Something Beautiful, the debut solo CD of ALL MY CHILDREN star Bobbie Eakes (Krystal), will hit stores on May 31. "We chose that title not only because it's one of the singles on the record, but because it is what I consider to be beautiful music, beautiful songs," explains Eakes.

The record, which includes covers of songs by artists (all male) ranging from Van Morrison to James Taylor to Paul McCartney, "is really different from anything I've ever done," she says. "It's not country, which people who have bought some of my other records may expect. I've never focused on standards in my career as a singer, but there are several of them on this project, and as it turns out, those were my favorite songs to do, songs like [Louis Armstrong's] 'A Kiss To Build A Dream On.' That really surprised me!" And inspired her, too. "Now I really want to start doing gigs around New York!" Eakes enthuses. "I want to put together a cabaret act. That would be so much fun!"

But getting into this new style took a bit of coaxing. "Choosing the songs was one of my favorite parts of the whole process," she notes, "but a lot of the songs my producer suggested, I didn't necessarily think I wanted to do. Then we rented a rehearsal space and when Tony [DeSare], our arranger and pianist, started to play them, we came up with different arrangements that allowed me to hear the songs in ways I didn't expect. And it ended up feeling very comfortable, because Tony and Billy [Terrell, the CD's producer] were great about [tailoring the songs to my voice]. They had some really fresh ideas. For example, there's an Elvis song, 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,' and we did it almost swing. I never would have thought to do it that way, but I'm really happy with how it turned out."

As a bonus, fans who purchase the CD will also get a DVD that provides a peek into Eakes's creative process, plus her history as a musical artist. "It's embarrassing for me because I'm one of those people who don't like to watch myself," she giggles. "In fact, I find it painful [laughs]! But I hope the fans like it."

For more information, go to www.bobbieeakes.com.