “I noticed that it’s pretty rare to have a female country singer with soul, and something just clicked. I feel like I’m doing something unique with my music because I have such a range of ages and genres that I’m able to perform.”

With her newfound niche in music, Cameron began pursuing ways in which she could reach a larger audience and do what she loves -- perform.

“I started nagging Country 102.5 to hear my music a few years ago,” Cameron said. “Then at one of my gigs, Carolyn Kruse from the station recognized my name and heard me perform.”

After that fateful gig, Cameron was offered a job performing at events hosted by the station for the summer. As for Carolyn Kruse who helped her snag the deal, she can’t get enough of Cameron’s music.

“She is a delightful, poised and talented young woman,” said Kruse. “I first came to know of her through Twitter, I believe. I recall her sending out a video or song with a photo. Flash forward over a year and she reached out to me again on Facebook after she heard I was going to be doing a station appearance for a client in Hanson. She offered to come sing while we were there. She totally won us all over, with just a guitar, mic, amp, voice and sweet personality. Kate engaged the whole crowd. With youth and potential on her side, she is off to a great start. And the fact that she created her own opportunities is truly impressive. I’m really happy for her and look forward to working with her again. I like the honesty and rawness of her music, and her delivery. And, the kid’s got some marketing skills. Which, we all know is so important in today’s music world.”

Cameron, a Berklee College of Music student and songwriting major, is self taught. She knows guitar, mandolin and piano and hopes to hone her skills as a singer and musician through school. When school starts back up in the fall, she hopes to continue playing a few shows a week as well. For Cameron, performing is the real passion, with two EP’s out and hundreds of songs written, Cameron is well on her way to gaining a strong fan base.

“My first performance was at age seven,” Cameron said. “We have home videos of me singing almost as soon as I could talk. This is the first summer though where I’ve really taken my performing to the next level and it’s been great.”

Cameron’s mother Karen said her daughter has always loved performing for crowds because of the joy it brings others.

“She told me once, ‘Mom, it’s not about me, it’s about who I’m performing for,’” said Karen. “I thought that was really insightful of her.”

Cameron’s hopes for the future include expanding her fan base and to continue performing, hopefully in bigger venues. Having played from Boston to Foxboro and the Vineyard as well as all over the South Shore, Cameron is certainly doing well for herself.

“People I’ve never met come up and shake my hand after a show,” said Cameron. “They’ll come up and say, ‘Oh, I saw you here or there and I just had to come see you again,’ I always try to stay at least an hour after my performances to say hi to fans and sign autographs. I love when people come up and say, ‘I had such a great time watching you perform.’ That’s what I love about it.”

Cameron’s also performed at several charity events, for Juvenile Diabetes and the South Shore Educational Collaborative, and doesn’t like to turn down any gig.

“My heart is really in performing,” said Cameron. “When I perform I get to let loose, I get a lot of unpaid performances and I go regardless because I just love the experience.”

For more information and to hear Kate Cameron’s music, please visit her Web site at katecameronmusic.com.