Wyld for Wynonna

As Southwest Louisiana was bracing itself for the possibility of Hurricane Dean last month, another hurricane swept through Lake Charles. Wynonna Judd blew through town for a two-night engagement at L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort, and “Hurricane Wy,” as she’s affectionately known to her legions of fans, did not disappoint. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the second show on Friday, August 17, but it absolutely was one of the best shows I have ever been to.

Being a long-time fan of Wynonna, I was looking forward to finally seeing her show and hearing that powerful voice live and in person for the first time. It was just an added bonus that she opened the Friday show with one of my personal, all-time favorites, “Heaven Help My Heart.” After she blew me away with that first song, I knew I was in for a great show. She blazed through several of her rockin’ solo hits, including “Tell Me Why,” “Rock Bottom,” and “What It Takes.” But she really shined on the slower tempo songs, such as “She Is His Only Need,” “Only Love” and “I Wanna Know What Love Is.”

Of course, no Wynonna show would be complete without a couple of signature Judds songs. As soon as the band began playing the recognizable opening notes of “Mama He’s Crazy,” the crowd cheered and sang along to every word. Don Potter, creator of the signature Judds sound, was out on the road with Wy’s band, and she had him play the infamous intro lick to “Grandpa” a couple of times to the roar of the audience. Once again, the crowd sang right along with her.

Another powerful moment of the show was the emotional performance of “I Can Only Imagine,” a cover song with very personal meaning for Wynonna. Tears flowed from her eyes (and mine), and the crowd felt the emotion. This was a real chill bump-raising performance, and for die-hard fans like myself who know a little about Wynonna’s personal situation right now, it was especially poignant.

Wynonna brought fans, as well as the stuffy casino patrons, to their feet during her stirring rendition of the classic “At Last,” almost blowing the roof off the place. She then ended the show with another Judds signature song “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

However, there was one more song Wynonna could not leave Lake Charles without performing: her signature solo hit “No One Else on Earth.” Hard core fans made their way to the front of the stage for the rowdy and fun sing along encore, and Wy even handed her microphone down to a fan in the front row so he could sing the song.

Wynonna was in excellent voice and great spirits for the entire set. She was extremely chatty with the crowd, and each time someone shouted something out to her in between songs, she stopped and said something back. She also stopped to pose for those walking up to the stage to take pictures and acknowledged many of them. She shook hands with many people on the front row, and when someone handed her a huge bouquet of flowers, she held it for the entire next song.

At one point, someone passed her a note, which she read to herself. After she read it, she looked up, made a face, laughed and threw it over her shoulder. She also asked how many in the audience had never seen her before, and when practically the entire crowd erupted, she responded with, “Oh my God, are you kidding me? Where have you guys been all these years?” When someone shouted back “Waiting for you to play here,” she just said “Good answer.”

As much as I loved hearing the music, I enjoyed watching Wynonna’s interaction with the crowd and seeing that side of her even more. It’s no secret she loves and appreciates her fans, and they made sure that love was reciprocated that night.

Wynonna has long been a favorite artist of mine, so I am glad I was finally able to have the experience of seeing her live, and I definitely hope to see her again in the future.

Ville Platte's Own American Idol Contender

The following article is not really country music-related, but I thought it was cool to interview a young guy from my hometown who tried out for American Idol and plans on trying out again. He is very talented and kind. The entire town wishes him well with his music. Good luck Justin!

Justin Lafleur’s musical ambitions are only just beginning, and with being a top contender in the “Acadiana Idol” audition for American Idol last month, he is more “fired up” than ever to make his dream a reality.

Lafleur’s singing ability was discovered when he was in the eighth grade at Sacred Heart. He asked his teacher, Karen Soileau, if he could sing “Silent Night” during the school’s Christmas play. He recalls with a chuckle that she told him he could perform the song, but he would have to audition for her first to prove he could sing. When he later told his mom, Lafleur says she was very nervous for him because this was the first time he sang alone in public, and she was worried he would fall on his face. Lafleur adds when his mom discovered his talent, she quickly became his biggest fan and supporter.

