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Like father, like daughter: Poway mayor and daughter have knack for great music

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus was just re-elected to his 2nd term in office, but did you know that government wasn't his first passion?

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - Poway Mayor Steve Vaus was just re-elected to his 2nd term in office, but did you know that government wasn't his first passion? Before entering into politics, most of his adult life was spent in the country music industry, and now his daughter is quickly making a name for herself as a rising star in Nashville.

Her brand new single is called "Day Job" and boy is it catchy. 

22-year-old Poway High alum, Anna Vaus, has the “it” factor - an amazing voice and the country charisma, and her dad has known it all along.

Ironically, the elder Vaus’ day job is the reason we are here. He is now the twice elected mayor of Poway.

Vaus says the job hasn’t changed him, “I’m still Steve. I was Steve before I was mayor.”

His background was never in politics, in fact it was on stage under a different name. He was a singer songwriter who thought there just wasn’t enough good music out there for kids.

Vaus took on the persona of Buck Howdy and the music caught on!

Buck Howdy’s songs were so popular they took him all the way to the Grand ‘Ol Opry and the White House.

He was nominated for four Grammy’s and finally brought one home on the fourth try making him America's first Grammy winning mayor.

But now the real charm is watching his daughter take center stage. 

The only way News 8 could interview both Mayor Vaus and Anna at the same time was a well-organized Facetime call to Music City U.S.A – Nashville. 

While stealing time when she should have been in a song writing lesson, Anna said that she opened for John Pardi and Old Dominion this summer and just recently for LoCash.      

Vaus’s single reached the Top 40 charts and she recently released a music video that was filmed by her brother that is now airing on CMT.

Poway is known for being the city in the country and for the mayor, his job has him at the city, but his heart might be a little more country. 

Check out Anna’s new single, "Day Job"

You can see her brand new music video here.


Now that you've seen what Poway's current mayor is up to, take a look back at this vintage News 8 footage of Poway in decades past.

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