Katie began singing at 2 years old. She grew up in a very musical family with a strong background in Christian,bluegrass and gospel music. She held her first concert at age 5.
Katie performed in theater,choirs and church specials throughout her youth and early adulthood.
She received a guitar for her 16th birthday. "I just locked myself in my room with my guitar and a chord chart and taught myself." Says Katie.
"2 weeks later, I sprained my fingers real bad and couldn't play for months."
Less than a year later, she managed to write her first song. "Unpublished. It's only mine. It's pretty much just for me and no one else needs to hear how bad it sounded.
She was thrown on the high school worship team at her home church. When they found out she had a guitar, she found herself on stage with a new guitar and only knowing 2 chords.
"Jason told me to just fake it. I just learned how to play under pressure. If it wasn't for the support and encouragement of my youth leaders and friends, I wouldn't be doing this."
She wrote several more songs including, "Prayer" and later, "Lay Myself Down."
She met her husband Brian Gilstrap at her own birthday party in September 2002. They married in January 2004 and began studio work in 2005.
"It was a very slow process. Life comes at you swinging with full force. You just gotta take it as it comes and do the best with what you have and be patient."