Lafleur, the son of Jay and Phyllis Lafleur of Ville Platte and the late Susan Shipp Lafleur, continued singing anywhere he could throughout high school. He sang in church, in the school chamber choir and in the Eunice Community Choir. As a member of the Cotton Pickers for three years, he performed a solo of “In the Still of the Night.” He remembers his time with the Cotton Pickers fondly and proclaims, “It was great. The week of the (Cotton) festival was the best because we got to attend many functions.” He adds he learned a lot of technique from Dwight Jodon with the Eunice Community Choir during his time with the group.

After graduating from Sacred Heart in 1999, Lafleur went on to attend LSU, where he majored in biology. However, he could not leave LSU without taking at least one voice class. He learned a lot from the difficult and demanding classes and tried out for the Schola Cantorum, a choir for music majors. He joined the group for six months and says, “It was the hardest thing, but I learned a lot from people who go on to become music professors and voice coaches.”

In 2004, Lafleur did some research online about auditioning for the reality television show American Idol and made the trip to Austin, Texas, to try out, along with thousands of other hopefuls. He recalls the experience as “really wild,” and says, “People were sleeping in sleeping bags and everyone could really sing. It was really fun meeting people with the same interests.” Lafleur auditioned fifth in a group of five in front of the show’s producer, Simon Fuller, and sang his heart out, hoping to impress him and make the show. After everyone finished singing, Fuller addressed Lafleur by name and told him he was a good singer, which Lafleur hoped was a good sign. However, Fuller then told the group of five, “We can’t use any of you.”

Lafleur’s mom passed away later that year, and he didn’t sing much after that until about six months ago, when someone asked him to sing at a funeral. Lafleur admits he thought it would be harder than it was and he had forgotten how much he loved to sing. Not long after that, he was watching television when an advertisement for “Acadiana Idol” aired saying there was an audition at Arceneaux Ford in New Iberia that weekend. He decided to try out, and at the competition held August 15, he, along with the contestants, filmed a commercial for the dealership, which airs on the local Fox station. For the contest, Lafleur chose to perform the song “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. The five judges loved his rendition and asked him to perform another song, so he sang “I’ve Got A Woman” by Ray Charles. Lafleur says he gravitates toward those types of songs because he grew up listening to the old Motown and blues and soul classics with his dad, who likes that kind of music. He grew to love the same music and likes to sing anything by Otis Redding and in the blues and soul genres.

The following weekend, Lafleur sang in front of a large crowd at the Center Court in Acadiana Mall, along with the 17 other finalists. Of course, he had his “fan club” with him for support, including his former teacher, Soileau. Lafleur says with a laugh that she told him to “remember who got you started.” Again, he received positive feedback from the judges. Only one winner was to be chosen, but the judges picked five to go up and sing for them again. In the end, it came down to Lafleur and Tamesha Labastrie of Opelousas. Labastrie won the opportunity to audition in Philadelphia for the show, but Lafleur admits she was really good.

One of the judges, Kenny Janise with the local band Kenny and the Heartbreakers, was especially encouraging to Lafleur, who recalls he was down to earth and told him not to give up because he has a unique quality to his voice and doesn’t sound like anyone else.

With all of the positive feedback, support and encouragement, Lafleur plans to audition again for the next season of American Idol. Even though he is just getting back into singing, the 26-year-old exclaims, “I am ready to kick it into high gear.” Currently, he continues to sing at weddings and other events.

Lafleur’s short-term goal at the moment is simply to get something recorded and write songs. He says he has never heard his voice on record and has not yet had the opportunity to work in a recording studio. In the future, he plans to move to California to pursue his goals, but adds, “I’ll move wherever the opportunity is, even to Alaska.”

Lafleur emphasizes the most valuable thing he has taken away from the whole experience is the unbelievable love and support of not only his family and friends, but his entire hometown. He marvels, “The Ville Platte crowd at the mall was incredible, and the support of the town has been unbelievable. Everyone has been very positive and supportive.”

A Birthday and Special Anniversary for the Fabulous Trisha Yearwood

What better to way honor the lovely and talented Miss Trisha Yearwood on the occasion of her birthday (September 19) than to reflect on one of the biggest nights of her life and career. It’s hard to believe this week also marks the 10th anniversary of Trisha’s very first win for CMA Female Vocalist of the Year at the 31st Annual Country Music Association Awards; a win that marked the beginning of what was arguably the biggest year of her career.

