Looking Back - a Scrapbook of Treasured Memories

It seems most often when you ask someone who the greatest country singer of all time was, they will say either George Jones or Merle Haggard.  George and Merle recorded several duets together but had a #1 record with the Willie Nelson penned song, Yesterday’s Wine. During the time I worked with George we did some shows with Merle.  Merle would come out during George’s portion of the show to do the duet. It was definitely a highlight in my career to be able to harmonize with these two greats. This picture was taken during a show at the Ohio State Fair on August 4th, 2007. 

In 2003 and 2004 I toured as a background vocalist with Toby Keith for his Shock’n Y’all Tour. Blake Shelton was the opening act for much of the tour and had had a few hits but was struggling at Warner Brothers records. I felt he was an incredible entertainer and singer and am so glad to see him having the success and recognition he deserves. At that time, Blake wore Wrangler jeans on stage but before he wore them he would hang them on his wash line out in the country where he lived in TN and shoot at them with his shotgun.  The buckshot would leave marks on them and give them a unique distressed look. Lauren Simmons and I went shopping one day to buy jeans to wear on stage and asked Blake to take them home and give them the “Shelton Shot” treatment. I still laugh knowing we bought Armani jeans $$$ for Blake to take home and shoot at.  Here we are backstage with Blake modeling our “Shelton Shot Jeans”.  I still have mine.

I started working for Lorrie Morgan as a background vocalist in 1993.  Later that year she started dating Troy Aikman – Dallas Cowboy’s quarterback.  Before starting with Lorrie I was a featured vocalist at The Stockyard’s Bullpen Lounge - the most famous country music club in Nashville at the time. I kept singing there after I started with Lorrie on nights that we weren’t touring. Troy had been coming in before he and Lorrie dated so I had seen him there before. He was good friends with the band members of the group Shenandoah. On this particular night Troy and Lorrie came in and caught me “moonlighting”. I had called my husband Lee (Buddy) to let him know that Troy and Lorrie were there and he came over so he could meet Troy.  Notice Mike McGuire from Shenandoah to the right in the picture. 

I have been fortunate to perform on the Grand Ole Opry many times. Both Lorrie Morgan and George Jones were members. When I wasn’t on tour, I would do recording sessions in many of Nashville’s studios. One of those studios was Sound Control in Berry Hill, TN not far from Music Row. Porter Wagoner would record there. I was fortunate to sing on Porter’s 2000 release “The Best I’ve Ever Been” album. I stopped by his dressing room at the Opry one night and we took this picture. I had been in a car accident earlier that day and my arm was swollen and I had a few bruises. It would take a lot more that that for me to miss the Opry. All those little spots on the picture is the light reflecting off all of the rhinestones on his Nudie Suit.

In 2003 I toured with Toby Keith for his Shock’n Y’all Tour. We were fortunate to perform for the Thanksgiving half-time show in Dallas. Here I am in one of the stadium suites with Toby and the other T-Backs Mica Roberts (middle) and Laurin Simmons. 

While touring with Toby we performed for the Thanksgiving half-time show in Dallas. This is a picture of the field right before we started.  Toby is underneath the Teepee which collapsed as soon as the music started. As he moved forward away from it we had to move into place. For me, these sorts of performances were enjoyed more when it is over. Though we had rehearsed the day before, everything needs to be so precise. You hurry to get in place and pray everything goes off as planned, smile, and hold on. Video available at the following link. 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Half+Time+Show+Thanksgiving2003&view=detail&mid=897B831B327E361DE8BB897B831B327E361DE8BB&FORM=VIRE

Getting the opportunity to be onstage for a production of this magnitude - well, it doesn’t get much bigger.  Actually, perhaps it does.  Just a few months later we performed for the pre-game show for Super Bowl XXXVIII.

In September of 2009 while touring with George Jones, we appeared on the Mike Huckabee show on FOX. While on tour, George’s hair stylist, Mackie Pettus and I spent countless hours watching the Food Network in the back lounge of the bus as we crisscrossed the U.S. and Canada. We were beyond excited to find out that Paula Deen would be on the show. Our dressing rooms were right next to each other.  

While touring with Toby Keith he would always have a patriotic segment at the end of his shows.  It would start with his guitar player playing a solo segment of The Star-Spangled Banner. He would then do his hit songs American Soldier and Angry American. I remember after 911 when Toby came out with Angry American, it wasn’t the sentiment I wanted to hear. I wasn’t a fan of the song.  However, it certainly resonated with his fan base. When he went into that song during his concerts, the energy from the audience to the stage could almost bowl you over and it wasn’t directed at me. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Ford trucks sponsored the tour and this truck had been customized to transform into a stage.  Toby would be hiding in it and when the show started it would start unfolding and out he would come.  After that it became a stage for us T-Backs. We would dance and it would bounce. More than once Mica grabbed hold of me to keep me from flying off as it bounced. L to R, myself, Mica Roberts and Laurin Simmons. 

Prior to moving to Nashville in 1989, a friend of mine, Steve Swenson known in the Midwest for his band Cocktail Stevie and the Table Rockers (who I worked with briefly) told me that he was friends with Mickey Gilley’s bass player, Doug Driesel. Doug had told him Mickey was looking for a background vocalist. They put me in touch with Vicki Brower (Phillips) his other backup singer. We met and things were moving forward but at the last minute, Mickey hired Beverly Randall (married to Bobby Randall of Sawyer Brown fame) who had been in his band before. I was disappointed, but in the end, I’m sure it was best.  In 1990 Vicki and Doug were asked to host America’s Country Magazine – a TV show for broadcast networks that featured interviews and live performances by country artists. We filmed a pilot and later a full season. Vicki asked myself and Angela Howell (the singer who had left Mickey Gilley when they were considering me to replace her) to be background vocalists in the studio band.  It was one of the most fun times I can recall.  The cast was a great group of talented musicians all such good people and all with a great sense of humor. The show featured many of legendary artists as well as up and coming.  Here I am singing with Tanya Tucker, an amazing entertainer with an unmistakable voice. 

While touring with Toby Keith, the T-Backs would do several clothing changes throughout the show.  For his hit song “How Do You Like Me Now” we came on stage dressed as cheerleaders. Laurin Simmons also a choreographer designed our dance moves for each song.  One of the tour stops was at the Thompson-Boling arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee.  When Toby would introduce us, we would sing a few lines of a song as the rhythm section vamped behind us. What else would you sing in this venue, but Rocky Top? It was Toby’s assistant tour manager; Kirby Middleton who found a way to get us some Vols cheerleader outfits to wear for that segment of the show. The crowed absolutely erupted when we came out in these uniforms for that song. 

In 2010 while working with George Jones, he was asked to do a song for a tribute CD to Dottie Rambo, a well-known southern gospel singer and songwriter who had died a few years earlier. They wanted George to sing “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before”. By this time, George wasn’t doing much studio work and his voice revealed the years of touring and hard living. He’d become somewhat insecure in the studio. Knowing it would make him more comfortable, his wife Nancy asked me to go along and be with him in the vocal booth to help coach and support him. I had worked with the engineer and in the studio many times, which helped.  Some days were better than others for George, and in the end, I’m not sure they got the recording they wanted – to my knowledge it was never released. However, it’s something I will always treasure. 

In 2004 while touring with Toby Keith we did the pre-game show for Superbowl XXXVIII. Aerosmith was also part of the pre-game show.  The night before we filmed a CMT Crossroads special with several guests including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.  During the rehearsal for the CMT special at a rehearsal hall in Houston, I was able to catch this picture with Steven Tyler. What I love about Steven Tyler is that he is like my hero Dolly Parton.  He’s always stage ready! They are always true to their “brand”. They don’t try to hide under dark glasses and a ball cap. 

Backstage in Nashville after soundcheck with Tommy Shaw, lead vocalist for Styx.

Lorrie Morgan released her War Paint CD in 1994.  Many of our live shows were at Native American casinos. Lorrie had a full-fledged headdress that she would use as a prop and ultimately wear on stage during the song.  It was met with resistance in some situations, but overall people understood it as a metaphor for the woman in the song putting on her makeup and going out to seek revenge on the man who’d done her wrong. This tour, to my knowledge was the first where Lorrie hired a producer for the show.  Kenny Ortega produced the show and several after.  This shot was from the final “rock-n-roll” bow at the end of the show.  L to R, Rob Brownfield (acoustic guitar and fiddle), David Wood (steel, electric and classical guitars), Rocky Lindsley (drums), myself, Lorrie Morgan, Noel Roy (lead guitar), Spud Cottingham (keyboards), Pat Lassiter (bass).

I had been touring with Lorrie Morgan for 5 years when she released her Secret Love album.  The album was a collection of covers of pop standards. I have always been a fan of the Great American Songbook and pop standards, so I was surprised when Lorrie and her label, BNA released this album. She decided she would do a tour to promote the album.  During the show she and I did a duet of the song “Sisters” from the movie “White Christmas”. Lorrie had the idea that one night during the instrumental section we should play a practical joke on the conductor Lloyd Wells.  He would always look at us and smile as we turned to face the orchestra.  That afternoon she had the tour manager go to one of those novelty gift shops and purchase two bubba teeth molds.  These are molds you shape over your own teeth to look like you have missing and rotted teeth – popular at Halloween. We quick slipped our teeth in before we turned around and of course Lloyd was quite surprised.  I wish I had a picture of us in our bubba teeth.  

In 1997 while I was working for Lorrie Morgan that she decided to throw a formal Christmas party. Some of the guys groaned about having to rent a tuxedo, but in the end, everyone looked amazing all dressed up. The party was and still is the classiest party I’ve ever been to, thought it didn’t keep us from having a great time.  When you arrived, there was a string quartet playing Christmas music and Lorrie and her husband at the time, Jon Randall, took a picture with each guest as they arrived.  Champagne and caviar were served.  It was the first, and last, time I tried caviar.  It was followed by people in white gloves serving appetizers and cocktails. Everyone brought an ornament for a white elephant exchange – the best ever!  The Swarovski ornament I “procured” still hangs on my tree each year.  The guest list was Lorries’ band and crew along with other industry guests. As the evening went on we made our way downstairs. It was there where we took this picture and I got to meet Emmylou Harris. I have always been a huge Emmylou fan, so I was thrilled to meet her. Jon Randall had been a member of Emmylou’s Hot Band at one time. L to R Back Row, Kyle Tullis, Craig Fletcher, John Deaderick, Howard Mayberry, Greg Henke.  L to R front row, Joshua Motohashi, myself, Emmylou Harris and Lorrie Morgan. 

This photo was taken backstage near the load-in area at Bridgestone Arena. We had just finished the almost 4-hour tribute show to George Jones and George Strait performed "The Grand Tour" and then the duet "Golden Ring" with Martina McBride, the last two songs before the finale. George Jones was legendary and George Strait is as well. He is without doubt country music's legend of my generation.

When I started with Lorrie Morgan in 1993, her bandleader at the time, Dave Fowler, loved sports. Something Lorrie would do in the afternoons before a show, was challenge a local radio station to a softball game, the station vs. her team, The Moxcans (as in water moccasin) Why? I don't know. I was never good at sports, though my dad sure tried to get me and my sisters to play softball. Much to his dismay, we were pretty lousy. Much to my dismay, here I was on my first major artist gig, playing softball?? Dave had gone all out that season and had gotten a rep at Wilson to have custom uniforms made for us. I really only recall us playing one game after we got the uniforms. I don't remember whether or not we won the game, but we looked good!

Backstage at the Ryman Auditorium with CBS News Correspondent, Bob Scheiffer. He was in Nashville doing a piece on George Jones for "Sunday Morning" on CBS and came to the show to film and interview George.  The piece was called "Still Doin' Time. 

It was backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville where my husband and I took this picture with Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife, Tish. I had first seen Billy Ray at a Mercury records new artist showcase as they were launching his Achy Breaky Heart single in 1992. I wasn't sure if I liked what I saw or not (the achy breaky dance and the mullet to beat all mullets), but he and the song were undeniably a winning combination. This picture was taken several years later when I was on the Opry with Lorrie Morgan and Billy Ray was on the show as well. It's so good to see the breadth of his talent and how he continues to sustain his career when he could easily have been a one-hit wonder.

The band Tesla with lead singer, Jeff Keith ,performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. For the band's encore, they did selections from Jeff's new country project which included his self-penned duet, "Oklahoma Bound". I recorded the song with Jeff for his "Jeff Keith and Country Music Friends" CD and performed the song with him live that night. 

I met Jeff Keith, lead singer for the hard rock band "Tesla" while working with George Jones. George's monitor engineer, Pat Boone (no, not the singer) was a fan of Jeff's and had gotten to know him quite well. Jeff likes country music and wanted to record a country album. Pat and George's keyboard player, Kent Goodson, produced an LP on him called, "Jeff Keith and Country Music Friends" released in 2012. I sang background vocals on the project as well as a duet with Jeff on an autobiographical song he'd written called "Oklahoma Bound". This was taken outside the backstage entrance of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville before one of George's shows. 

In 2009, George Jones did a press tour in New York which included several TV appearances. We were all excited to do the Mike Huckabee show on FOX. Mike was a country music fan and would always sit in on bass with his guest artists. We would perform a song off George’s new CD for Cracker Barrel Restaurants called “Long Gone Daddy”. The song had actually been recorded many years earlier when George was in better voice, though hadn’t been released until 2009. Also on the show that day, Paula Deen (before the lawsuit that would all but cripple her career), and Rob Blagojevich before he was sentenced to prison. Mike Huckabee loved George Jones. He would deliver a touching eulogy at his memorial service.

In 2009 George Jones appeared on the Mike Huckabee show on FOX. Also on the show that night was Rod Blagojevich the former governor of IL who was impeached for various corruption charges and removed from office. He was on the show making his side of the story known. He of course wanted to meet George and went to George's dressing room to say hello. He wanted to sing "Two Story House" with George. This was a duet hit for George and Tammy Wynette. George hadn't performed the song in years. George then had them come to get me so I could sing it with him. I'd never sung the song before, but of course was familiar with it. Rod had people there with cell phones filming. It seemed he was trying to make a point with the song lyrics (two sides to every story). I love how George stood there grinning, but not singing. Rod wasted no time getting it uploaded to YouTube. Here's the link to the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfcVi1COdLo

I met my friend and photographer Mark Wearsch while performing at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. It was Mark's idea that we do a photo shoot in Red Rock Canyon just outside of Las Vegas. Lorrie would play the theater at the Orleans 2 or 3 times a year for 3 nights at a time so we planned the shoot during one of those stints. My husband and I, along with Mark and Diane, set out early one morning for this photo shoot. We did some crazy things at times trying to get the perfect shot. There was about a 100 foot drop just off the back of the rock I was standing on. I was the only one hiking red rock in heels that day. We did get a few looks.

