Billboard Charting Recording Artist Felicia Punzo Takes Her Shot at Global Hard Rock Rising Competition in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — More than a decade ago, South Philadelphia recording artist Felicia Punzo was sitting inside an Atlantic City casino when she received a phone call telling her she had reached a Billboard chart.

Wednesday night, she'll be back in Atlantic City chasing another musical milestone.

Punzo will perform at Hard Rock Cafe Atlantic City in the opening round of Hard Rock Rising, a global music competition spanning 64 Hard Rock Cafes in 34 countries.

Punzo discussed the opportunity Tuesday during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND (M-F 12-1pm).

“This is definitely something that I am really grateful for and excited to do,” Punzo said. “And just to be picked is extremely, you know, an honor.”

The competition begins Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. at Hard Rock Cafe inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

Punzo is scheduled to perform along with the Andrew Moore Band and Laura Sheetal.

For Punzo, the challenge wasn't finding enough material for the performance. It was deciding what not to perform.

“This performance is all original music,” Punzo said. “So I had to literally pick from 50 original songs down to five, which was very hard to do. But we did it.”

From South Philly to Billboard

Punzo, 33, grew up in South Philadelphia and told Lopez she has been recording music since she was 13.

Music, she said, was always part of the family.

“My dad was a DJ for 35 years,” Punzo said. “My brothers are both DJs, and we are a very musical family.”

Her career eventually produced a Billboard breakthrough.

Punzo's “Sound My Heart Makes,” released on Panache Records, appeared on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart in 2015.

And Punzo remembers exactly where she was when she learned the news.

“The funny thing is when I found out that I hit Billboard, I was actually at an Atlantic City casino,” Punzo told Lopez.

She was attending a music event with her father when the call arrived.

“We were at like a music convention,” Punzo recalled. “And I get a phone call and me and my dad are sitting in the little lobby area and we find out that I hit Billboard. And it was really crazy.”

The location made the moment particularly meaningful.

“Atlantic City has been somewhere that I have went my whole childhood,” she said. “So to, you know, have all of that, it all circles back and it's really great.”

Punzo has continued recording and performing since then. Her official biography says her 2018 single “About Us” reached No. 10 on the Music Week UK Commercial Pop Chart.

She has also performed at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade and regularly performs the national anthem at Philadelphia's Columbus Day Parade.

A Competition With a Global Prize

Hard Rock Rising is returning in 2026 after a 10-year hiatus and offers substantially more than bragging rights for its winner.

Hard Rock Cafe and Coca-Cola launched the international competition this summer, opening it to singer-songwriters, bands and DJs.

Artists compete in live performances, with audiences voting in real time and judging performers on musicianship, fan support, vocal talent, originality and stage presence.

Atlantic City's competition nights are scheduled for Sept. 2, 9, 16 and 23.

The fourth round will produce a local winner who receives a cash prize and an opportunity for a three-month paid residency, according to Hard Rock.

Local winners from the participating Hard Rock Cafes will then advance to the global competition.

The Coke Studio team will review recorded performances from the 64 local winners before selecting a global champion, scheduled to be announced Oct. 5.

The grand prize includes $10,000, a professional recording session at Coke Studio L.A. Live, music distribution on major streaming platforms, a performance at Hard Rock Orlando and travel and accommodations.

Punzo said she's looking forward to performing her original music in front of the Atlantic City audience.

“I'm just really excited to just be out there and grateful to be given this opportunity,” she said.

‘You Hear a Thousand No's Before You Hear One Yes’

Punzo also talked about what it takes to remain in the music business for years without allowing success to be defined entirely by fame, streams or chart positions.

When she started, she said, artists had to perform, hand out promotional material and build an audience largely through word of mouth. Social media has dramatically changed that process.

“Right now, you post some pictures and videos and someone can go viral overnight,” Punzo said.

But she believes the basic requirement hasn't changed.

“If you keep the hustle and you stay grounded and you truly do something that you love, even if it's hard, it just makes it all worth it,” she said.

“You don't have to be the most famous person in the world to feel like you succeeded,” Punzo added. “The little things in life make you feel like, you know, you hit your mark, you hit your goal.”

Her career has also spanned a dramatic change in how music itself reaches listeners.

“When I first started, I released CDs,” Punzo said.

Today, she said, singles and streaming dominate the business.

“Everything is digital now. Streaming is extremely important,” she said. “If you don't evolve with the times, you're going to get lost. And I've learned that heavily.”

Still, perhaps her simplest advice to aspiring performers comes from years of experiencing the inevitable rejection that accompanies the entertainment business.

“You hear a thousand no's before you hear one yes,” Punzo said. “And guess what? You just keep on going and you keep on, you know, having fun doing something that you enjoy. Because once the fun gets out of it, what's the point of doing it?”

On Wednesday night, Punzo gets another chance at that “yes” — this time on an Atlantic City stage not far from where she learned 11 years ago that one of her songs had made Billboard.