I remember exactly where I was the night of September 24, 1997. I was a 21-year-old college student and watched the show in the bedroom of the apartment I shared with two roommates. I had been hoping Trisha would finally win the female vocalist award she so richly deserved, so to say I was ecstatic for her is an understatement.

First, the performance of a lifetime: Trisha, elegant and regal in her long, black gown, performed her current hit “How Do I Live” in front of industry peers and fans, and she simply wowed them. She was accompanied by an orchestra as she sang into an overheard microphone while scenes from the movie Con Air played on a screen in the background. (The song was from the movie’s soundtrack – but that’s an entirely different story.) During the performance, Trisha was visibly moved by the applause from the crowd as she sang her heart out. When the song ended, she was completely overwhelmed by the standing ovation and applause from the audience, and she can be seen shaking her head in amazement as she hurriedly walked backstage.

Now, I have seen Trisha sing this signature song many times over the years, both on television and in concert. But there was something absolutely magical and breathtaking about her performance that night. To this day, I still get chills anytime I happen to see it. It was that good.

That performance alone would have made for a great night for Trisha, but the best was yet to come. The female vocalist category was announced right after her performance, so she was still standing backstage as the nominees were called: Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, LeAnn Rimes, Pam Tillis and Trisha Yearwood. Finally, the moment of truth: Ronnie Milsap announced “The winner is Trisha Yearwood.” The camera captured her reaction as she made her way back to the stage to accept her award. Trisha is not normally one to get teary and too emotional on stage, but that night, the tears flowed. In her speech, she marveled, “I don’t know what to say except that this is what I have wanted ever since I saw Reba McEntire win female vocalist of the year and stand on this stage and say into the tv set, ‘If you have a dream, you can make it come true.’ I believed you Miss Reba and I’m here.” After thanking the obligatory manager, label, etc., she thanked her parents by saying, “As proud as you are of me right now, I’m prouder to be your daughter.” She went on to say, “But most of all, I want to thank the fans, who have made me feel like I’ve won this award every year. I love you guys.”

It goes without saying that Trisha’s moving performance of a beautiful song and her subsequent female vocalist win were definitely my favorite moments of the ‘97 CMAs. It had been quite a while since I have watched my vhs tape of that award show, but I recently found clips of Trisha’s performance and win posted online and got chills all over again as I watched and remembered where I was that night. I just thought back to that night and how it will always remain a magical moment in time for my favorite artist. I know it’s a night she will never forget.

Trisha’s CMA win led to several other awards that season. She won her first solo Grammy for female country vocal performance for “How Do I Live” in 1998, the same night she also won a Grammy for country vocal collaboration with future husband Garth Brooks for their duet “In Another’s Eyes.” Trisha also received top female vocalist honors from the Academy of Country Music for the first time in 1998, and she went on to receive a second female vocalist of the year award from the CMA that same year. On CMA night, Trisha gave another powerful performance and accepted her award live via satellite from Buffalo, New York, where she and Garth had a show that night. Their performance of “Where Your Road Leads” in front of a manic, packed-house crowd was yet another truly magical, chill bump-raising performance.

Trisha’s performances at the ’97 and ’98 CMA Awards shows remain two of my all-time favorite award show performances of hers to this day. Watching them brings back such great memories of the high point of Trisha’s career. With the help and support of a new record label, and with fresh, exciting new music on the horizon, Trisha is well-poised to make her way back to the top, where she belongs.

Here’s to future female vocalist nominations and wins for the birthday girl. Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary Miss Trisha!

Sammy Kershaw and Lorrie Morgan's Exciting Visit to Ville Platte, Louisiana

Country music royalty visited Ville Platte, Louisiana, July 10, when Sammy Kershaw and Lorrie Morgan passed through town as a stop along his campaign trail. He is running for the office of lieutenant governor for his home state and has been making the rounds. One of our local Rotarians happens to be one of Sammy’s campaign volunteers, and he was able to get the couple to visit the lunch meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. For our small town, that was very big news indeed, and as a reporter for my local paper, I got to cover the meeting and visit with them for a few minutes before and after Sammy’s presentation. As a huge country music fan, that definitely rates as one of the most exciting things I have ever been able to do at work.