While working with producer Michael Salacuse writing and recording EuroTwang, I was inspired to design stage costuming to compliment the music. We had written a song called "That's Life - That's Love". The song lyric consisted of small picturesque vignettes of what one might encounter while people watching in a crowded city. A line in the song, "Covergirl fashion - pink passion - screamin' tangerine", was the inspiration for this little number. Mark Wearsch and I did a photo shoot in Fannie May Dees Park in Nashville where they have a mosaic dragon sculpture by Pedro P Silva. This photo was taken in front of part of the sculpture.

While working with both Lorrie and George, we would often play the Alabama Theater in Myrtle Beach, SC, sometimes for two nights in a row. While performing there with George, I was able to work in a photo shoot on the beach. Photo credit: Mark Wearsch

The Ryman Auditorium (The Mother Church) is the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. A new Opry house was built in the 1970s and that is where the Opry is held today. However, the Opry is still held at the Ryman during certain times of the year and the theater is regularly used for concerts. The Ryman stage entrance is located in the alley that runs behind the world famous Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and other Broadway honkytonks. Everybody who is anybody in coutntry music has climbed these stairs and felt priviledged to do so.  My friend Mark Wearsch took this photo one afternoon while he was visiting Nashville. 

In 2001 and 2002 I was writing with Michael Salacuse. He was producing some really fresh sounding music. It sort of struck me as an evolution of what Shania Twain had done. Michael called it EuroTwang. It incorporated country lyrics, melodies and instrumentation with dance beats and effects. I really enjoyed writing and recording the music. At the time, I didn't have a manager so I shopped the project myself to record labels. I was thrilled that I was actually able to get sit-down meetings with the heads of several labels. The music inspired me to design stage costumes that I felt matched the energy of the music. I organized a showcase at the Exit Inn in Nashville. This was a huge undertaking and I was glad to be able to fill the room. Mark Wearsch took this picture that night. Alas, a record deal was not in the cards. I was disappointed for myself and Michael too. Michael continues to produce EuroTwang and has had some success overseas. It still sounds as fresh to me now as it did then. With or without me, the music is brilliant. You never know what will come of things. My friend Mica Roberts came to the showcase at Exit Inn. Not long after that, she reached out to me about doing the Toby Keith gig. I feel her seeing me in this setting definitely put me in mind for that.

I might Michael at Burson Music, a small publishing company in Berry Hill, a small suburb of Nashville not far from Music Row with a lot of studios and publishing companies located and what was once a residental neighborhood. Michael was producing what he would later call Eurotwang - sort of a hybrid of counrty music and eurodance. This is Michael in his studio. He's an amazing guitar player songwriter and producer and is wildly creative. I snapped this picture during a writing session.  He and I wrote several songs together and writing Eurotwang was some of the most fun I've had as a writer - no rules - no boundaries.

During the filming of America's Country Magazine in 1990, I enjoyed being part of the house band and singing background vocals for several great artists. Dottie West was one of the grand ladies of the Opry and always dressed like a superstar. She had had a successful solo career but then also several duet hits with Kenny Rogers. Also pictured here, on bass guitar, Jason Hutcheson. Dottie was killed in a single car crash on her way to the Opry about a year later.

In 1990 I was thrilled to work as a background vocalist for America's Country Magazine. The show was produced for broadcast networks. We filmed two seasons between January and April of that year at the theatre in Hendersonville, TN that was once part of Twitty City and is now home to TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network). The show featured interviews and live performances by country music artists. Unfortunately the show wasn't a success, but we sure had a lot of fun filming them. Some of the people I met during those few short months became great friends. This picture was taken on set with Angela Howell, the other background vocalist for the show. We had been filming for several weeks when Angela and I realized that we were neighbors. Our apartments were located directly across the hall from each other. Nashville is a small world.

Jim Ed Brown sang his hit "Pop A Top" on the show. I have always loved that song - I have always loved country shuffles. Jim Ed first had hits as part of the Browns with his two sisters, then had a successful solo career and duet hits with Helen Cornelius. Once I started with Lorrie Morgan, I would see him regularly at the Opry. I always liked his smooth vocal style - a style that no longer exists in today's country music. Ironically, I always felt that "Pop A Top" didn't really match his image or style. The last time I saw Jim Ed was at the tribute show for George Jones in 2013. He passed away shortly before we moved to AZ.

In 1990 I was part of the staff band for a short-lived TV show called "America's Country Magazine" It was so much fun filming the shows. The band was great and filled with great people that became fast friends. Pictured here are Angela Howell, Jason Hutcheson (on bass and kneeling) and Kevin the drummer. We were all young and working our way up in Nashville. Jason played bass and was tour manager for Tom T. Hall, Kevin played drums for the McCarters and was dating Jennifer. Angela's husband Porter was guitar player in a struggling road band at the time called Little Texas. There was a boutique in Hendersonville that provided the clothes Angela and I wore on the show. It seemed everything was a little too big for me. They guys in the band gave us a lot of guff over our "road-kill jackets". That's not just country, that's hillbilly!

This was taken during a show on Lorrie Morgan's Warpaint tour.  She had recorded a song called "1-800-Used-To-Be"  on her Warpaint album.  We did a little "dance" during the guitar solo.

I started with Lorrie Morgan in January of 1993. She had released her Watch Me CD in October of 1992 and was doing well at her label and on the radio with her previous albums and the forecast was good for "Watch Me". In 1993 and 1994, her management was starting to move her away from the opening act slots to headlining. She would start by doing "evening with" shows in theaters and casinos and carrying her own production which meant getting a tractor trailer for the equipment and adding both a band and crew bus. Pictured here is one of her first tractor trailers.

I was able to perform on the Opry many times with Lorrie. In fact, my first gig with Lorrie was on the Opry - the televised portion - when the Opry was televised on TNN.  No pressure! A lot of dreams came true for me that night. I'd always dreamed of performing on the Opry. Lorrie is Opry family and in my opinion, Opry royalty. Her father, George Morgan was an Opry member.  Though this pictures isn't my first performance, my appreciation for the Opry remains steadfast. It's always an honor and a priveledge. 

I toured with Lorrie Morgan for a total of 11 years, doing 10 consecutive years starting in 1993. I would return for 2005 after the Shock’n Ya’ll tour with Toby. In 1996, Lorrie wanted to add another background vocalist for her Greater Need tour which also included extensive dates sponsored by Kraft where she would appear on the same ticket with Pam Tillis and Carlene Carter. After auditions, Wendy Hicks was the standout choice. Here we are pictured doing the Supremes hit “You Can’t Hurry Love”.

In 1996, Lorrie Morgan did a package show tour sponsored by Kraft. Pam Tillis and Carlene Carter were also on the tour - all were second generation country music artists. Carlene, the daughter of June Carter and Carl Smith, Pam the daughter of Mel Tillis, and Lorrie, the daughter of George Morgan. For this tour, Lorrie increased her production. We are pictured here on the large winding staircase that was part of the set design for the show. Pictured back row L to R: Howard Mayberry (drums,) ?, Pat Lassiter (bass), ?, Row 2: ?, Spud Cottingham (keyboards), David Wood (steel guitar), Noel Roy (lead guitar), Seth Jackson (LD), Row 3, Tony Conway (booking agent), Bird Katwaroo (front of house engineer) Barry Hawkins (stage manager), ?, Row 4: Rob Brownfield (fiddle), Beth Chamberlain (wardrobe), Jeff Hawkins (Production Manager), Chris Ward (production), Row 5: Wendy Hicks (background vocals), Susan Nadler (artist management), Tina (lighting), bottom row: myself and Lorrie.

Each June,  during Fan Fair (now CMA Fest), Lorrie would have a party for her fan club. I believe this photo was taken in 1997.  She had her fan club party at a park in Hendersonville, TN near her home. Lorrie was presenting me with the gold award for her fifth studio album, Greater Need.  It was released in June of 1996, so I think this was the fan club party in June of 1997. 

The Country Night Festival, a three night annual event in Gstaad, Switzerland (1999). All the artists (Lorrie Morgan, Mark Chesnutt, Ricky Skaggs and Allison Moorer) performed on all three nights. Here I am backstage with some of the "TBA" band. L to R, Kyle Tullis (bass guitar), Randy Flowers (guitar), me, Joshua Motohashi (steel guitar), and Howard Mayberry (drums - always the clown).

The night before the festival in Gstaad (1999), they had a welcome party for all the artists, their bands and crews, as well as sponsors for the event. It was quite an event - held in the huge tent where they would have the parties after the concerts each night of the festival. The other acts on the tour, were Mark Chesnutt, Ricky Skaggs, and Allison Moorer. I remember being so impressed by this party. The food was amazing and so was the wine. I noticed how good the "table wine" was and that the alcohol content was considerably lower than typical wine. I must have had 5 glasses that night, and still felt great the next morning. There was live country music and dancing after dinner. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, big double doors opened on the other side of the tent and they pulled in this huge hay wagon full of every imaginable chocolate dessert. I kept thinking to myself, "How did I get here?" How did I get so lucky?" In this picture, on the left side of the table, Morgan Whitley (Lorrie’s daughter - in front), Randy Flowers (guitar - behind her). On the right side of the table, Dave Carney (guitar tech - in front), me, Mark Oliverius (keyboards), and Kyle Tullis (bass guitar).

I started touring with Lorrie Morgan in 1993. For her tour in 1997 she replaced the entire band with the exception of myself and Howard Mayberry. As she put together her new band she hired Joshua Motohashi on steel guitar. Josh and I became fast friends. He became my walking partner - walking several miles each day, usually in search of a great place to have lunch. I love this picture of Josh on top of a mountain in Gstaad, Switzerland. Josh had far more experience with international travel and encouraged me not to go to sleep when we got to Gstaad - to just stay up - that way our biological clocks would adjust more quickly. He suggested a hike and so we took off up a mountain. It was a beautiful day – we found lunch too. I was still up most the night - perhaps I was just too excited to sleep. At this point, 1999, I had only been overseas once before and was so thrilled to see Switzerland. Along with Josh, I saw all you could see in the short time we were there.

Music City News was a prominent country music publication started by singer Faron Young in 1963. Each year they had a fan-voted awards show which eventually started being televised. The awards show sort of kicked off Fan Fair (Now CMA Fest) and was eventually held in the arena in downtown Nashville.  Lorrie had one of the largest fan clubs in the industry and won Female Vocalist of the Year 4 times.

I believe this picture was taken in 1997. Lorrie had replaced her band after the Kraft tour in 1996 with the exception of myself and drummer Howard Mayberry. Symphony players were used along with her new band for her performance on the televised awards show. I'm in the back to the left of her in this picture.

In the early days of country music, artists always had names for their bands, Mel Tillis had the Statesiders, Conway Twitty had the Twitty Birds (lucky for them), Porter Wagoner had the Wagonmasters and so on. Lorrie having such deep country music roots, always felt like her band needed a name. When I started with Lorrie Morgan in 1993, her band was called "The Slam Band". Apparently, they frequented Denny's restaurants where the menu items included the word "Slam" and so it stuck. When Lorrie changed bands in 1996, she wanted a new name. Nobody had any great ideas, so TBA became the new band name. Pictured here after a show at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, OR are a few members of one incarnation of TBA. When we performed at Chinook Winds it was usually for 2 or 3 nights. Every now and then, we would perform in the same place for more than one night. This particular night, they kept the restaurant bar open for us so we could enjoy a few drinks and relax. From L to R: Randy Flowers (guitar), myself, Mark Oliverius (keyboards) and Marshall Richardson (drums).

In 1995 while touring with Lorrie, we did an extensive string of dates across Canada. We had a day off on the road and I went along with stage crew to see the beautiful Canadian Rockies in Banff.  Lake Louise was breathtaking!

While on tour, I took every opportunity to see the area.  Whether it was Boonville, NY or New York City, I set out to see the sights. The stage crew decided to rent a car on a day off in Canada and I had a great time seeing the sights with them.  Seth Jackson (middle) was our lighting director.  When I went to work for Toby Keith, he was designing the light show for Toby. He has gone on to do many large tours.

While on tour with Lorrie, I rode on the band bus. Growing up, I had 3 sisters - no brothers, but through my years of touring I had many road brothers. For most of my career, I was the only girl on the bus. I feel privileged to have worked with some pretty awesome musicians AND gentlemen. Here I am on the bus with Craig Fletcher (fiddle) and Randy Flowers (lead guitar)

Lorrie hosted the most amazing black-tie affair at her home. Her and her husband at the time, Jon Randall greeted all the guests and took photos near the tree in the foyer.

In January of 2002 Lorrie did a country music cruise for Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Norwegian Sky. This photo was taken at the private island, Great Stirrup Cay. The handsome beach hunk between Lorrie and I, is my husband Lee.

In January of 2002, Lorrie did a country music cruise for Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Norwegian Sky along with several other country artists including Neal McCoy and Blake Shelton. Lorrie performed the second evening on the ship, so we were able to enjoy the rest of the cruise without concerns of having to work. This photo was taken the afternoon we were at Megan’s Bay in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. My husband Lee and I had been to St. Thomas before, so we wasted no time making our way there and several of the band, crew and spouses joined us. From left to right: Sandy and Jeff Hawkins (production manager), Barry Hawkins (stage manager) with wife Kim, Randy Flowers (guitar), Alan Johnson (fiddle), Marshall Richardson (drums), Greg Henke (merchandise), girlfriend of lighting director, Jeff Lavallee (lighting director), myself, my husband Lee, and Dave Carney (guitar tech).

Dave Carney, Lorrie's guitar tech was getting into photography and would take photos for me from time to time. My husband and I had been to St. Thomas before and I had had my hair braided.  We thought this would be a different look for a photo shoot.  The day the ship docked in St. Thomas, we quickly hit some of the tourist shops to buy what I wore, got my hair breaded and took pictures on the beach.

Lorrie would play the Wheeling Jamboree most every year. We finished soundcheck a little early and Dave Carney took this photo.  Dave now works as guitar tech for Keith Urban.  I enjoy seeing his photos on Facebook from all around the world.

Lorrie Morgan wasn't one to insist her band dress alike, but she did like for everyone to wear black. As a result of having to wear black for over 10 years, I had a closet where I kept my stage clothes that was full of only black clothes. This is one of the few stage outfits I had where I didn't wear heals.

