I've recently become involved with a wonderful organization, Project Child Smiles. It teams up critically ill children and their families with songwriters. Please check out their MySpace at www.myspace.com/childsmiles!
Influences
Favorites and influences, in no particular order: Jim Croce, Indigo Girls, Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, James Taylor, John Denver, Gillian Welch, Allison Kraus, Chris Young, Seth Turner, Billy Hurst, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Eagles, Del McCoury Band, Kim Richey, Trisha Yearwood..... I can also remember Mom and Dad playing music on Sunday mornings, usually Tammy Wynette, The Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash, or Roger Miller. I can also remember lying on the floor in the living room, headphones on, listening to every album they had....Jim Croce, Carole King, Sonny and Cher, Mac Davis, Herb Albert, Tommy Roe, Andy Williams, Eddy Arnold, Grandpa Jones, and may others. Those records no doubt influenced my early love of all kinds of music, and helped instill a sense of being able to communicate through song and to touch a soul. Those songs certainly touched mine. That's what I hope my music can do, even if only one person. That's why I do what I do. Thanks for listening.
Sounds Like
Singer/songwriter in the vein of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, and John Denver, with a little Emily Sailers thrown in for good measure! I've been told I could be the illigetimate love child of Karen Carpenter and John Denver............................
Nashville singer/songwriter transplant (aren't we all???) originally from Kansas, been here going on 12 years and still love it. Started singing in church choir while in grade school. Picked up the guitar in junior high......bought the neighbor's garage sale guitar for $5, and a "John Denver Made Easy" songbook and taught myself how to play. Folks figured I was serious, bought me a nice classical guitar for my 16th birthday, and lessons. Started seriously writing after the death of a friend in 1992....good therapy, don't we all know. Joined a local band, Rocky J and the Runarounds, and sang backup as well as occassionally playing some original tunes, and honed my writing skills (still honing....). Took the plunge to Nashville in 1995. Currently have a great job, great friends, and always have the chance to hear great music.... If you're bored here, it's your own dang fault!
Outdoors-y kind of gal....mountains, ocean, doesn't matter as long as it out! Inside is too stifling....energy, creativity, air, it all gets too compressed and stale inside. I'm much more productive, and happier, if I can be out in the sun and the wind and even the rain (but not lightning!). The Great Smoky Mountains is my "happy" place.....I've solved many a problem and written a few songs while on a good long hike. Favorite tshirt seen in Gatlinburg: "When the going gets tough, the tough go hiking!" :) Hope to keep doing the songwriting thing a while longer, hitting the writers nights a couple times a month, and maybe even recording an independent cd soon. But mostly, I just want to enjoy this journey called life. Life is way too short to waste, so hang on and enjoy the ride! (This page created by Mary of Yes_MAM Graphics, Little Rock AR - THANKS MARY!!!
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Yes Ma'am...it has been too long. I have been treading some rough waters lately but also making a band happen! We are doing well. I miss you! I always have Mondays off.
Hello Tori - just passing by on a frantic surfing ramble and it seemed rude to visit your page and not say hello...hope you're good and the Nashville sun is warm?
hi tori i had to find a lovely home for the cockatoo and my eclectus parrot as ive been quite ill ,but ive kept pepsi the african grey as he makes me laugh so much ,im not to bad now but still reeling a bit from brain radiation for a tumour found there ,but im doing ok .and hopefully its been zapped well and good but wont find out just yet ,but at least it done with now . im still upbeat and smiling hehehe and posiive as always . so pleased all is going well with you , and hope your other family are doing well . i know how busy you must be ,so lovely to hear from you . take care lots of love shaza xxxx
Thank you for the add and supporting Project Child Smiles. We value your friendship. We are wishing you a weekend filled with love and smiles. God bless, keep up the great work. PCS Missouri Street Team
Well Tori the sun shined Sunday AND Monday! – we call this Summer in England (ha ha) – the trip to Scotland was a real blast – my poor head is still hurting – met so many great people (some REAL talent) I’m missing them already – Mary was brilliant putting us up in her flat – the radio show was good fun too – Ciaran is a real gent - I suppose the lesson learned from the weekend was that there is such a thing as too much Guinness! Be good - C
yeah sure was:) my downstairs neighbour wasnie impressed though so need to give her notice for next time :) so she can fit her earplus I dont know! some people just dont appreciate gon her I would have been wanting to come up .Nae taste some people> Hugs Mary look forward to you tuning in to the show. Best Wishes Mary xx
Hi Tori,Yes was a great weekend specially the fri in my local then a huge jam session in my house till 6:30am! Cookie is great as was his friend Alan.I opened my radio show with your song Remember me last night its a beauty. Cant wait till we get together gigging . Hope all is good for you my friend. Best Wishes Mary
Hi Tori, Thank you for your kind wishes... We had a lovely time at my friend's wedding yesterday & I was so glad that Tony was able to come along with me. We had to leave early but that was ok. Had to buy some more flowers for our garden as Tony wasn't happy with how many we had put in so more flowers are in the process of being planted! Shouldn't take too long to plant the rest tomorrow - hopefully... Wishing you a carefree, happy week-end with lots of time to just do as you please... Take care Rosemary xx