Now, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the couple as I had read and heard many things about them over the years, so I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly and personable they both were with everyone. They casually walked around the restaurant introducing themselves to the Rotarians who invited them to the meeting, and I was almost taken aback when they actually sat down and ate with everyone. The restaurant owner dressed up and decorated the place to welcome her special guests. As Sammy is a good ole Cajun boy from Kaplan and Lorrie loves Cajun and spicy food, she put together a fantastic Cajun menu for them to chose from, including gumbo, etoufee and many other staples.

As a general rule, Rotary meetings are not supposed to be political in nature, so Sammy spoke more about his personal and career background. Everyone had a great laugh when he recounted how his producer played him this one song while they were looking for songs for his first album and he thought it was the “biggest piece of crap” he ever heard. Then he sang the opening line to his first huge hit, “Cadillac Style.” Then he talked about the honor and privilege of performing with the legends of country music, such as George Jones and Loretta Lynn. He shared the story of when he was asked to participate in a tribute album to George Jones. He recalled he already had a song picked out, but the label told him they had another one in mind. Sammy then sang the opening line to “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” and he said he told his label, “Are you kidding me? That’s career suicide!” He also shared several other anecdotes about his career, which everyone enjoyed hearing.

Sammy did briefly touch on his campaign goals, emphasizing his love for his home state and how he wanted to help improve the quality of life in Louisiana. He proclaimed, “I am sad to see Louisiana in the state it is in,” and that one of his goals as lieutenant governor is to make the entertainment industry in Louisiana a viable, permanent industry for the state. Sammy noted the state has missed many opportunities in this area in the past, and asserted the entire state should be promoted, not just certain big cities like New Orleans. He urged citizens to demand strong leaders and a clean government and to settle for nothing short of a new life. He also encouraged citizens to make their leaders accountable and know who they are representing.

After touching on his campaign, Kershaw focused the rest of his talk on his childhood growing up in Kaplan, his love for his family and the long road he traveled to becoming a “21-year overnight success in the music business.” He said he made a promise to himself that if he made it, he would never forget his hometown and would promote Louisiana every chance he got. He said through his success, he has been able to touch many lives, and he has been welcomed into many small communities like Ville Platte across the country. His success has also allowed him to effect change in Louisiana, and he has established the Sammy Kershaw Foundation, which benefits his hometown. He said at the beginning of his career, he vowed to care for those who worked for him and their families, a promise he keeps to this day. He also said God has been good to him and has blessed him with a great wife, great kids and great grandkids.

During a question and answer session following his speech, Sammy was asked what his wife thought of him running for office, and he admitted she was a bit leery at first. However, he said she knew how passionate he was about his home state, and once she saw how serious he was about it and that this opportunity would be a dream come true for him, she jumped right on board with him and became very supportive.

Once Sammy completed answering questions from the crowd, the Rotarians presented the couple with a gift to thank them for attending the meeting. When Lorrie saw the basket of Cajun seasonings and sauces, she cracked with a laugh, “That will get used, believe me.”

After the meeting, Sammy and Lorrie graciously hung around for a while and signed many autographs and posed for photos with everyone. I took the photos I needed for the paper, and of course I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take my picture with them before they left. I brought along my prized copy of “Finding Her Voice, the History of Women in Country Music” for Lorrie to sign. Good move on my part. Lorrie asked me what I was holding, and when I showed her, she thought that was the coolest thing and thumbed through it. I told her I was a huge country music fan and had many other artists sign the book over the years, to which she replied, “That’s awesome!” Of course, she and Sammy both graciously signed the book (next to her picture and article) and posed for a couple of photos with me after that. I even got an autograph for my father-in-law who is a big fan of both - Huge brownie points for me!

I have to commend Lorrie for being a good sport that day, playing along with all of the guys who were dressed to the nines and shamelessly flirting with her in front of Sammy and their wives.

After the meeting, Sammy and Lorrie remained in Ville Platte for a town hall meeting later that afternoon at the civic center, where he discussed the issues and his campaign platform. They also stopped by the paper’s office to say hello.