There was a while in the 90's where Lorrie Morgan was wearing "Manuel" suits and the band wore boots and jeans. I didn't particularly like it, as it didn't feel natural for me. Boots yes, but cowboy boots, not so much. I didn't move as well in them. I think we had a boot sponsor as well, so I had these faux snakeskin ones in black, blue, purple, you name it. However, on stage, you guessed it, black

By the late 90's country music was changing and Lorrie's records started struggling at radio. In 2000 without an album to promote, she decided to name her tour the "Naked Truth" tour. She would share her feelings on stage about the change in country radio and her desire to record and perform classic country music. In my opinion, it is what Lorrie does best, her Opry roots run deep and for the most part her recordings didn't reflect that. Not that many years prior, her records sounded quite pop and now seemingly she was, "too country". It was a very confusing time and she shared that with her fans on stage. She repainted her tractor trailer for the tour. I didn't really care for it, and it seemed the band didn't either. She had new tour jackets done for us - these great leather bomber jackets - but on the back in large gold stitching were the words "Naked Truth". I never wore mine and I don't remember any of the band wearing them either. I recall one night when the band bus broke down, and the band was all going to have to pile on the crew bus, Jack Cummings, the truck driver, came to get me and I slept in the sleeper of the semi on the way to the next show. I was so fortunate to work with people that always treated me like a lady and looked out for me. I was glad when our band bus showed up at the gig later that day and I could have my bunk back. I can't imagine sleeping in a semi - laying sideways like that going down the road on a regular basis - talk about a rough ride! However, I was grateful to not be piled on the crew bus with all those guys.

This is looking down the hall from the back lounge of Lorrie's band bus - the one we used for most of the time I was with here.  She actually owned this bus. It had been hers, but she had it converted to a band bus. Her new bus had a bath tub in it, which was pretty funny.  Luckily, she was small because the tub, though something new for tour busses, wasn't near as big a deal as the hype suggested. My bunk was always middle, back, driver's side.

In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act legalizing gaming on Native American land. By the time I started working for Lorrie, there were getting to be quite a few of the Native American casinos and they were becoming the new venue for live entertainment for national acts, replacing civic centers and auditoriums. We were backstage before the show one night at the Chinook Winds casino in Lincoln City, OR and one of the guys noticed a box with these vests in them. We were all quite thankful that our gig didn't require a wardrobe such as this, but we knew somebody's did. Yikes! Pictured from L to R: Randy Flowers (guitar), Craig Fletcher (fiddle), Kyle Tullis (bass), Joshua Motohashi (steel guitar), myself, Mark Oliverius (keyboards), and kneeling, Marshall Richardson (drums)

In 1998 Lorrie released a fully orchestrated CD of some of her favorite pop standards. To support the release of the album, Lorrie did her Secret Love Tour. Instead of her regular band, she took a 4-piece band made up of some of Nashville's finest jazz musicians, Beegie Adair (piano), Billy Adair (guitar), Charles Dungey (bass), Chris Brown (drums) and Conductor, Lloyd Wells. We would work with orchestras contracted in each city. The main reason I went on the tour was to stand in for Lorrie during rehearsals each day because doing the rehearsal and the show each day was too taxing for her vocally. Lorrie featured me on a song during a clothing change that just the quartet would back me up on. I chose something easy, “Accentuate the Positive”.

When Lorrie Morgan did the tour to promote her Secret Love album, we performed at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, CT. Mashantucket is very close to Mystic, CT home of Mystic Pizza (remember the movie). The tour manager got the hotel to give the band and I a ride over - we were so close, we just had to say we had been there. The pizza wasn't anything special, but I always liked to take in the sites when on tour. From L to R, myself, Chris Brown (drums), Beegie Adair (piano), Lloyd Wells (conductor) and Charles Dungey (upright bass).

In 1996 while working for Lorrie Morgan we peformed for the NBC party at the Arizona Biltmore Waldorf Astoria Resort the night before the big game. Lots of celebrities were in attendance including the cast of the sitcom "Friends". The game was held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ. NBC gave us tickets to the game. Lorrie's relationship with Dallas Cowboy quarterback, Troy Aikman made it all the more interesting. I absolutely loved the AZ weather and it was then that the seed was planted. My husband and I moved to AZ in 2015.

This picture on stage with Lorrie was likely taken in the late 90's. I'm not sure what was going through my mind when it was taken, but a memory came to mind when I came across it as I was looking for pictures for this gallery. It's funny how for women, clothes hold certain memories. My mind drifted back to a private show Lorrie was scheduled to do for Ranger boats in Springfield, MO. We had finished our sound check (I usually did Lorrie's sound check for her) and the tour manager had asked me to come to the band bus. He was letting me know that Lorrie had gone home, was not feeling well and wouldn't be doing the show. They had tried to get someone from Branson to come over, but it was too short of a notice for anyone to make it. I'm guessing there was a lot more to the story than I was getting, otherwise we all would have gone home and the show would have been cancelled. Instead, he was asking me if I could do the show, Lorrie's booking agent, Tony Conway was in on this decision as well. Talk about strange - couldn't have seen this coming. It seemed important to them that this show happen. The good news was that it was a private show and as private shows go, there's always people in attendance that have never heard of the artist. After dinner, Mark Oliverius the band leader, got the band around the piano and I came up with some songs that we could put together quickly in addition to some of the songs from Lorrie's set list. We pulled it off. There was a spot in Lorrie's show where she would get a guy up out of the audience and sing "Fly Me to the Moon" to him. I did this bit as it would kill time and the band was used to it. I remember the guy that I got from the audience was named "Jon Randall" which was also the name of Lorrie's husband at the time. And.....this is the outfit I wore that night.

I am a Larry Gatlin fan. I would listen to the albums he made with his brothers over and over and over. Larry Gatlin made me want to write songs and the Gatlin brothers made me want to sing harmony. I signed with BMI as a writer because Larry Gatlin was a BMI writer. I figured if it was good enough for Larry, it was good enough for me. My husband proposed to me at a Larry Gatlin concert. How could I say no? I had many opportunities to meet Larry once I moved to Nashville,but would actually go out of my way not too. I had heard he was a jerk and I didn't want to experience that. One Saturday night, George was playing the Opry and Larry was as well. I finally got the nerve to ask him for a picture. Larry was kind and took time to visit. Our paths would cross quite a few times after that and he was always very kind. This picture was taken at the grand opening of the George Jones museum.

During the time that I worked with Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry opened some of his shows.This picture of my husband and I with Eddie and Troy was taken at the rehearsal for the George Jones Tribute show. They performed George's hit, "The Race is On". Troy was killed in a helicopter crash in 2017.

Pictured here with David Z (left) and BJ Blue (right) at the Americana Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. David is well known for having engineered for Prince, particularly the Purple Rain soundtrack. In 2010 BJ Blue (aka Jerry Abbott) asked me to record a duet CD with him – classic songs done as duets with acoustic/bluegrass instrumentation. I had worked for BJ at has ABTRAX studio in Nashville for several years and was honored to be asked. The music that came out of his studio was always top notch. “Platinum Duets Unplugged” was the first of 3 CD’s we would record together. It was BJ’s idea that we wear the clothes from the album cover to the award’s show. An interesting piece of trivia - I had purchased the red top I was wearing for the album cover photo shoot, because I liked the idea, however, it was very poorly made. It was fine for the shoot, but I didn’t trust it to wear it out in public. BJ paid for Judy Hunt who made/altered most of my stage clothes, to make an exact replica. Of course, Judy’s was very well made.

I feel so fortuante that both Lorrie Morgan and George Jones are members of the Grand Ole Opry. I've been able to be on the show many many times and each time it was such a thrill. Backstage is a great place to catch up with other aritists and their bands who are in off the road to do the show. Each dressing room can have it's own "mini opry" going on as the artists warm up or share their newest songs before hitting the stage. This was taken in Vince's dressng room in between Opry spots. On Saturday night's there are two different performances and the artists usually do a spot on both shows so there is lots of time to visit and "pick".

The first time I saw Charlie Daniels in concert was when my husband took me to his show in Aberdeen, SD on our first date. I hadn't seen his show before and was so impressed that his encore that night was a lengthy semgent of Gospel music.  As the years went by, I became more and more of a fan of his - his music- but even more, the man he was. Charlie had a way of cutting throught the crap and making a point and his outlook was deeply rooted in his love of God and country. I was thrilled that Charlie was on the Grand Ole Opry on a night that I was performing with George Jones and I treasure the picture of us together backstage.

Picture here on stage with George Jones. I was fortunate to be able to do the Opry countless times, both radio and TV, while working for Opry members Lorrie Morgan and George Jones. It was always very special. I loved it when George would wear his Manuel suits. He was a country music superstar!

This picture was taken at the grand opening of the George Jones Museum on April 24th, 2015. Someone snapped this picture of my husband Lee, (left) and I with Daryle Singletary and Ricky Land. Ricky worked in the band with George playing lead guitar. I met him years earlier when he was playing guitar with Daryle who opened a lot of shows for Lorrie Morgan when I was touring with her. I would see Daryle one more time after this picture. We moved to AZ later that year. In the Spring of 2016 Daryle played a rodeo in Cave Creek, AZ and Ricky was back with him playing guitar. I caught their sound check and was able to visit with Daryle a while. He spoke of his wife and children and also of great memories of George. He proceeded to sing several of George's songs for sound check. His deep voice, young and strong, made me proud that someone was still performing the country music I love. He was undeniably and unapologetically, a country singer - a singer's singer. Daryle passed away suddenly on February 12, 2018 at the age of 47. Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?

The day we were filming the Jackpot Junction commercial, Sherwin had booked singer Buddy Knox at the casino. Buddy had a big hit in the 50's with a song called "Party Doll". He told me about his son Michael that lived in Nashville and was pursuing music there. A few years later I was signed as a songwriter to Warner- Chappell music. Michael Knox was a song plugger there. Michael has gone on to have great success as a record producer discovering Jason Aldean.

I'm pictured here with my sister Pam on set for the filming of a Jackpot Junction Casino commercial. We played saloon girls. I did my best to channel "Miss Kitty". I had done a tour for the Dept. of Defense with a band called "Flight". For one of our stage costumes we wore these crinolines which were actually intended to be worn under square dance skirts. I had told Pam I thought they would work great for the commercial. We had great fun putting the outfits together and filming the commercial.

Well, that's country! For several years, I was a featured singer with the Gain Control band at the famous Bull Pen Lounge in the Stockyard restaurant in Nashville. I had already started touring with Lorrie Morgan, but would sing in the Bull Pen on weeknights when I was in town. They had this outhouse inside the bar and used it for photo ops. The Stockyard jingle included the line, "You wanna be seen at the Stockyard". One could see celebrities there just about any night of the week. Bobby Randall was well known as the guitar player for the band "Sawyer Brown". He also produced one of my first demo projects in pursuit of a record deal. I don't recall who the other lady in the picture is.

Several times throughout my career I had the opportunity to perform at the world famous Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth. Billy Bob's is a crazy big honky tonk/dancehall. Any and every country artist has worked there at one time or another. I always enjoyed watching the two-steppers take to the floor. Billy Bob's is located in the Stockyard district of Ft. Worth. When I performed there with Lorrie, friends Bob and Carole Gambrell would always take me to lunch and we'd spend a few hours together before the show. This particular day a cowboy had this docile bull on the street corner giving photo ops. Jack and Carole who loved to take pictures, just had to have a picture of me on the bull. When in Rome.....

Pulling pranks while on tour seems to be a way to deal with the stress and keep things interesting during the same routine night after night. While on tour with Toby and Blake Shelton, us T-backs had our fun. While Blake Shelton was on the Shock’n Ya’ll Tour, it seemed to be a time when he was struggling with his record label. They couldn’t seem to group his hits or set him apart from other male hat acts at the time in order to build the momentum needed to take his career to the next level. He was frustrated that the label people (Warner Brothers) weren’t coming to the shows. It was frustrating to see that as well. I went out to watch Blake’s show most every night. He was and is an excellent entertainer and the audiences loved him. I think it was the idea of Kirby Middleton (Toby’s assistant tour manager) that us girls would dress up like “fans” and go to Blake’s meet and greet handing out Chris Cagle pictures to the meet and greet line for Blake to sign. Pictured here with Blake, is myself and Laurin Simmons (Floyd). Blake was an excellent sport and thought it pretty funny. Later, he told me that he didn’t recognize me – he had recognized Mica and Laurin, but he thought I was a little girl and part of his meet and greet. Perhaps, my costume/acting was better than Mica's and Laurin’s, or it was perceived as out of character for me, or maybe a little of both. I’m so happy to see Blake’s career eventually flourish. It was a long time coming.

While with George Jones on a Canadian tour in 2008 we performed at the Burton Cummings Theatre. I had to take a picture of the marquee with the names of the coming attractions. One of these things is not like the others....

Quite often after a show, the contract would include that "out food" be provided. This is food - usually pizza- that gets delivered to the bus after the concert. This is a sure-fire way of gaining weight, so I would do my best to avoid it, or quite often just eat the toppings off of the pizza. After the show in Sydney, Nova Scotia, A & K Lick-A-Chick was delivered to the bus. As the locals would tell it, you haven't lived 'till you've had Lick - A - Chick, so I had to try it. It was good, but there are a lot of great fried chicken places back home in the U.S. The chicken and the fixin's came with lots and lots of gravy! Too bad we couldn't actually visit the restaurant - they included these postcards with the chicken orders.

I toured with Toby Keith as a background vocalist for his Shock'n Y'all Tour in 2003 and 2004. Toby was awarded Pollstar's #1 Ticket Selling Country Tour. There were 6 buses and at least as many tractor trailers on the tour. Pictured here is one of the trucks backed up backstage for load in.

Pictured here with Mica Roberts and Laurin Simmons (Floyd) as the T-Backs for Toby Keith’s Shock’n Y’all tour in 2003/2004. Toby hired a stylist that found most of our clothes for the tour (we changed about 5 or 6 times during the show), but I had seen these black shorts with crocheted pant legs at a store in Nashville and Mica and Laurin liked them as well. We wore these for a few TV appearances including the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM Awards). Toby though highly nominated for many awards during that tour, hadn’t fared well at the CMA’s. He left the venue before the ACM Entertainer of the Year award was given out. Vince Gill announced him as the winner and accepted on his behalf.

While on tour with Toby Keith, Scotty Emerick was around most of the time. I'm pictured here with Scotty and Laurin Simmons who also sang backup for Toby. Toby and Scotty would write during the day. Scotty is credited on several of Toby's biggest hits including, "I Love This Bar", "Beer for My Horses" and " As Good as I Once Was". While on tour Scotty would come out on stage and perform "bus songs" with Toby. These were novelty songs they had written together that went over great on stage, but weren't intended for commercial airplay - songs like "The Taliban" and "I'll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again". I found their combined songwriting wit quite entertaining. They even had a song called "HotChickens.com". This was about Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw and their hot chicken restaurant. Of course when they learned of my history with Lorrie, they couldn't wait to sing it for me. It was well written. I'll leave it at that.

