NEW YOUNG COUNTRY SINGERS SET FOR STARDOM
Grooming a new gang of girls to become the future country queens of music is just part of the natural Nashville evolution. As the spotlight winds down on yesterday’s superstars, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and the self-retired Trisha Yearwood, a young fresh-faced set of tomorrow’s giants is already seeking center-stage: Sarah Buxton, Kelly Pickler, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, 19-year-old Julianne Hough and even 17-year-old Emma Mae Jacob.
They were all in Vegas this week for the Academy of Country Music Awards show and even performed in their very own “New Artists” concert as a charity fundraiser event for the organization. Taylor Swift, who was soaked to the skin in a stage rainfall performance at the awards show, won as Top New Female Vocalist but Sarah Buxton found a surprise fan in Keith Urban who joined her on stage for a duet. You can scroll back to yesterday’s Luxe Life for our interview with Julianne Hough.
I asked Miranda Lambert, who won the Album of the Year award, if all little girls in Nashville grew up dreaming of country fame and fortune.
She told me: “I did. The dream started when I was about 10. I didn’t necessarily sing at 10, I didn’t want to be a star then. I wanted to direct videos or be a teacher. I wanted to do something with the music. I didn’t miss out on anything in high school. I was a cheerleader. I didn’t start too early. When I was 17 I started writing and then I realized it was something that came naturally and I thought I could do this for ever. When I was growing up I had many female heroes that I wanted to follow in their footsteps. Tammy Wynette is one of my favorites. I auditioned for The Tammy Wynette story in Nashville when I was 17 and I learned so much about her music and what a strong woman she is and I really look up to her.”
“I am still described as one of the new artists even though I have been around for four years, That is still way new in country terms. I hope to have a 25-year career, so four years is very new. Country has always been about real life to me so it is like a soap opera set to songs. Merle Haggard is one of my heroes and he always sang about real things that happened to him. Country music was founded on, the real life drama. It happens, but country is one of the genres that really points it out, about cheating and drinking. Cheat and drink? Oh , yes they do!,” adds Lambert.
The youngest new start of tomorrow is Emma Mae Jacob. Just 17 she could easily pass for much older and to prove it, for the awards she wore a Dolce & Gabbana black corseted mini dress from the Italian designers’ 2008 collection with shoes from Jimmy Choo, a Prada purse and jewelry from Tiffany’s! Her debut album is Breakin’ All The Rules and her first single was “What If We Fly” with a new single “With You” coming soon, along with a new video of “With You,” which features her first ever screen kiss! She can even sing in Japanese! You can check her out on her own website emmamaejacob.com and at myspace.com/emmamaejacob. Remember I’m writing about a teenager and yet she’s already got all the business acumen of a long established recording artist! She’s already opened three sellout shows for Jason Aldean (Britney, are you listening?).
“I have been singing since I was three years old but I decided I wanted it as a career when I was 10,” Emma Mae told me. “Nobody believes I am 17 anyway. Everyone thinks I am in the mid 20’s range and when they say I am 25, I am like, thanks. My appearance is older, then when people get to know me, they realize I really am only 17. There are things that I don’t get to go to, football games. I am home schooled. My Vegas consist of arcades and roller coasters because I can‘t drink or go into a casino. I still have to carry ID even though I could show the cover of my CD!”
I asked EmmaMae, an adopted child from Colfax, California, if becoming a country star is a long journey. She explained: “I have been in Nashville for almost three years. It seems to me like it is going pretty fast, but I know that once you get things out there, it is like a hurry up and wait game. You get out there and it takes so long before you can release something else, but I really do think it is worth it. I just finished a radio tour where you go to all the stations and perform and hopefully they will add your song. I’ve wanted this life for a long time. I didn’t want to go to the high school prom. There are things you have to let go of in order to do something better. I would love to go to the prom, but if it means going to the Academy of Country Music Awards and walking the red carpet, this is better!”
Hilary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley make up Lady Antebellum and their self-titled debut album hit at No. 1 on the country charts just last month.
Described as “the next BIG thing,” they have been picked as a Best Bet for ’08 and Who’s Hot in 08! Billboard magazine wrote: “Not only is this one of the best new-artist debuts in recent memory, but their album will go down as one of the year’s best.” In fact they won the Academy’s Top New Group award here in Vegas. Charles told me: “What’s interesting is that we’ve been around for quite a while. It isn’t overnight success in country like it is in pop. It’s a planned rise. You work hard. You prove you want it and then once you’re inside the rope you’re there to stay. Can you believe we met in a Nashville bar in 2006 and we’ve already played the Grand Ole Opry! ” They’re already going out on tour to open for Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and Martina McBride’s “Waking Up Laughing” tour! Stardom truly is just a heartbeat away for the young newcomers!