That was such a fun day for me, because as you can imagine, we don’t get many celebrities stopping through our small town, much less two at the same time. And I guess my article for the paper could technically count as my first official published country music article. It’s not often I get to write anything remotely related to country music for work, so that was really exciting for me.

Current Country Radio: An Interview with Renee Revett of 99.1 KXKC

Here is another country music-related article I wrote during college. I interviewed a program director/dj friend of mine from a local country radio station, who is no longer with the station, about the current state of country radio (1997). I think it turned out well, and she liked it. I got an “A” on this paper as well.

The current state of country music is vastly different from even a few years ago. The genre has turned itself from being the "music industry’s stepchild" to being one of the hottest and best selling music of the ‘90s. The critics consider the year 1989 as the year the industry began to change and boom with the emergence of future mega stars, such as Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson. Nashville critic and insider Buddy Killen feels country music has been greatly affected by the emergence of so many new artists on the scene. He believes the combination of new artists and the "old guard" has been good for the industry. The introduction of country music to young people, and in turn record sales, have greatly benefited from the rising popularity of CMT and TNN, which both allow the public to visually connect with the new artists and music coming out of Nashville.

Unlike other musical formats, country radio relies heavily on the relationship with the Nashville industry and is more involved with the listeners and fans. Country listeners are some of the most loyal and avid listeners of music. Country radio rewards this loyalty by being accessible to the listeners. Many fans are involved with the genre and attend many concerts. Some die hard fans even attend the annual Fan Fair event, which gives fans the opportunity to meet and mingle with their favorite entertainers, something not seen in any other genre of music.

To find out more about what it takes to be successful in the local country radio market, and what a typical day at the station is like, I spoke with Renee Revett, program director and morning personality with 99.1 KXKC in Lafayette. After getting off the air, she runs the programming department, which includes everything from making sure commercials air on schedule to seeing that on-air personalities attend local events, such as festivals, games and concerts, to show community support and meet the listeners.

One of her most important tasks is being in charge of song rotation, deciding which songs to air and how often to play them. Along with music director Kelly Thompson, Revett listens to the new music out of Nashville and decides which new songs to "add" to the playlist each week. Making this task even more important is the fact that KXKC is a member of the Country Music Association (CMA). The station is also a member of both the Billboard and Radio and Records reporting panels, which means the number of songs played, and how often they are played on the air, has an impact on the national charts. As a result, Nashville is interested in what KXKC plays, and industry executives make sure the station gets the newest music. New artists also stop in to the station on their “radio tours.” The industry also invites KXKC to radio-only listening parties, which help introduce new artists hopeful for airplay.

The station is very successful and popular for its young age of only five years. Revett attributes the station’s success and popularity to several things. She says, "Everyone, from the top management to the on-air personalities, is professional. The owner was a broadcaster first, so the station is operated from the perspective of radio and broadcasting.” Unlike the national trend of stations being bottom-line and profit oriented, Revett says KXKC’s main goal is to be entertaining and informative. The personalities are also very community-minded and make a point of showing their care and concern for the community and listeners. In addition to this local success, Revett was recently honored by Billboard magazine as runner-up for program director of the year. The station also has received several awards recognizing its community and humanitarian efforts, including Humanitarian Station of the Year at Country Radio Seminar.

As for current country music, Revett says there are so many new artists now vying for airplay that it is hard for the average listener to keep up. "KXKC, while taking care to introduce new artists, also makes a point of playing a lot of popular and well-known artists, so as not to alienate the listeners by giving them too many people to have figure out who they are." By doing this, and being involved in the community and lives of the listeners, KXKC has avoided the national trends, which find country music in a decline of popularity.

Revett reveals that while being on the air is more fun, she finds the behind-the-scenes aspect of programming the station and dealing with Nashville more challenging and fulfilling for her.

As far as people wanting to get into radio, she feels now is not the best time for new people to get into the radio industry because of the national consolidation trend with owners having several stations in a single market area. However she does offer the following advice for those who want to pursue a career in radio, "Learn it, know it. Don’t lose your interest now. Go ahead and get your education. Learn as much of it as you can, but diversify yourself. The best, most successful people in radio are those who bring to the table a good background of many different things."