I snapped this picture of Toby and Willie Nelson during some of that "hurry up-and-wait" time as we rehearsed for the pre-game show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.

For Super Bowl XXXVIII, Toby did a CMT Crossroads special that was telecast live the night before. Toby's band and us girls backed up all of his guests which included, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar, Darryl McDaniels of Run-D.M.C., and Willie Nelson. I snapped this picture during rehearsal for the show.

Toby Keith calls his band "Easy Money" and pictured here are some of the members during the Shock'n Y'all tour. I snapped this picture just after we arrived at the stadium in Houston for rehearsal for Super Bowl XXXVIII. L to R, Rich Eckhardt (lead guitar), Mica Roberts (background vocals), Willie Roy (trumpet), Laurin Simmons (background vocals), Josh Bertrand (steel guitar) and Dave McAfee (drums).

When the drive between shows wasn't too long, Toby and Blake Shelton and both bands would get together in one of the larger dressing rooms for a jam session. I always enjoyed these. It was a chance to play the music we all cut our teeth on. I remember being surprised that Toby would do Larry Gatlin songs. I was always a huge Larry Gatlin fan and I earned a deeper respect for Toby during those jam sessions. Blake was always so naturally funny and such a great singer and entertainer. At the time, in my opinion, he wasn't getting the recognition he was worthy of. I'm so glad to see him have the success he's had - an overnight success, he was not. The cream eventually rises to the top. Pictured here, L to R, Joey Floyd (acoustic guitar and fiddle), Laurin Simmons (would later marry Joey, background vocals), Scott Joyce (keyboard player for Blake) Blake Shelton (opening act), Mica Roberts (background vocals), myself, in the mirror and far right, Eric Normand (guitar tech).

When Toby Keith played the half-time show for Thanksgiving in Dallas in 2003, they picked us up at the airport in one of the Dallas Cowboy buses.

After a while, tour buses can all start to look alike. This one was a little different. Pictured here is the back lounge in the Dallas Cowboy bus. This was our transportation from the airport to the stadium for rehearsal for the Thanksgiving game in 2003.

While working for Toby Keith, us girls sang but were "eye candy" as well. We changed clothes 5 times during the show. Sometimes our quick change area was a locker room or dressing room close to the stage, but other times it was in the back of a tractor trailer or inside a pipe and drape square behind the stage. Wherever it was, it was rarely glamorous. The crew rolled our wardrobe case in during load in each day. Here everything is laid out and ready for the nights show.

While on tour with Toby we had a show on Halloween night. The T-Backs donned she-devil costumes for the show. L to R: Myself, Mica Roberts, and Laurin Simmons.

While working with Toby Keith, us girls, the T-Backs, shared a bus with the video crew. The bus left out of Nashville, so the band members that lived in Nashville would also ride our bus until we got to the destination of the first show and then they would ride back to Nashville after the last show. These three gentlemen shared the bus the whole time. (L to R) Kevin, Collin and Lee.

One of my favorite things about working for Toby was getting to work with a horn section. From L to R: Willie Roy (Trumpet), Gaika James (Trombone) and Roman Dudok (Saxophone) were the horn section for the Shock'n Y'all tour. They were fabulous to listen to and watch. I sort of felt like horns and background vocalists was "overkill" as Toby's music didn't allow a lot of "space" for both. However, I was glad to be there and to get to work with these gentlemen - and they were gentlemen. Willie and I were both in the Toby Keith Fantasy Football league (and still are), Gaika and I shared a love for the Great American Songbook and he would introduce me to the voice of Joe Williams. Roman enjoyed my curiosity for cuisine and seemed to enjoy that I was familiar with some of his favorite Polish dishes including borscht.

The tour sponsor for Toby Keith's Shock'n Y'all tour was Ford Trucks. This specially designed F-150 was on tour with us and on stage every night. With moving lights and remote controlled doors, tailgate and more, this truck "came to life" on a turntable. Toby would enter the stage this way and then later in the show it became the stage for the T-backs. Dancing on it was an adventure as the truck would bounce up and down with our movement. There were times I thought it would launch me like a gymnast's springboard off of the stage to the venue floor about 10 feet below. Mica Roberts stood in between Laurin Simmons and I and grabbed me more than once to keep me from flying off.

This was a shot taken from one of the suites at Cowboy Stadium during our half-time performance for Thanksgiving Day in 2003. Performances like this are a cool thing to say you've been a part of, but during the show I would find myself too focused on the performance and timing to really be able to enjoy it. So much preparation goes into such a short performance and the energy is extremely high. Before you know it, it's over and your walking back through the bowels of the arena, and you're just relieved and hoping it came across well.

Taken in our dressing room for a taping of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. "I LoveThis Bar" was Toby's current single.  (L) Laurin Simmons, (R) Mica Roberts.

This was taken in Houston the day of rehearsal for the pre-game show for Superbowl XXXVIII. With Mica Roberts in the middle and Laurin Simmons on the right.

One of Toby's truck drivers was very particular about his truck - always had it looking "show ready". He even polished the trailer floor. Some of the guys set this bowling alley up one afternoon to have a little fun with him.

With cadets at West Point after a show with Toby Keith - 2004. Every time I look at this picture I think about these young men and pray they are all safe. This was a very special show to do with Toby and one of the last shows of the Shock'n Y'all tour. The cadets loved Toby!

After our last show of the Shock'n Y'all tour, at a crew party backstage at the venue, Pollstar presented each of us with a trophy for being country music's top ticket selling concert tour. Blake Shelton was our opening act for most of the shows. Toby presented Blake with this hunting rifle as an end of tour gift. That's Country Bro.

This photo was taken backstage before a show. The guys hated the shirts that George picked out for them to wear during the summer months. They were pretty bad and ironically, these were about the best. Part of me wonders if George did it on purpose just for kicks. I called these particular ones their marijuana shirts - thought the design on the fabric looked like marijuana. Pictured from L to R: Ricky Land (guitar), me, Hank Singer (fiddle), George, Tom Killen (steel guitar), Kent Goodson (keyboards), Bobby Birkhead (drums), and Vaughan Reed (bass guitar).

I toured with George Jones from June of 2006 until he passed away in April of 2013. I had been offered a job with him in 1995, but turned it down as I was working for Lorrie Morgan at that time and was very happy there. How thrilled I was when the opportunity came around again. I couldn't pass on it a second time. I grew up listening to country radio and remembered so many of George's songs. Many times, I would think to myself, "why me?" I'll never know, but I'm sure glad it was.

Band Bus with the George Jones Tour- home away from home. This time my bunk was front, bottom, passenger side for almost 7 years.

George didn't own his own plane but would use private planes to fly to shows. This picture was taken through the fence before flying out of Nashville one afternoon. I remember my first weekend with George, after catering on the last show night, his bus driver Scott Ulmer who always arranged for the airplanes, told me that I could fly home that night if I wanted to. I knew better than to say no to that. We would ride in George's bus to the nearest airport. Most of the time, they would drive the bus out on the tarmac right up to the plane and we would quickly get on the plane and head back to BNA. My seat was the same one every time - in the back row next to Mackie Pettus George's hair stylist. I'll never forget that first flight, Nancy turned around and said "Brittany honey, this is part of the package for you." It was an incredible perk. By then I had had many long bus rides back to Nashville and to get home the same night or leave a few hours before the show, was really special. I didn't take it for granted. There were band members that were with George for 30 years that didn't get to fly. On the rare occasion that Nancy didn't fly, George would want me to sit in her seat next to him. And so it was. George used Averitt Air and I always felt very safe with their planes and pilots.

A benefit concert for tornado victims in Enterprise, AL. On stage with George, John Anderson and Jamie Johnson. 2009. 

I started touring with George Jones in June of 2006 and worked for him until he passed away in 2013. I'm not sure what I was telling him in this picture, but apparently it was funny. I could possibly be subtly reminding him that I had introduced the band and it was now his turn to introduce me. I had the utmost respect for him and his career. He was a walking, living, breathing country song. When he wore his Manuel suits and Lucchese boots, he looked like the country music legend he was. I always stood on his left side until after he introduced me and then I would move to his right side to sing "Golden Ring". If we are in a picture together on stage and I am on his right side, that is what we were singing. I always wondered why he wanted me to his right for that particular song. I noticed in most every picture I've seen of George and Tammy singing together, she is on his right. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not - guess I'll never know.

This picture was taken at one of the many fair dates we did while I was touring with George. After touring with country music artists for 20 years, I've seen my share of fairs and outdoor concerts. The fans were always wonderful and enthusiastic. However, I don't miss dealing with rain, humidity, wind, bugs, mud, dust and the list goes on. I have specific memories of the rainiest, muddiest, buggiest (you get the picture) gigs of my career. Fortunately, the particular night this photo was taken, was a lovely night for an outdoor show.

This schedule with a total of 19 shows was a month long - taking us all across Canada. Including our travel days to and from Canada by bus, we were gone about 5 weeks. Crossing the border into Canada to work was always a little nerve wracking. They would thoroughly check the buses and tractor trailer for contraband. Also, everyone had to go inside to go through customs. George's DUI history is very well documented and a DUI can keep you out of Canada. I remember thinking to myself, "gosh, you can't outlive the past" as "the criminals" were told to get in a separate line from the rest. Of course, George had permission to enter for work, and we proceeded to complete the tour.

This was taken at BluFish, a Japanese restaurant in Winnipeg, Manitoba on a night off during our 2008 Canadian tour. Pictured here are most of the band and crew. From L to R ( back row) Barb & Bonnie, assistant show promoters, Hank Salyer (fiddle) Kent Goodson ( keyboards). L to R (front row) Vaughan Reed (bass guitar) Jason Byrd (opening act), Rod Jones (opening act guitar player), Greg McGill (sound engineer), myself, Wes Weaver, (band bus driver), Dave Campbell (monitor engineer), our waitress, Glen Humphries (truck driver).

On the Canadian tour with George Jones in 2008 we would have to drive the buses and tractor trailer onto the Smallwood ferry to cross from Sydney, NS to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. Working with a celebrity has its perks. They invited us up to the bridge to see the view from there. From L to R, Kevin Wenk (Production Manager), me, Mackie Pettus (hair stylist) Back row, Greg McGill (Front of House Engineer), Kirk Hohimer (Merchandise), Bobby Birkhead (Drums), Vaughan Reed (Bass Guitar), Kent Goodson (Keyboards)

My favorite part of touring with country artists was the times when we would sit around singing our favorite songs, or songs that weren't in the show and weren't their recordings. Though they all loved singing for a living, it was fun to see them singing the songs they cut their teeth on, the songs their musical heroes sang. There weren't a lot of opportunities for this with George, and I'm so glad to have this picture to remind me of one of those special times with him. Here we are riding the Caribou ferry while on a Canadian tour. George sang and I harmonized to "Roly Poly" and "The Little Brown Church in the Vale". He asked me to sing one, and I sang "Satin Sheets", a hit for Opry star Jeanne Pruett. As a little girl I had purchased the sheet music for that song and saw that there was a third verse that she never recorded. I always added that third verse when I sang it. George commented on how he had no idea there was a third verse and it was sort of fun to share with him and the others a little country music trivia. Pictured here with his back to the camera, Rod Jones (guitar player for opening act Jason Byrd). Going around the table, counter clockwise, Jason Byrd (opening act), George, me, and Ricky Land in the cowboy hat (guitar). All the other folks are passengers so fortunate as to be treated to a free concert. Notice the water bottles on the table - George Jones White Lightening Tennessee Sippin' Spring Water - our water of choice - never leave home, or the U.S.A. without it!

While on the Canadian tour with George Jones in 2008 we would drive the buses and tractor trailer onto a ferry to cross from Sydney, NS to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. It was a miserable weather day, cold thick rain and fog, but I had to go out on the deck to capture this picture. Notice all the ice in the water. This was in April. Brrrr.

Mackie (George's hair stylist) and I were always in search of great food. On the Canadian tour in 2008, she and I braved the cold on a night off in Moncton, NB and walked to one of Canada's top restaurants for French food, Chateau - A- Pape'. Here we are in front of the fire place. I later learned that the restaurant burned in 2010.

Even though we worked nights on the road, I was always an early riser - if you want to see the sights, you have to get an early start. While touring with George Jones, I got to know Ricky Land (guitar) quite well. He and I had actually met years earlier when he was working for Daryle Singletary and Daryle was opening shows for Lorrie Morgan. Ricky, when he wasn't on tour playing guitar, was a real live cowboy - working cattle and training horses. Like me, he was one of the first ones up in the morning. This morning, the hotel rooms weren't ready yet, so we ventured out to see the harbor in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Here I am making quite a fashion statement - no makeup, and wearing sweats with my fur scarf.

Here we are nearing the end of a 5-week Canadian tour on board the Caribou Ferry heading back to mainland Canada. The Caribou is the largest ice-breaking ferry in the world. Pictured from L to R, Wes Weaver (band bus driver), me, Ricky Land (guitar), and Vaughan Reed (bass guitar).

While touring with George, his wife Nancy traveled with us most of the time. She would cook for George, but was also his manager. She had no prior experience in artist management, but together they had climbed their way out of the dire situation he was in when they married in 1985. She wasn't afraid to try just about anything, and in a way, I admired that. If you try enough things, something is bound to stick. Often times this led to me peddling and promoting things on stage while George would take a sip of water or have the monitor engineer work on his mix. Things like, George Jones White Lightning Tennessee Sippin' Spring Water, or George Jones Sausage Biscuits or some acai berry potion that supposedly cured whatever ailed you. Often times George would bring her out on stage and introduce her to the audience. He would joke about how he made her famous. This was likely taken at a casino show. Nancy loved to gamble and while we were on stage, she'd hit the casino. But, she knew about when in the show George would introduce her and would walk out right on cue. He would joke that she was out spending his pay.

