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It seemed like I always knew music. I can remember being three years old and getting my first microphone and guitar and singing Dolly Parton’s "Why’d ya come in here lookin’ like that" for everybody at my birthday party! AND I remember what I was wearing … that’s one thing about me, I remember what I was wearing at pretty much every important event in my life ..funny.

Most of my family lived on the same road in Knoxville … up the hill from our house was Mamaw and my aunts, uncles and cousins all up and down the road. I was so blessed to have such an amazing childhood … homemade biscuits and gravy every Saturday morning at Mamaw’s … a brother who let me tag along with him and his friends, and wonderful parents who taught me how to love.

When I was around ten I sang at church for the first time!! That’s when I realized I not only loved to sing for people, but that I had a gift given to me from God that I needed to use. I got the chance to sing nightly in a Country review show for almost a year in Pigeon Forge TN when I was 12. Everything seemed so perfect.

Then, when I was 13 my dad got sick and passed away. It happened so quickly. That was my first taste of how hard life can be. He was truly my best friend.. still is. I started writing songs after going through that experience. I didn’t have any idea how people could make a living by writing songs … I didn’t really technically know HOW to write songs ... I just knew that my heart was broken and the only way to ease the pain was to write a song about it.

Two tough years passed and I told mama "Let’s go.. let’s move to Nashville!" …. And soon after, Mom and I made the big move. I met lots of great writers early on and they taught me so much about writing songs. Wrensong Music Publishing gave me a home as a writer and their belief helped me find my way as a singer/songwriter. I got the opportunity to play for Sony Records when I was only 17… and a few months later I got a record deal!!

The people at Sony helped me make a record I was, and still am, very proud of. Just as we were releasing the first single and video, Sony and BMG merged companies and I woke up one day to find out that most of the people I had worked with at Sony were no longer part of my world. The new company had a different vision for me as an artist and we both tried hard to make it work. They were great people but in the end it just wasn’t right for either of us. I’m not sure the CD I made will ever see the light of day but I’ve learned that in the music business, sometimes that’s just the way it goes.

During the time I was with Sony and BMG I continued to write and write and write. Other artists started to record my songs and I’m very proud and excited to have just gotten a double platinum award for a song that I co-wrote for Carrie Underwood’s new album called “Flat On The Floor”. Nora Jones recorded another one called “It’s Not You It’s Me”. Its so exciting to hear other artists perform my songs !

So… here I am.. I’ve seen a lot of highs and lows but the songwriting keeps me steady ! Writing at least one song a day seems to get all the "stuff" out of my head. I still have the same music in my soul I have had for as long as I can remember, and I’ll keep making the music that touches me and that I hope touches others for the rest of my life.

whateverlife was here wl15