Establishing a Career in Country Music

I had forgotten about this article, but I recently found it and thought I would post it. It is an old college "process" essay I wrote for my first semester in college (English 1001) several years ago. My professor thought it was a unique idea to write an essay on the process of breaking into country music and I received an A for it! After re-reading it, I noticed many changes I could make to improve it. However, I am posting it as I originally turned it in for a grade. Enjoy!

The long road to becoming a singer begins at a young age. Loving to listen to music and sing along with songs on the radio is a great place to start. Learning to play an instrument and write songs from an early age gives the person a great advantageMost people begin performing at local clubs to gain the experience of performing before an audience. When the person feels ready, a move to Nashville, Tennessee, is a smart choice. Once there, it is a great idea to get a job as a waiter or maybe as a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame. A job as a receptionist or demo singer at a record company gives the person a chance to witness what goes on “behind the scenes” in the music business. Recording a demo tape and sending copies to various record label executives can be a crucial factor in getting a recording contract. If these executives like what they hear, the person will be called for an audition, which usually leads to receiving a contract. The person still has a long way to go toward reaching his/her goal.

The hard work begins once the contract has been signed. The person listens to literally thousands of songs or writes his/her own until the singer finds the 10 or 12 best songs and begins recording the critical debut album. Upon completion of the album, the record label’s artists and repertoire department begins its job of determining how to market the new artist. They help decide on the artist’s “look” for the album cover and stage appearances. The artist’s image can play a crucial role in initial acceptance and success. It is now time to introduce the new artist to the public.

Next, life on the road begins. The first year is usually spent opening for more established artists. New artists quickly realizes it is not as glamorous as they once thought. The performer soon learns the pre-concert drill of setting up the stage and lights and doing sound checks and rehearsals each night. Touring with an established artist certainly has its advantages. He/she can offer the new artist advice on everything from performing on stage and handling the media and fans to juggling career and family demands. New artist often loves the excitement of road life, which allows them to be in a different city or state nearly every night, but quickly becomes tired of it after the first year or two.

A new artist who quickly becomes an “overnight success” must learn to handle constantly being hounded by fans and the media. As new artist becomes more successful, they are asked to make more appearances and do many interviews. They now has to deal with the fact that they will have little or no privacy and then must decide how much of their lives to keep private and how much to share with the public.

Several signs indicate that an artist has “made it.” Receiving that first number one record, having an album sell gold, platinum or even multi-platinum and being nominated for various industry awards are major signs of success. Having the opportunity to meet and become friends with other artists, especially the ones that have greatly influenced their career choice and now say they are a fan of them is a huge compliment. While there is competition among the artists, they are constantly pulling for each other. Being asked to perform on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time is always a great honor for all new country artists.

Perhaps the most important sign of success to an artist is the fans. They are the people from whom the artist receives the majority of praise and criticism. By voicing their opinions, fans let artists know what they like or dislike about their music or personality. In doing this, family, friends and fans alike help keep new singers from becoming arrogant about their success. Fans share a special bond with their favorite artists and often write letters explaining how their music helped them through painful times in their lives. Many artists show their appreciation by writing back and sharing their own personal stories. Artists often meet with fans and sign autographs during meet and greets either before or after a show or during events such as Fan Fair. Once a person becomes a fan, it is usually for life. The more “accessible” entertainers are, the more fans they are likely to have.

So, if you love to sing and think you can handle all of the pressure, excitement and fulfillment that life on the road as a country singer hands you, keep practicing and never give up because you just might make it as a country singer.

Welcome to my new blog

Hello everyone and welcome to my new blog. It has been my longtime dream to be a country music journalist or to be involved in the wonderful world of country music in some way. I’ll admit I grew up hating country music, but in 1990, when I was a 15-year-old freshman in high school and had my first boyfriend, I began to gradually like it a little bit because he loved it. He introduced me to the infamous “Class of ’89,” and I soon became hooked on that incredible group of newcomers, which included Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Clint Black, Lorrie Morgan, oh and some guy named Garth Brooks (maybe you’ve heard of him?).

When my boyfriend was killed by a drunk driver three days before my birthday the next year , music became my lifeline and I continued to gravitate toward the healing lyrics of country music. I soon began discovering other great artists like Randy Travis, George Strait, Alabama, and my two favorites at the time, Reba McEntire and the Judds.