While on tour, especially with Lorrie and George, I would always try to find a local restaurant for breakfast or lunch. After a few years on the road, one has had their fair share of Holiday Inn restaurants and Continental breakfasts and this became a great way for me to remember the places I'd been and to discover new dishes and ingredients . Fortunately, in both of these bands, I was able to find willing participants to join me. It was while working for George that my husband suggested that we should film our lunch outings for YouTube since the fans were always curious as to what we did during the day before the show. As things tend to go with me, this morphed into the concept for my Savor the Flavors travel show. I started researching the upcoming cities on our tour schedule along with the help of my friend Karen Snyder to find interesting lunch spots. I'm pictured here with Ricky Land (George's guitar player) and Mackie Pettus (George's hair stylist). These two were the camera crew. We used 3 Flip cameras - one on a small inconspicuous tripod that was fixed on my plate, and Mackie and Ricky each held a camera. We basically filmed a blurb outside the restaurant explaining where we were and then me tasting my food. Sometimes the shows would include the restaurant owners and local sites as well. We had a blast filming these and the rest of the band loved it when we returned with to-go boxes to share. This particular day, we had filmed at Biga Pizza in Missoula, MT. Here is the link to the episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLH2-XAW8oU

This was taken at NBC studios in 2009. George was doing a promotional tour for a new CD release he had with Cracker Barrel. At the time, I wasn't one to watch late late TV and wasn't all that familiar with Jimmy Fallon. Once he took over Jay Leno's spot, I started watching him. I think he is incredibly talented -sort of a modern day Bob Hope. When you film late night shows, it is actually done in the early evening around dinner time and you don't get to watch the show from the audience, usually from a TV monitor in the dressing room if that, so you don't feel the continuity of the show. It was fun to be able to do shows like this, but during the performance you are so focused on the technical aspect, you can't really enjoy it "in the moment".

While in NY on a publicity tour, George's bandleader paid for us all to tour the Intrepid. A veteran having served on the Intrepid, it was a special day for him - for all of us. Pictured L to R: Bobby Birkhead (drummer and bandleader), Jimmy Wilson (band bus driver) Scott Ulmer (George's bus driver), Greg McGill (production manager), Hank Singer (fiddle), Vaughan Reed (bass), myself, and Ricky Land (guitar)

This was taken in a Nashville recording studio. I was there doing some overdubs on a recording of George's. I'm pictured here with George's wife Nancy and producer, Chris Barnes.

In 2008 I toured Ireland with George Jones. George treated has band very well and our buses were always new and quite luxurious. This was the band bus for our tour of Ireland - a little different than what we were used to. Aside from the door being on the "wrong" side, it was a seated coach. Thankfully most of our shows were routed close enough together so we were able to travel during the day and still make it in time to set up for our next show, or there was a day in between for travel. They had also provided a strange sort of camper type vehicle for George and Nancy. It must have been really nice because on day 2, they were riding in the coach with the band. To be honest, I rather enjoyed it. Since we traveled during the day we got to see the scenic beauty. The very best part and what I wouldn't trade for anything, was our bus driver, Matt Ward. Everyone took a liking to him instantly. It was widely known that our tour manager, Bobby Birkhead liked to talk and tell stories. Matt picked up on this right away. I can still hear Matt saying at least once a day, "Shut up Bobby". Matt was the only person I ever Matt who could get away with that. George got quite a kick out of it.

This picture was taken on the first day of our tour of Ireland with George Jones in 2008. My father's business was a bus owner/operator and I was taught at a very young age to respect the bus driver. Once I started touring and having to sleep through the night on the bus, I appreciated this even more. I am very grateful for the amazing bus drivers God has provided in my career. So, with that in mind, I instantly introduced myself to Matt and asked for a picture - knowing this would be the one my dad would be most impressed with. Matt and I hit it off right away. This photo was taken with Matt Ward in Cookstown, N. Ireland.

One of our stops on the George Jones tour in Ireland in 2008 was the beautiful Tullyglass Hotel near Ballymena, N. Ireland. The hotel has a large events center where we would do our show along with Gene Watson as the opening act. We also spent the night at the hotel so after the show quite a few of us went down to the lounge. It was August 5th. At midnight we celebrated my birthday. That night, I met Colm Kirwan, a local artist who attended the show. He explained how he would like to come to Nashville and pursue a country music career. His father, Dominic Kirwan is quite popular in Ireland and the UK. We stayed in touch and about a year later I helped him make the move, writing letters of recommendation and also introducing him to friends in Nashville. Colm has become a great friend and continues to do well in Nashville. Recently his father recorded a song that Colm and I wrote with my friend Austin Roberts called "The Grass is Always Greener".

Whenever on tour and there was a day off, I would always try to find something unique to the area to see. Of course, on our tour of Ireland in 2008, I did my research in advance. I was making plans for myself and a few others to see some sites when the show promoter caught wind of it. He asked what I was interested in, suggested a few things and arranged for our bus driver to take us sightseeing. Quite a few from the group went. Dunlace castle was our first stop. The views from this medieval castle were breathtaking. In the photo, from L to R, Front Row: Ricky Land (guitar), Mackie Pettus (hair stylist), me, Kathy Birkhead (drummer's wife), Michelle Schreiber (production manager's girlfriend, Vaughan Reed (bass player). Back Row: Scott Ulmer (George's bus driver and personal assistant), and Bobby Birkhead (band leader and drummer).

On our tour of Ireland with George Jones in 2008, several of us went sightseeing for a day. Of course, I brought a camera. Ricky Land, the guitar player was using his cell phone. Ricky took a few pictures with my camera. When I looked at them, I quickly realized he had a great eye and pretty much handed him my camera for the rest of the day. He took this shot of me at Dunlace Castle as well as many other scenic shots that I ended up framing and hanging in my home. Years later, as we started filming my "Savor the Flavors" shows while on tour, Ricky would be my camera man.

On a sightseeing tour of N. Ireland on a day off during the George Jones tour in Ireland in 2008, the show promoter and I planned quite a few stops. One I absolutely wanted to see, was Giants Causeway - interesting rock formations resulting from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. This stop involved a two-mile scenic hike. There were a few in the group that were aware of my ambitious hiking that opted out on the full tour, others thanked me while nursing blisters for the next few days. In the picture from L to R, Front Row: Me, Mackie Pettus (hair stylist), Kathy Birkhead (drummer's wife) 2nd Row: Ricky Land (guitar). 3rd Row: Kevin Wenk (production manager), Michelle Schreiber (production manager's girlfriend), Bobby Birkhead (tour manager/drummer), Row 4: Scott Ulmer (George's bus driver and personal assistant).

On our tour of Ireland with George Jones in 2008, the show promoter helped me plan a day of sightseeing for the group. One of the stops he suggested was Bushmills Distillery - Ireland's oldest licensed distillery (1608) in Bushmills, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. I'm not a whisky drinker and had never actually tasted Irish whiskey before, so I bought a bottle to "pass around". I haven't tasted it since, though I had a personalized souvenir bottle shipped home.

While on tour with George Jones in Ireland in 2008, I celebrated my birthday. That night during the show, George sang Happy Birthday to me on stage. What was pretty funny was, as he got to the part where he should sing my name, he literally drew a blank and could not remember my name. By now, I had been with his show for over 2 years and he introduced me every night. I thought it was kind of funny, the bass player Vaughan and I made a joke of it, but George felt really bad. The Sunday prior, Mackie, George's hair stylist and I had walked to mass in Cookstown. Mackie had told Nancy about it. For my birthday, Nancy who was raised Catholic had bought this rosary for me from her and George. As I thanked them for it, George apologized again for forgetting my name and told me how much he appreciated me working with him. When George's health started failing, I would pray the rosary many times on this special rosary.

While working with George, I opened the show with a few songs, sang backup and then did the duets that he and Tammy Wynette had recorded. Here we are singing Golden Ring.  It was always my favorite to sing as I remember it as a hit when I was a little girl. It was an honor and a dream come true to sing it with George on every show for almost 7 years.

George's final show was in Knoxville, TN on April 6th, 2013. I know for a fact that this picture was taken at George's final show. We all knew he was struggling, but the show was close to home so I rationalized that as the reason they chose to do the show. I wore these pants only once while working with George and it was for that show. I'd had them for years, but always dressed more conservatively with George. I don't think it mattered to George, but there was one queen bee in that organization and it wasn't me. My years of experience and intuition served me well. However, on this night, I felt the need to subtly distract - something I would never dream of doing when working for an artist. I didn't want to upstage or cause any drama, but this night, we just had to get through the show. I felt sorry for George as he sat through most of the show. He didn't like sitting at all and I knew he wouldn't be if he didn't have to. None of us knew this would be the last show, but we all knew that any show could very well be the last one. George passed away just 20 days later. April 26th,2013.

During the years that I toured with George Jones, George would always feature me to do a few songs to open the show before he came out. This picture was taken in Knoxville, TN, the night of George's last show. That night I sang "Heart Trouble" a song made popular by Steve Wariner and "The Last One to Know" a song Reba had a hit with. We knew George was struggling that night, and I remember trying to do all I could to support him on stage without looking as though I were trying to upstage him. I could never upstage him, but I wouldn't want anyone to think that I thought I could. It was a balancing act and I always felt George appreciated that and knew how much respect I had for him. How quickly those years went by. I remember so well the day I auditioned for George. I was told to prepare 2 songs to perform and to learn the harmonies on a few songs and also to be prepared to do some duets. For my songs, I sang "Singin' the Blues" which ironically I'd never sung before, but always liked, and "I Will Always Love You". I would open the show with those for at least the first 2 years. I was glad that I chose my audition songs carefully.

Two years after George passed away, his wife Nancy opened the George Jones Museum. I believe it was already in the works before he passed away as an income stream once George finished his farewell tour. Nancy worked tirelessly to remodel the 3 story building between 1st and 2nd avenue in Nashville. The first floor housed a huge gift shop and an area where you could taste and purchase "White Lightning Moonshine" along with a bar and restaurant. The second floor was the actual museum, the third floor housed a large space for events and the rooftop bar had a stage for live entertainment that overlooked the Cumberland River. When completed, it was beautiful and something George would have been proud of. I remember the day I was driving to Berry Hill for a recording session and saw this billboard along Highway 65. It sort of bothered me that they used this picture of George smoking as he had quit smoking and drinking quite a few years before I joined the band. But, in a way, I kind of liked the picture as it depicted George during his heyday. They would use this same picture on the moonshine. George knew they were planning to release the "White Lightning" liquor and I remember him talking about it at rehearsal one day sort of feeling us out. I don't think anybody thought it a bad idea. George wasn't adverse to making money and by now everyone knew that he wasn't drinking anymore. He would often say that he didn't have a problem with other people drinking, he just couldn't handle it. Nancy sold the museum and everything in it a few years later. The museum was a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. It closed in December of 2021

This picture was taken at the George Jones Museum in Nashville in June of 2015, shortly before I moved to AZ. After George passed away, Nancy made it her mission to build the museum. She did an amazing job and it was the kind of place that George would be proud to have his name on. I started working with George in 2006. It was Kent Goodson the bandleader who called to see if I wanted to audition. What many people don't know, is that I had been offered the job in 1995. At that time, I was writing with Ernie Rowell who ran the publishing company that Mel Tillis owned. Ernie had played bass for George years earlier. One day, I came home from writing, and there was a message on my answering machine (remember those?). The caller said in a heavy Southern accent, "This is Nancy Jones. George and I are looking for 2 girl singers to add to the show. Ernie Rowell played us a song of yours, and me and Jones just loved it. We'd like you to come sing with us." She left her number, and I honestly thought it was some sort of a joke. I called Ernie, and he confirmed that it was for real. There aren't words to say how flattered and honored I was. However, at the same time, things were going well with Lorrie Morgan and I was starting to sing on some of her recordings. I had no reason to leave Lorrie. So, I passed on the opportunity. I referred my friend Vicki Phillips who got the job. In 2006 as I was getting ready for the first show I'd work with George, Nancy came by the dressing room to check on me. I reminded her of the voice message she'd left years earlier. She said, "You wouldn't have wanted any part of this back then - he was still drinking. Honey, this is your time". She was right.

On November 22nd, 2013, there was a star-studded sold-out show at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. It was called "Playin' Possum - The Final No Show". This date had been booked likely a year earlier. This was supposed to be George's final show before retiring and many artists had already agreed to be there for the occasion. George didn't live to see the event. After he passed, they decided to turn it into a tribute show. Of course, George's "no show" history dating back to his heavy drinking days served as inspiration for the show poster. Clever? Yes. Tacky" I'd say! Though the show was a wonderful tribute, I found the poster disrespectul. As the  industry would have it, this wasn't "The Final No Show". On the 10th anniversary of George's death, George's wife Nancy tried to recreate the show for PBS with some of the same artists as well as others performing George's songs. 

On November 23, 2013, I was able to be part of an amazing tribute show to George Jones, billed as "Playin' Possum! The Final No Show". The show was originally booked as the final show of George's farewell "Grand Tour", ending back home in Nashville. When George passed away in April, it was later turned into a tribute show. Artists from all genres of music would take the stage to perform their favorite George Jones song. The Jones Boys and myself would be the back-up band for all artists with a set list of 48 songs. Pictured here from L to R, Tom Killen (Steel Guitar), Vaughan Reed (Bass Guitar) Bobby Birkhead (Drums), myself, Monty Lane Allen (Honorary Jones Boy for the night -Background Vocals), Scott Coney (former Jones Boy - Acoustic Guitar), Ricky Land (Lead Guitar), Kent Goodson (Piano) and in back, Van Coffey (Acoustic and Background Vocals)

Pictured here with Big Kenny and John Rich (Big & Rich). This was taken during rehearsal for the tribute show. They both drove out on John Deere lawnmowers - reminding the audience of the time(s) when car keys were hidden from George and he took the riding lawnmower to the nearest liquor store. They performed George's hit, "Love Bug". I always thought it interesting, though he of course had help, George liked to mow his own grass. Maybe he just needed to know he'd always have transportation and keeping up with the lawn mowers would insure that. By the time I worked for George he was no longer drinking, but perhaps in the past that wasn't too far from the truth.

Pictured on stage with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood during rehearsal for the George Jones tribute show. They performed "Take Me" the famous George and Tammy duet. Rehearsals for this show were intense. The band had been rehearsing at George's shed for days and then the day before and day of show in the Bridgestone arena. George had been gone for months by then and I was so focused on the show itself and leading the guys through the background vocals etc. that it hadn't been that emotional. However, Garth and Trisha were the third song on the show. When they started in on this song, it hit me hard. It was in that moment when my mind rushed back to all the times I'd performed the song with George and it was all I could do not to break down. I just kept telling myself, "not now, not now, later". There have been many times in my career when I have had to postpone emotions for the sake of the show. It's horrible.

Pictured on stage with Brad Paisley at the George Jones Tribute Show. Brad is so talented and did an excellent job on "The One I Loved Back Then ( The Corvette Song)", but nobody can sing that song like George did back in the day. By the time I started working for George, he could no longer sing it like he used to either.

Yes, I've sung with Megadeth. When they had the George Jones tribute show (Final No Show) at Bridgestone arena, artists from all genres came out to perform. Megadeth along with Jamey Johnson had chosen to perform George's song "Wild Irish Rose", a song about homelessness and the plight of Vietnam veterans. During the recitation there is a high rather wistful descant. I sang that part that night. It seemed to me that as they were doing the song, that they somehow got lost. I remember adjusting my part "on the fly" - wasn't the first time I had to do that, nor the last.

This picture was taken during the tribute show for George Jones (Final No Show). Thankfully all the artists on the show performed George Jones songs. There was no way I could have made it through "Go Rest High on That Mountain". I remember the first time I heard that song on the radio. I had to pull over. What an emotional song. I drove immediately to Tower Records to purchase the CD. Vince sang the song at George's funeral and couldn't make it through without being overwhelmed with emotion. Before doing the song he recalled how it was George that gave him the nickname, "Sweet Pea", There aren't words to describe how deeply his performance affected me. I have never listened to that song without being brought to tears and doubt I ever will. For the tribute show, Vince did an incredible job on Bartender's Blues -truly making it his own as Vince will do.

When I started touring with Lorrie Morgan she opened a few shows for Alan Jackson. I always enjoyed his music. One distinct memory I have is of going to catering before that first show. I was visiting with some of Lorrie's band as we walked in and wasn't really paying attention as I got in line. As I went to pick up a plate, I turned around and was quite surprised at how tall the person in front of me was. After a few seconds of processing that, I realized it was Alan. It also struck me as sort of neat that he was at catering with his band. This picture was taken at the tribute show for George (Final No Show). Alan closed the show with the only song that could really end it, "He Stopped Loving Her Today. It was terribly emotional and I prayed for God to get me through the descant. When the song ended, the lights went out except for a single spotlight on a rocking chair with his name on it. Nancy walked out on stage and Alan put his arm around her as the audience applauded. I can't imagine anyone having a dry eye.

This photo on stage with Dierks was taken during the tribute show to George Jones (Final No Show). Dierks performed, "I Always Get Lucky With You". This was a song that Merle Haggard was a writer on and George performed it every night. My favorite Dierks Bentley memory is of playing the televised portion of the Opry with George. George liked to do the song "Me and Jesus" in his shows and decided he would like to do it that night. I would usually do a verse and he wanted me to sing one on the Opry, but also wanted Dierks to sing one. During rehearsal, when it came time for the steel guitar solo, Tom Killen started in and the solo was teeth rattling loud, Dierks looked at me shaking his head and said "what the f*$&? His spontaneous comment made me laugh - cussing while we were doing a gospel song. In this case, I think the Lord would forgive him. I had to say something before the show that night so it could be fixed before we went on. My feedback wasn't well received at the time and I knew it wouldn't be, but I always felt obligated to make things as best for George as possible. Tom is an incredible steel player and was just a bit over zealous by getting to play through an amp rather than direct as he did most of the time. Guitars always sound better through an amp, but in an effort to keep stage volume down for George's sake, Tom rarely got to play through one. Here is a YouTube link of the performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEL-QWgrg34

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, married at the time, did a duet on "These Days I Barely Get By" During soundcheck, Blake remembered me from the Toby Keith tour and was his typical sarcastically funny self. Miranda joked back about knowing what it's like to put up with him. They divorced in 2015.

On November 22nd, 2013 a Tribute concert for George Jones billed as "Playin' Possum, the Final No Show" featured 48 songs by over 100 artists. George's band played for almost all of them. The rehearsals were long for many days leading up to the show. The day before, we had a dress rehearsal in the Bridgestone arena which continued the day of the show almost until the time the doors opened and the sold out crowd entered. It was exciting, but in the end, physically and emotionally exhausting. My ears hurt so from having had my ear monitors in for almost 2 days straight. It was an honor to sing with all of the artists - all donating their time to be part of the show. I'd worked so hard having separate vocal rehearsals with Monty Allen and Van Coffee. The background vocals sounded great and I was so proud of us as group and the band as a whole. However after the nearly 4-hour concert, when the house lights went up and the crowd filed out... it was over. In many ways it was like having George's funeral again. An era of country music was passing away literally and figuratively. I felt I was better than I'd ever been - at the top of my game - yet deep down, I knew this show was sort of my farewell. Tom Killen (George's steel guitar player) had become a close friend, almost like a big brother to me and it was fitting that he would be there to console me as the tears I'd fought back for the entire show fell down my cheeks. I don't know who snapped this picture, but it is my favorite of all the pictures taken that night. Kirk Hohimer (Nancy's son-in-law) looks on.

Photographer, Mark Wearsch has always been my photographer of choice - we are great friends and the photo shoots are always a lot of fun. He had this idea for a Valentine's Day promo pic.

My web designer and photographer, Mark Wearsch took this picture in his backyard near Berea, OH. It was an extremely cold day and we were quick to take several shots, then run inside to warm up. Never let 'em see you shiver!

While working with Lorrie Morgan, we were sponsored by Dean Guitars. Our guitar tech, Dave Carney chose 2 for me, the one pictured here and a beautiful blue one just like it. Dave is also a very talented photographer. He took this picture for Dean Guitars on a staircase at the Capitol theater in Wheeling, WV. The theater is home to the historic radio show, The Wheeling Jamboree. We performed at the theater and on the show many times while I was working for Lorrie.

It was in the 1990's when I made it a goal to write one Christmas song each year. I would demo the song and then use it as an email Christmas card to those on my mailing list. I eventually decided to compile the songs with some other favorites of mine and record my "Christmas Has a Way" CD. The title track was the last song I wrote for the CD and one I wrote by myself. This picture was the album cover. My friend and photographer, Mark Wearsch, took this near Cleveland, OH. I flew to Cleveland where he lived for one of many photo shoots over the years. I was praying for snow as I was hoping to get pictures for the CD cover. The weather didn't disappoint. We woke to a winter wonderland and just about froze our tooshies, but the shoot was just what I'd hoped for. I purchased the hat, scarf and gloves while on tour with George Jones in Ireland.

I had been doing some recording for Grand Vista Music, a small record label.  Much of the music never saw the light of day. I had written several songs with the owner, David Mastran. who had a love song that he wanted me to work on, but I wasn't getting anywhere with it.  Once day, while on tour, the melody was going through my head and it struck me as sounding like a Christmas song.  The title One Night in Bethlehem came to mind and I wrote the lyric - the Christmas story. I later put it on my Christmas Has a Way CD and the song has been recorded by several other artists since. David agreed to allow me to use the studio to film a video for the song as well as some promotional footage for the CD. I look a bit aprehensive in this shot, though I've never been camera shy.

I had just started doing promotion for my "Like a Butterfly" CD, and my producer, Chris Nole and I went to a meeting. To be honest, I don't remember what the meeting was for - possibly with a potential management company or publicist. As soon as we sat down in the office, the gentleman we were meeting with opened up a copy of Maverick Magazine ( a UK country music publication) and set it in front of us. Printed there, was a review for the CD. I had submitted the CD for review knowing they get countless CD submissions. I had no idea, that anyone had listened to it, let alone decide to review it. We played it cool and went on with our meeting which ultimately went nowhere. However, I don't know that I would have ever seen the review if not for that meeting. Once in the car, Chris asked me to read the review. I did, and started to cry when Larry Kelly started complimenting my songwriting. I have always sung, but writing is a craft I had to learn and develop with many amazing mentors in Nashville. It was so gratifying that someone I'd never met, "got it". He understood the CD, my music, just as we had intended it. One needs moments like these every now and then to keep up the pursuit.

In between touring, I would do gigs around Nashivlle with Chris Nole. We met in the early 90s and I immediately loved his piano style. We wrote many songs together over the years, some of which are on my Like a Butterfly CD. Chris produced the CD as well as my Christmas Has a Way CD. We mostly did cover tunes when we performed around Nashville, with one rule - we would only do songs we liked. The pay to play in and around Nashville is pretty pathetic, so you are doing it for the enjoyment.  We would do a lot of traditional pop and great American songbook selections. Here we are at Sambuca Nashville with our friend Matt McKenzie on bass.

My photographer, Mark Wearsch took this photo of Chris and I in my living room.  We needed a promo shot for an upcoming gig. Chris is from New Jersey, and I can just hear the "Jersey" as he's telling me how things are gonna be. We were great collaborators in the studio and on stage.

This was taken in the studio when we were recording tracks for my "Like a Butterfly" CD.  Chris Nole (producer and piano) on the left and Andy Reiss (electric guitar) on the right.

Nashville has quite a few small venues for songwriters and artists to perform their original material. I was recording for Grand Vista and another one of their artists was booked in the room. However, they needed her to do a show somewhere else.  They asked me to fill the spot. Chris Nole and Steve Forrest worked with me at a hotel lounge in town frequently so the label paid them to join me. It was a weird feeling when next to nobody was in the audience. Those that were, stayed just long enough to finish their drinks as they were there for the previous act. Of course, nobody from Grand Vista was there as they were at the other show. This was one of several humbling moments in my career. But, Chris and Steve were always a lot of fun so it could have been a lot worse.

In 1994 I was working with Lorrie Morgan and also doing a fair amount of session work when not on tour. Sherwin Linton (my father-in law) and Pam Linton (my sister) were coming to Nashville to record their "In a Nineteenth Century Lifetime" CD. Sherwin had asked me to sing backup on it along with Jim Glaser. Jim was part of the group "The Glaser Brothers". Years earlier, the Glasers had published several of Sherwin's songs and produced his "Cotton KIng" record. Sherwin wanted one more backup singer and asked if I knew anyone. I'd been writing with one of the writers at Blake Mevis Music where I met Christy Cornelius (daughter of singer Helen Cornelius) Christy was a great singer in her own right and agreed to do the session with us.

I toured with national acts for 25 years. In between tour dates, I also did studio work as a background vocalist and demo singer. My friend Charlie Craig introduced me to Monty Allen and would hire Monty and I to sing backup on all the sessions he produced.  Monty is an amazing singer and an even better person. We had a lot of fun together. When we did "The Final No Show" tribute to George Jones and they asked me to bring in another singer, I didn't have to think twice. I was thrilled that Monty was able to do the show. 

I met Beverly Ross one summer afternoon in the mid-90s.  She was looking for someone to sing a demo and had been given my name. We hit it off over the phone and talked and laughed for quite a while.  Bev was like that.  She was a great conversationalist and genuinely curious and interested about the people she met. We decided we should try writing together so I went to her apartment. I am terribly allergic to cats and Bev had a huge cat.  I sat there for hours visiting as my eyes watered and my lips swelled, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. 

That day I learned about some of her biggest copyrights.  She wrote Lollipop (Lollipop Lollipop oh lolli lolli – you know the one) while still a teenager.  She talked about the value of a copyright – not just writing songs that chart well, but ones that will be licensed for usages for years to come. I remember when she called one afternoon and shouted, “Ring tones, Brittany, ring tones!” She had gotten her BMI royalty statement and Lollipop had made a sizeable amount of money as a ring tone. She also wrote Candy Man for Roy Orbison (later recorded by Mickey Gilley and Charlie McClain), Judy’s Turn to Cry for Lesley Gore, Remember Then for the Earls and later Sha Na Na, as well as having had Elvis Presley cuts and many other hits.

Over the years, I’ve written with many different songwriters and many who have been very successful. It’s very difficult to teach someone how to write a song.  There’s more to it than arming yourself with a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary.  It is always an honor to sit in a room with someone who has honed the craft witnessing how they turn a phrase to make it fit the melody, convey what needs to be said and then rhyme without sounding pedestrian.  Quite often there is a lot of time spent in silence while the wheels are spinning until someone finally conjures up the magic words.  There are a few people that I have had the good fortune to write with that seemingly allow you to get into their head – not to see what they are thinking, but to see how their brain is working.  It’s hard to put into words what that is like. Bev was one of those people.  I was always amazed by her.  She read a lot and had an incredible vocabulary which was always entertaining to me.  She and I wrote several songs, never wrote a “hit” together, but she taught me so much about writing which made me a much better writer for every other co-writer I worked with. 

My friend Lee Bach introduced me to Charlie Craig around 1994. Charlie's songwriting credits were impressive. He wrote She's Single Again for Janie Fricke, Between and Old Memory and Me for Keith Whitley and later Travis Tritt, Let's Get Over Them Together, a duet for Becky Hobbs and Moe Bandy and Wanted for Alan Jackson - to name a few. Charlie was also good at discovering talent and when I met him he had started getting into more and more producing. I became his first-call female background vocalist. We worked countless sessions together in the studio and became great friends and collaborators. Charlie co-wrote the song Money in the Bank on my Like a Butterfly CD with me and Steve Wilkinson of the family group "The Wilkinsons". Charlie was instrumental in them getting a record deal. In 2003, Charlie had decided to record a solo CD of many of his hits - "The Hitmaker". I was so honored when he asked me to do the duets and to sing harmony on the other tracks. Charlie wanted a photo shoot with the two of us to use in promoting the CD. We went to Centennial Park in Nashville and my husband took the pictures, this being one of them. Charlie had a lot of great stories having been in the business so long. I always enjoyed them and his great sense of humor and quick wit. Charlie got lung cancer. His wife had died of lung cancer. Both were smokers though Charlie had quit before we met. In the end, cancer would win the battle. Charlie called me on holy Saturday. I was trying my hand at making homemade cinnamon rolls for the first time. I was letting the dough rise and we talked - I always had to allow time for Charlie's calls as he loved to talk. That day was different. He told me that he was dying and there was nothing more they could do. I cried and he comforted me. He had come to terms with it and had a powerful faith. I visited with him several times as he declined. He wanted to keep writing songs to the very end. His daughter asked me to give a eulogy. My tears are always very close to the surface and I didn't know if I could do it without breaking down, but I knew I had to try. I made it through, but broke down later. Charlie was one of my dearest friends and mentors in the business.

The first time I went to Nashville was during my senior year in high school. I took an office education class and Linda Fitzgerald was my teacher. I also joined OEA (Office Education Association). Shortly after the school year began, Mrs. Fitzgerald was so excited to tell me that the National OEA Competition would be in Nashville that year. Of course by then, I had been performing in clubs and doing shows around the Midwest, but hadn't yet been to Nashville. As fate would have it, I got first place in the "Job Interview" category in the Minnesota state competition so I could go to the national competition. To raise money for the trip I performed a concert in the high school gymnasium. So many people volunteered to put the show together and raise money for myself, Mrs. Fitzgerald, and classmate Ann Traut to go. We had a wonderful time. Jim Ed Brown was the entertainment one evening. The others weren't familiar with him, but I was. I got chills when he opened his show with a Charlie Pride song "Whole Lotta Things to Sing About", because I had started my fundraising concert with the same song. I could hardly believe my ears when he closed his show with "I Believe". Yes, that is the same song I ended my show with. Neither were hits of his. I felt God speaking to me that night. I knew I'd be back. We also went to the Opry one night. Ann leaned over to me during the show and said, "One day I'll see you up on that stage". Ann was killed in a car accident shortly after graduation. There were many times when I was on the Opry that I thought of Ann, especially the first time. This picture was taken after a George Jones concert in FL. Linda had come to see the show. I was her favorite - well that night anyway.