New favorites artists came along in the early ‘90’s, cementing my love of country music. In the fall of 1991, a tall, blonde Georgia girl named Trisha Yearwood came out with her first hit single, “She’s In Love with the Boy.” Being 16 at the time, of course the lyrics struck a chord with me. I soon became an avid fan of hers and have been ever since. It was also about this time that Wynonna went solo after the Judds farewell tour. I became a huge fan of hers as well. “Wy and Ty” became my country music “sheroes” and remain so to this day. I don’t know what it was that drew me to them and their music, but the combination of their songs and their powerful and amazing vocal abilities, not to mention their wonderful, kind and witty personalities, made me a fan of theirs for life.

Music has always been a passion of mine, from the time I was about seven or eight years old listening to my mom’s Pat Benatar, Heart and Fleetwood Mac albums. I have just always loved listening to music because no matter what kind of day you are having, hearing a favorite song by a favorite singer can pull you right out of the dumps and get you smiling again. As a child, I didn’t really plan on doing anything related to music, but as I got older and became more interested in the behind the scenes aspects of the entire country music industry, I began realizing that is where my true passion was.

That passion was strongly reinforced after I read the book “Get Hot or Go Home,” which followed the beginning of Trisha’s career and all the “behind the scenes” action that occurs in the early stages of a new artist’s career. It was then that I became really interested in learning everything I could about the rich and storied history of country music and its artists and movers and shakers. I have since read countless artist biographies and industry books on the subject, which only fueled my desire even further.

However, since I cannot sing a lick, I knew I would have to find some other avenue to be a part of the music and industry I love so much, whether that meant working as a dj for a local radio station, public relations or marketing for a record label, fan club president for an artist or even selling merchandise on the road for an artist. To that end, I referred back to Trisha’s book and decided to look into attending Belmont University in Nashville for its wonderful music business program, just as she did. I also love to write, so I had planned to minor in journalism. I mean, how much fun would it be to interview your favorite artists for a living?

A few years later in 1996, I met and became friends with a program director/dj at a local country station. We began talking about my country music goals and she was very encouraging and supportive. In fact, when I attended Fan Fair in 1997, I did a remote call in to the morning show she hosted.

After visiting Nashville for the first and only time, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that that was where I wanted to be. This is going to sound crazy, but I felt more like myself and at home there for that one week than I did back home with my family and friends who just do not understand my passion and love of music. I had such a blast that entire week, meeting the artists and tv personalities, as well as seeing all of the country music history at the Ryman and the Hall of Fame first hand.

When I returned from Nashville, I spoke to my radio friend, and she graciously offered to write a letter of recommendation for me as part of my application to Belmont. Unfortunately, my parents were so dead set against the move and my getting into country music that I quit in the middle of the application process and put my dreams aside for several years. As a result. I lost contact with my good radio friend.

It has now been 10 years since that fateful trip to Nashville, and 10 years of me putting my goals and dreams aside to please everyone else. No matter how often I have pushed my dreams aside over the years, I just keep coming back to the realization that deep down I know I am meant to do something in country music. I can either keep letting others keep me down or do something about it. So, I am finally going to stop putting myself last for once and go for it, no matter what anyone else thinks. This great quote from Trisha pretty much sums it up and has kind of become my motto: "I remember thinking, I can't have this desire so strongly and not be able to do it. And I remember praying about it and saying, 'God, if I can't do this, if this is not gonna work out for me, then make me wanna do something else. Give me the passion to do something else and I'll go do that.' But the drive never went away and there was never anything else that I wanted to do. And so I felt like, well, that means this is what I'm supposed to do and I'm gonna find a way to do it."

As I love to write and work for my local paper, I thought starting my own blog might be a good way to at least begin writing about the music and industry I am so passionate about. I spoke to several good friends and a new dj friend from a local station, and they are all very excited for me and encouraged me to just go for it. So, here I am with my own new blog site. My ultimate goal and hope is that this will eventually lead to possible opportunities to work for a country music publication or do something else in the industry. For now, however, this site will be a place to talk about my favorite music and artists, post concert and music reviews and just give my take on whatever happens to be going on in the industry at the moment.

Well, now that I’ve given most of my life story here, I hope you all enjoy my new blog. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments with me.