It seems my co-writers also share my love for great food and cooking. I'm pictured here with Lee Bach (left) and Leroy Anderson (right). Lee was one of the first people I met when I moved to Nashville. As a mentor and great friend, he introduced me to many talented musicians and songwriters, including Leroy. Leroy, originally from near Calgary, Alberta, Canada was well-known as part of a duo with his wife Donna, featured regularly on the Tommy Hunter Show. Here we are enjoying ramen at Otaku Ramen in Nashville. Leroy co-wrote the title track of my "Like a Butterfly" CD with me.

Everyone from Ringo Starr to Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks and even John Wayne recorded at Studio 19. The studio opened in 1964, but Larry purchased it in 1985. It was about 1995 when I started working there recording on 2-inch analog tape and then later Pro Tools. I did many recording sessions there as a background vocalist, songwriter and demo singer. Larry and his lovely wife Marilyn were great to work for. This picture was taken during one of the last sessions I did there. Larry sold the property (though he held out a long time as the high-rise condo craze consumed Music Row) and moved the studio to Franklin, TN just a few months before I moved to Arizona.

I started my career in Nashville before cell phones had cameras. Yes, I'm that old! In a way it makes me a little sad as I wasn't always one to have a camera with me. Though I'm grateful for the pictures I do have and the memories they hold. I met Colm Kirwan while touring Ireland with George Jones. A short time later, I encouraged him to come to Nashville to pursue his love of country music. When people ask me about moving to Nashville, I always encourage them to write songs. It is a writer's town - they are the lifeblood. It was in co-writing that I would go on to meet other writers and musicians which ultimately led to a great deal of the work I was fortunate to do in many Nashville recording studios. This picture was taken one afternoon after a co-writing session with Gerald Smith. Gerald (left) and I have written many songs together. He's had success with cuts by George Strait, Lorrie Morgan, Collin Raye and many other great artists.

Lorrie Morgan released her "Something in Red" album in 1991.  Angela Kaset wrote the title track. I remember shortly after the album came out, I was riding somewhere with my sister Peggy and she played the song for me. We both were in tears.  The song is such a 'female" song. When I started working for Lorrie, I was so moved by her live performance of the song  - even better than the record - every night! It became, and is, her signature song. Though she had other songs that charted higher or sold more records, Something in Red was always the finale for the 10 plus years I worked for Lorrie.  There's nothing to follow it with. Angela also wrote a song called "Welcome to the Golden Years". One day I was writing  at Blake Mevis' office. Blake produced Keith Whitley and also George Strait's first recordings and was a great song man. One of his writers, my friend, Kris Bergsnes played the song for me.  And yes, you guessed it. I started crying my eyes out. Angela has a way. We are pictured here at Douglas Corner a popular songwriter and showcase venue.

My friend Gale Stoddard came to Nashville for a songwriting workshop.  It was great to catch up with her. I'd met her for the first time when I was about 12 and she and I have stayed in touch, mostly with letters and Christmas cards ever since. She bought 2 tickets to the songwriter showcase the last night of the workshop and asked me to join her. It was a great show.  In addition to meeting Angela Kaset, I got to meet Craig Wiseman.  Craig wrote 1-800-Used-to-Be for Lorrie and has had so many huge cuts by artists like Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker and the list goes on. Touring with artists, you get to meet a lot of other artists, but not the songwriters behind their hits. Being a writer myself, I have such admiration for those that have really honed the craft.

I met Jim Wise during the time that Ron Cotton was managing me. Jim had had a short career as pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and was now pursuing a career in country music. He and I had been writing and I had the idea for a song called "Cowboy Cadillac" which would be about a truck instead of the car. Trucks have always been a popular theme in country music. Jim recorded the song and with the help of a backer released it on the Americana label. They had purchased this billboard near Music Row in Nashville to promote the single. It was my first cut as a songwriter. It went to #1 on the independent country charts and the video got some play on CMT, I was very excited when I received my first royalty check for $7.21. I framed it! The second check, and the largest, was around $350. This was also where I started learning about the "independent scene". I don't know that I ever saw an artist start out in this arena and get a major label deal. People come to Nashville every day with money and hopes of making a recording in Nashville. The musicians that play on all the hit records also play on a lot of recordings by people you've never heard of, nor will hear of. There are only so many songs on the charts and it's this type of work that keeps Nashville's musicians, engineers, producers and background vocalists (including me) from having to work a day job.

I had only been in Nashville a short time and had taken a waitress job at a club called "Patricks". It was my first job outside of the music business except for a part-time job I had for a short time at a tanning salon which got me free tanning sessions. One night I waited on a guy who told me he had a publishing company and independent record label - either we'd discussed that I was a singer/songwriter, or he just assumed I was as so many people are in Nashville. Anyway, he invited me to come by the office and meet his writers. The first person I met was Lee Bach. Lee would become a great friend and almost like my Nashville dad. He introduced me to so many people that would help me in the industry. I don't remember the particulars, but somehow there was a showcase coming up that David Frizzell was going to do at Douglas Corner and their company had something to do with it. Douglas Corner is a rundown bar with a stage on the corner of Douglas and 8th avenue in Nashville. It was well known as a showcase room - still is. They had asked me if I would sing "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma", with David, the duet hit he had had with Shelly West. I was pretty excited. At that time, David was still pretty popular and the Frizzell family is legendary in country music. As I was posting this, I noticed the keyboard player in the photo is Dennis Wage. Dennis and I would later work together in the Bullpen Lounge at the Stockyard.

This picture was taken backstage at the Norsk Hostfest in Minot, ND. Ray was co-headlining with George Jones. People come from all over the world to celebrate Nordik culture and cuisine during the 4-day event which has an attendance of over 50,000. Nordik people like country music!  Ray is best known for his songs Everything is Beautiful (my favorite) and many novelty songs like The Streak, Mississippi Squirrel Revival and It's Me Again Margaret.

This photo was taken at Hilltop Studios in Nashville. I'm pictured here with engineer Steve Chandler, J.D. Crowe and Monty Lane Allen. I did many sessions over the years at Hilltop. For this particular one, Monty hired me. Monty and I did a lot of background vocal sessions and worked well together. Monty also toured as a background vocalist for Alan Jackson. J.D. was a well known banjo player and bluegrass band leader. It was a fun session and was one of the last sessions I did in Nashville before moving to AZ. J.D. passed away in December of 2021.

I was always a Statler Brothers fan - enjoying their music as well as their comedic ability. Growing up, I looked forward to the Music City News awards as they hosted the show quite often and were wonderfully funny in an off-the-cuff sort of way. George performed in Staunton, VA (home of the Statler Brothers) for their "Happy Birthday America" celebration. The event was started many years earlier by the Statlers themselves. I'm pictured here with Harold and Don Reid. Their sons, Will and Langdon (respectively) opened many shows for George and did that night as well. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree and the duo, "Wilson Fairchild", does the same wholesome brand of country music and comedy as their fathers. I was able to meet Harold and Don after the show. They look pretty excited to meet me as well.

My husband Lee (Buddy) and I moved to Arizona in the fall of 2015. In all my years of touring, I always loved the desert climate and Lee was fond of it as well. We decided, when the time was right, we would one day relocate there. On January 13, 2017 Lorrie Morgan, Mark Chesnutt, and Joe Diffie performed a show together. They called it "Country Unplugged" but it wasn't an acoustic show?? These package shows are becoming a necessity if you were a 90's artist and wish to continue working and selling enough tickets to fill a venue. The three shared the stage the entire time and each artist had brought one or two of their band members which comprised the band for the evening. I had reached out to Lorrie for tickets and she was kind to arrange for Lee and I to come to the show and visit backstage. She made a point of introducing me and said some very nice things about me and my time with her show. It was very difficult to see these artists subjected to this set up. All 3 of them have and have had amazing bands and I'd gotten to know them while working for Lorrie and George Jones. They all were very good sports, but I knew they weren't into this arrangement either. The music wasn't tight and I felt they all deserved better. But, that's the nature of the industry. Fans can be fickle - even country music fans. After the show we all sat in a dressing room, passing a guitar around and singing our favorite country songs. It was touching to hear them all share fond memories of George and his music. They weren't headed back to Nashville so we stayed as long as the venue would allow. Speaking of the venue, I thought this place was a *&#@hole the first time I performed there with Lorrie in the early 90's and every time after that. My opinion hasn't changed. We lost Joe Diffie to COVID in 2020. God rest his soul.

Like so many, when I first moved to Nashville, I had a successful waitress career. The first place I worked was called Patrick's. As things go in the nightclub business, patrons are sort of fickle and when the business started falling off, it was my husband who suggested I apply at the Stock-Yard in the Bullpen Lounge. He thought it would be a good career move as so many music people hung out there and the chances of me meeting someone who could help me were a lot greater. My husband told me one afternoon to go in there, fill out an application, and tell them that I was the best waitress they would ever have. The manager who took my application seemed a bit taken back and said that he would be the judge of that. I wasn't very hopeful when I left, but by the time I got home, there was a message on the answering machine as to when I should report for training. My first night, I had high sales in the worst section. I was a very good cocktail waitress. My theory - If I'm going to do it - be the best at it. I had been writing quite a bit and it just so happened that a co-writer of mine, Jim Martin came in one evening. He knew the band well and told Tommy Riggs, one of the featured singers, that I was a great singer. They called me up on stage and things went well. Shortly after that, Gerry Pye, the female vocalist was going on vacation and asked if I would fill in for her. Soon I started waitressing on the weekends (that's when the tips were best) and singing there on weeknights. Here I am in my waitress uniform on stage with the Gain Control band. Guitar player/band leader Hank Salyer is pictured as well.

Buddy Killen had written a jingle for his restaurant that started with the line, "You wanna be seen at the Stock-Yard". It was well known that this was the best live band situation in Nashville at the time and it was the place celebrities hung out when in town. Of course country music celebs, but everyone from Burt Reynolds to Ivanka Trump and Andre the Giant. You can see the names of some of the celebrities that had visited the Stock-Yard painted on the banner above my head across the back of the stage. To Buddy's credit, it was a great jingle and excellent marketing. There was a round booth right in front of the stage that was reserved for whoever Tex, the bouncer, deemed to have the most star power on any given night. As a singer trying to get something going in Nashville - you wanted to be seen at the Stock-Yard too. Though at times there was a perception that if you were singing there, then you "had something going". Looking back, that was true, but I wanted more. I had been singing in clubs for years before moving to Nashville and though this was the premier club in Nashville, I wanted to move beyond being a nightclub singer and I knew I couldn't stay their too long.

 I met Dean while we were filming America's Country Magazine. He was the guitar player on the show, and he and I would work together frequently after that. We would play Sunday nights with the Dennis Gulley band at the Starlite Club - a pretty historic country music venue off Dickerson Road in Nashville, TN. Dean and I lived close to each other so he would drive to the gigs in has van and I would ride along. The area of town where the Starlite was had gotten kind of questionable and so Dean's dog rode along too and would keep an eye on his van and gear while we were working. This picture was taken in the Bullpen Lounge at the Stockyard where I was a regular performer. Dean would sub on guitar from time to time. Dean is a great blues artist in his own right and also, the son of the great Tom T. Hall.

When I moved to Nashville, the Stockyard's Bullpen Lounge, was THEE place for live country music. The band and sound were exceptional. Artists, when off the road would come in and sit in with the band that also featured regular singers. I was fortunate to become one of those regulars. I usually performed there on weeknights when I wasn't out on tour with Lorrie Morgan. Tex Monahan was security (wore a gun - but thankfully, I never saw it leave its holster).  To me, he was actullay more of the house photographer.  He would take pictures of all the famous guests.  Several walls of the club were covered with the photographs he'd taken. He also worked a day job where he had to get up real early in the morning.  Every now and then on a slower night, he would nod off on his stool. It was like home to him.  Nobody loved the Bullpen more than Tex.

It was at the Stock-Yard that I found out that Lorrie Morgan was looking for a background vocalist. Her tour manager, Mike Chamberlain hunted on Hank Salyer's (guitar player in the house band) land. He gave me Mike's number, I managed to get an audition, and the rest is history. When I started with Lorrie I gave up my waitressing, but sang at the Stock-Yard when I wasn't on tour. Buddy Killen, the owner knew the music business well, understood and was very supportive. Eventually, it became too much working at the Stock-Yard and touring. I quit the Stock-Yard but it wasn't an easy thing to do. There were a lot of special people there and performing there was awesome! Pictured here on stage in the Bullpen Lounge with Larry Franklin on fiddle and Dow Tomlin on bass guitar.

During the time that I was performing at the Stockyard, I met Ron Cotton. We met through a co-writer of mine, Jim Wise. Jim had a backer and had released a song we'd written called "Cowboy Cadillac" as his first single and Ron was managing him. Ron had been in the business as a successful show promoter in TX and was now managing artists. His most successful artist was Ronna Reeves who had a deal on Mercury records and he was also managing another artist for the label. He took an interest in me and helped me get my first publishing deal as a songwriter. He managed me without a contract and I truly felt as though he had my best interest in mind. It was very difficult the day that I invited him over to the house to tell him that I thought we needed to part ways career wise. I didn't have another manager in mind at the time, but I wanted to be free to pursue someone without feeling as though I was working behind his back. In the end, it was the right decision.

In 1991, I was part of a band called "Flight" put together for the sole purpose of doing a tour for the Department of Defense. The rest of the group had done several of these tours, but I was filling in for the other girl who was recovering from recent knee surgery. This was the band picture we used - taken in front of a bed sheet in Maury Kelley's family room. Maury (pictured in the center) played keys and was the band leader. This DOD tour to Berchtesgaden, Germany remains one of the most incredible experiences I've had in the music business. Getting to give back just a little to our men and women who serve and experiencing their appreciation is something I will never forget. I was asked to do another tour with them and was planning on it when the opportunity to tour with Lorrie Morgan came along. I don't regret my decision to work for Lorrie, but I was disappointed that I couldn't be part of the next tour to Panama. It was the 90's. Check out the big hair and the shoulder pads - yikes!

This is a postcard I saved from the venue where we performed during the DOD tour with "Flight" in1991. This hotel in Berchtesgaden, Germany was property the US seized during the war and was being used as a military resort. On this particular tour, we stayed in the same place and our audience changed as service men and women were given 3-day passes to visit this resort. We performed in the building pictured on the far left of the photo. There was this wild tunnel system that connected the buildings and our clothing changes involved going down a narrow flight of stairs and through one of the tunnels. This made the three minutes we had to change pretty frantic. I understand this resort has been leveled and no longer exists.

In 1991, I was part of a band called "Flight" that did a DOD (Department of Defense) tour. We performed at a military resort in Berchtesgaden, Germany. It just so happened that the day we arrived in Germany was my birthday. As we checked in, the military personnel that greeted us presented me with this glass stein full of flowers. While there, we would stay in what was once the home of Hitler's architect. This picture was taken in my room.

In 1991, I did a tour for the Dept. of Defense as part of a show band called "Flight". Maury Kelley was bandleader and his brother Michael was also in the group. We performed at a military resort in Berchtesgaden, Germany. It was the first time I had ever traveled overseas, and I took every opportunity to see as much as time would allow. The group took a day trip to Venice, Italy. Here I’m pictured on one of the bridges with Maury Kelley (L) and Michael Kelley (R).

In the summer of 1991, I was part of a show band called Flight put together for the sole purpose of doing tours for the Dept. of Defense. The group had been together for several years and the girl who I would be filling in for was having knee surgery and wasn’t able to make the tour. We would perform in Berchtesgaden, Germany at a military resort – The hotel General Walker. Military personnel were given 3 day passes to this resort. To this day, it is still among my very favorite experiences in the music business. The audience was appreciative to say the least and when we would visit after the shows it was eye-opening to realize how much they missed family and home and I gained a deeper appreciation for service men and women. During the day we would take a train to nearby Salzburg, Austria and enjoy some sightseeing. I’m pictured here with Rhonda Hampton, the other girl on the tour near Eagle’s Nest. Later,I would go on to tour with Lorrie Morgan and Rhonda with Ronnie Milsap.

When in Nashville trying to make a living as a vocalist, I don't know that I ever turned down a gig unless I was already booked. I develped a pretty big circle of musician friends and could work in a lot of different genres and settings. I've always loved big band music and so I jumped at the opportunity to work with John Komrada. I wasn't a fan of all of the music as a lot of it was 70s pop (think "The Love Boat" style music). He would play a lot of society and country club gigs. It was good experience and a way to keep working and not be in a smokey honkytonk. Pam Raymond is the other vocalist.  I met Pam through her husband Dan Schaefer shortly after I moved to Nashville. Dan was in the band at the Nashville Palace where I had won a talent competition and the opportunity to be a featured performer one weekend. Pam also worked at the Starlight Lounge on opposite nights.

About a year and a half before we moved to Nashville, I took a job with at Top-40 band in Minneapolis called Southwind. Back then there were lots of live music venues and Southwind worked many supper clubs and large hotel lounges throughout the Minneapolis area. They rarely traveled and had a steady schedule. My friend Beth Marthaler would go to see them and knew they were considering adding a female vocalist. She invited me out to their show one night. I got up and sang a few songs with them and they hired me. It was a great opportunity for me to stay in town, save some money and prepare for the move to Nashville. There were a few things that would be different for me. They didn't play country music. I learned a whole new set list that was always changing as Top-40 bands were like that - always learning the latest chart toppers. I performed songs by Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Taylor Dayne, Gloria Estefan and every other girl singer on the pop charts. Also, all three guys in the band spoke Spanish. The keyboard player and drummer were from Mexico and the bass player from Chile. Rehearsals were in Spanish. I sat there thinking to myself, "music is the universal language, I know what's going on, but I haven't a clue as to what they are saying". If I have a regret, it's not learning Spanish then when I had such a great opportunity. Pictured from L to R: Enrique Ponticas (bass guitar), myself, and Juan Plascencia (keyboards),

This picture was taken in January of 1988. We were playing at a hotel called "McGuires Inn" in Minneapolis. Southwind was a great band and were really such a gift in my life. They knew my background was in country music, but gave me the opportunity to be part of their top-40 band. It was a great learning experience for me as I had to learn a new genre of music very quickly. My desire to move to Nashville was no secret to them and they were so supportive of me. They even learned a few country songs and helped me film a live performance demo video that I could take with me to Nashville. My friend David Flom let me use his guitar (behind me in the picture) so I could play it while I did my country songs. God put them in my life at such a crucial time.

This picture was taken at The Guest House in Watertown, SD about 1983. My sister Pam and I were part of the Sherwin Linton show and The Guest House was a hotel with a large multi-level lounge. Sherwin would perform there for weeks at a time and as a result, Pam and I made many lifelong friends. We're pictured here with our mom (Nettie) and dad (Tom). They would come out to Watertown on weekends sometimes to see the show and of course check up on Pam and I. There was a pretty nice western store on the edge of town that Pam and I would frequent looking for potential stage clothes. We bought these outfits there. I wondered if they had ordered them with us in mind as I can't imagine the locals wearing anything like this. This will always be one of my favorite stage outfits. Mom and dad look so young in this picture. I know they must have worried about us a lot. Pam and I were young, but thanks to their parenting, quite responsible - in many cases far more than the other much older band members we worked with.

I saw Sherwin Linton perform for the first time when I was 6 years old. I was just starting to perform and Sherwin and his band would play a supper club not far from where I grew up.  My parents would go to see him perform and he was known for being a great entertainer and bandleader. He would do Sunday matinee shows from time to time and mom and dad took me and my sister to see the show. It was life changing for me.  It was then that it occurred to me that you could do this for a living.  Well, some can. Years later some friends owned a bar in our small town and had also followed Sherwin over the years.  He played at their bar one weekend and they asked my parents to bring me up so Sherwin could hear me sing.  From then on, my sister Pam and I would work weekends with him while I was still in high school - traveling as far as Nebraska or Wisconsin for shows. When I graduated, I went to work full-time for Sherwin as part of his band.  Pam is just 14 months older than I am and was working in a jewelry store.  She quit her job and joined the show.  We have always worked well together. Sherwin has a broad appreciation for music of all styles and working for him was the best education I could have hoped for. It was the foundation I needed to pursue a career at the level I had my sights set on.

During the time that I was working for Sherwin Linton, Sherwin had a manager that liked to put together shows with artists that had had some big hits, but no longer toured on their own or carried their own bands. Sherwin was known for having a good band and so his manager talked him into doing these package shows and having his band back up the artists. This picture is from one of those shows. Pictured from L to R: My sister Pam, Sherwin, Paul (Ray Hildebrand), Paula (Jill Jackson), Dickie Lee, and myself. This was the only show I recall working with Paul and Paula ( Had a big hit in the 60's with a song called "Hey, Paula"). We did several shows with Dickie Lee ( "Rocky", "9,999,999 Tears", and "Never Ending Song of Love". He also wrote "She Thinks I Still Care" for George Jones). By this time, the idea of moving to Nashville was very much on my mind and I knew that Dickie lived in Nashville. I had also started writing songs and knew that Dickie was a very successful songwriter. I don't know that I ever shared any of my songs with him, but he was encouraging in regards to my singing. He also was clear that I should make the move to Nashville if I wanted to pursue a career at that level. Beyond that, Dickie didn't really have a hand in my career, but perhaps, he did his part. I do remember that it was Dickie Lee who explained the game of football to me. I had picked him up at his hotel to take him to rehearsal, and we got stuck in the worst traffic jam. After that, I became a football fan and eventually started playing in Fantasy Football leagues organized by someone in the bands I was in. To this day, I still am in Toby Keith's Fantasy Football league.

In the early 80's, my sister Pam and I were part of the Sherwin Linton show. During the holiday season, Sherwin would put together a Christmas dinner show at the Guest House in Watertown, SD. I have always loved Christmas music so it was something I really enjoyed. This photo was taken in front of the tree in the Guest House lobby. L to R in the back row, Ben Jenkins (bass guitar), Milt Lang (drums) and Sherwin Linton (lead guitar and vocals). Front row L to R, myself and my sister Pam.  Later when I went on to work with Lorrie Morgan I did Christmas tours with her as well. It always felt magical to share this music and to entertain people at Christmas time.

You've heard it said that one must "pay their dues". Well, for the most part, I never thought at any point in my career that I was "paying my dues". I was always focused on the show/gig at hand and looking to the next one. However, there are a few gigs that stand out as ones where I was on stage asking myself, "What in the he%# am I doing here?". I didn't take many pictures back in the days when I was working with Sherwin Linton and when I came across this one, I had to share it. Most of the time we had great working conditions. This was at the Balsam Lake Freedom Festival in WI. Sherwin would always advance the shows letting the buyer know what we needed. This particular buyer had a different vision. Imagine our surprise when we arrived and saw our stage. Things only got worse as the day wore on. It was one of the hottest and most humid days I can remember. We all opted to not wear our stage clothes and just wear street clothes for the show. We started performing just as the sun was setting. Just when we started to feel a slight reprieve from the heat, the yard light on the building behind us came on and nobody seemed to know how to turn it off. I swear every bug in the state was at our show that night. You could hardly sing without swallowing a bug. Sherwin has always been a champ at making the best of a bad situation. I remember him making up a song on the spot and rhyming freedom festival with pest control. As miserable as it was, I couldn't resist laughing at that. Oh the memories.....Pictured L to R: Sandy on keyboards, my sister Pam, Sherwin, myself, Bill Schott, and Lee Scherer.

During the time I worked for Sherwin there were many differnent  versions of the Silver Shadow Band. This photo was taken at Bogner's steakhouse a popular fine dining establishment with a Vegas style showroom. Pictured L to R - Dwight Martin, my sister Pam, Sherwin, myself, Curt Larson and Steve Gwinn on the floor.

My husband Buddy (Lee), Sherwin Linton's son and I moved to Nashville in 1989. I had quite Sherwin's band a few years earlier to work with Southwind. It was all part of our plan as we prepared to make the move. In 1993 we had built our first home. Both Dwight Martin and Steve Gwinn had moved to Nashville and were pursuing the business as well though we all were sort of going our own directions. Sherwin and Pam were in town recording so I decided to have everyone over for dinner. Sherwin thought it would be fun to recreate the picture we'd taken years earlier.  From L to R, Dwight Martin, my sister Pam, Sherwin, myself, my husband Buddy (standing in for Curt Henry, and Steve Gwinn on the floor.

I was about 13 or 14 in this picture. My Mom snapped this picture of Aunt Betty and I on a settee in the powder room at Diamond Jim's. Diamond Jim's was a famous supper club ( back when there were supper clubs) in St. Paul, MN. They were having a talent contest. One of the best ways for young talent to gain experience in front of a live audience is by entering talent contests. Back then, I entered a lot of them, sometimes performing with the house band, but quite often with my Aunt, Betty Trobec accompanying me on the piano. This was taken on the day of the auditions. The winners got to perform on a weekend as part of their scheduled entertainment. I was fortunate to be chosen as one of the winners. I didn't always win the contests we entered, but was fortunate many times. Aunt Betty was a great sport. Back then, you could purchase sheet music for most any song that was on the radio (The charts didn't move as quickly then as they do now). The songs we chose repeatedly for contests were "Paper Roses" and "Release Me", both popular at the time and songs Betty was comfortable playing. Betty was the organist in our church for many years and the first person to recognize my desire to perform and encourage it. I would go from singing in church to supper/night clubs and back again long before I was old enough to be in the clubs.

There was a supper club called Portside along the Mississippi River near Rice, MN. When I was 12, I performed there on Sunday afternoons during the winter months with Dick Krekelberg. The lounge was called the Kon Tiki Room. The following summer the owner brought in Gale Stoddard to perform. She played piano and sang popular songs. She lived in Buena Park, CA. I couldn't imagine she came thar far to work a club engagement. I don't know how long she performed there, but after meeting that one time, we became lifelong friends. I was enamored with her and anxious to know anyone that was making their living in the music business. Her story was amazing of growing up in the Philippines and marrying her husband at a young age then moving to CA. She was a brilliant pianist. That Sunday afternoon when we stopped in, there weren't a lot of people there. The owner had me sing with her and invited my sister Peggy and cousin Bonnie to join in. Ironically, Bonnie (on the right) who was also very artistically inclined and would go on to pursue graphic art. Bonnie has designed all of my CD covers. From L to R: Me. Gale Stoddard, my sister Peggy, and cousin Bonnie Trobec.

1976 was a big year for me. I had been singing on Sunday afternoons at a local supper club, had entered a talent contest at the MN state fair where I was a top finalist (lost to some jugglers), and the "Trobec Sisters" were getting the most work we'd ever had. Everybody was celebrating and there were all sorts of special events and celebrations. My aunt Betty who accompanied us on piano also sewed our stage costumes. She made these white jumpsuits for us girls and for her and mom as well. We added the scarves for that "bicentennial" touch. This picture was taken at a MN School Bus Operators convention. Our dad and grandpa were in the bus business and members of the organization- wonder how we got that gig??? I remember performing at a celebration in Albertville, MN. The people that hired us were surprised when we showed up - they thought the Trobec Sisters were singing nuns! Oh well, not quite, at least we were Catholic. From L to R: Aunt Betty Trobec, Pam, myself, Peggy, and our Mom, Nettie.

My first public performance was at the age of 6 for a Fall Festival concert our church put on each year. From then on, I was hooked. I sang any and everywhere I could. Soon my sisters Pam and Peggy joined and we had our own little family band. Our Grandpa, Tony Trobec loved music and would always ask us to sing with our aunt Betty to accompany us on the piano. He bought us our first "PA system", and was quite often our crew as the speakers were too heavy for us to lift. Here we had just finished performing for residents at a local nursing home. From L to R: My sister Pam, Grandpa, myself and my sister Peggy with her leg up on top of one of the speakers. I still have this sounds system - not sure if it even works, but I can't bear to part with it.

I grew up in St. Stephen, MN. The population according to the most recent census is 851. During my childhood, it was probably about half that. Everybody knew everybody and everybody's business, and anybody could discipline anybody's kids. St. Stephen celebrated it's centennial in 2014. The town, it's hard for me to refer to it as a city, started as a Catholic parish, later became a village and then incorporated as a city in 1914. I was honored to be invited to perform for their centennial. My sister Pam and her husband Sherwin Linton also performed and accompanied me. It was a real homecoming seeing so many friends and family, but also getting to perform once again with Pam and Sherwin.