Hi everyone! This is KK. You wanna know something about me? Ok. Good!
I used to sing all the time. And when I say all the time, I mean ALL the time. I was obsessed with Bette Midler, and was determined to be a singer. My big moment came when at our D.A.R.E. graduation, I was asked (or, I happily volunteered) to sing “Wind Beneath My Wings” while the horrible tragedy of drug use was played out before the audience. I had extraordinary confidence at such a young age, despite the red hair and freckles, but for this performance I was NERVOUS. The dramatic skit was supposed to last the entire song, so I figured that at least it would be my companion during my performance. Well, the actors decided the duration of the song was too long and were completely done by the end of the first chorus… darn! I was left to finish out the song with all eyes on me. And during the bridge of the song, the banner started falling off the wall behind me. (Is anyone thinking, ‘That sounds like a scene out of the movie Carrie?) I was doomed from the start. I actually do have video of this but I am not sure how to convert it from VHS. I even bought a TV/VHS player combo from goodwill. Maybe this will be shared in a future post, or maybe not.
To this day my friends swear that I used to sing on the lunch tables. It is funny how legends get started. Nope! It was just the one song, just the one time, and it was not on the lunch table. It is nice to have this Blog to set the record straight. You may be wondering how this applies to my collaborator, the Sara Evans…
Well, it doesn’t. I wanted to share a story about me. But how is this for a segway… Singing wasn’t the talent that God bestowed upon me, but I do know someone who does have that talent.
Sara’s new album, Slow Me Down, is in stores now! In one word… addictive. I “can’t stop” listening. My favorite song at the moment is Sara’s cover of the Gavin DeGraw song “Not Over You”! We recently did a Yahoo Music special and here are the video and pics from the day. Enjoy!

YAHOO VIDEO: NOT OVER YOU

Side note… Billie McClaran, the one singing the part of Mr. Degraw, also has his own band. Oh, one more thing. Here’s a link to Billie’s band’s album. (Be sure to check out Powder Keg, a tune co-written by Billie and my hubby)

MUSIC CITY DOUHBOYS

I’ll be writing more about the new album in future posts. But suffice it to say that I think (and I hope) you’ll check it out and fall in love with it too. Sara really poured her heart and soul into it, and it really shows! I’m really proud of her, as I always am. : )

Last week was CRS, or Country Radio Seminar week in Nashville, TN. All of country radio comes to Nashville to essentially party with all the Country Singers and their teams, labels, management, etc. It is one big “THANK YOU” to country radio for playing our music. And since Nashville is the home of country music… it can get a bit busy. It is event after event!

I came up to Nashville (from my home in Birmingham) late Tuesday night on the bus. We had a FULL day on Wednesday. I go into hair and makeup at 7am. I want to look my best! Usually what happens is that KK will show up on the bus a little earlier than start time and make me coffee and then gently coax me out of bed. Having to wake 3 kids for school every day entitles me to have this special treatment. Well, this Wednesday was a bit more interesting. First thing I remember is a thump at the bottom of my bed and a raspy moaning (not morning, it was a moaning) voice telling me, “Get up. I have the stomach flu. You are going to have to get yourself ready.” What a way to wake up?!?! This voice then shuffles back down the bus hallway and disappears. I can only assume it was KK, but it is dark. I decide to go check out the situation and make sure I wasn’t dreaming. sure enough, I walk in to see KK collapsed on the couch and her sweet mother is making me coffee. First things first… I grab some coffee and then I go check on KK. My assumptions were correct as she moans on and on about the nausea. Mary (KK’s mom) and I start chit chatting about the misery that KK is in and then I start to get ready. Since KK usually does my hair and makeup, I don’t bring my own stuff, so I have to rumble through her kit to find stuff to do my own makeup. I have to ask her probably a million questions, but she kindly replies, I mean moans, a response. “Which concealer do I use?” “This one”, she moans. It goes on like this for a while. However, I know I am going to need her to color in my eyebrows. I at least try to wait till the last second to have her do it. She just does it so perfectly. I have thinner eyebrows and she makes them lush and symmetrical. She obliges. Poor thing waddles over and does the best job her nausea allows. I try not to show that I can smell last night’s vomiting fiasco on her breath. She finishes and waddles back to the couch. Wait, no, she turns and heads straight to the back bathroom. Horrible sounds fill the bus. I am just hoping she feels a little better after she purges. “Maybe she can do my hair really fast,” I think. When she comes back in, she sheepishly admits to ruining her clothes. I kindly offer her my last night’s jammies, hoping they will be spared the same fate. Fortunately, she does have a spurt of energy after purging so she does my hair (My Hero!). I think that was the fastest she has ever done my hair. She then returns to her couch and moans away. It is funny to me that she still has the strength to veto my picks from wardrobe. But we finally both agree on a blue sweater, jeans and my comfy, hairy Uggs!

Anyway, enough about KK! I will remind the readers at this point I STILL have a full day of visiting with radio, GAC and CMT, and all that without my KK. Wait! We can move on from KK. She goes home to recover. The day ensues and we end the night with a ‘Girls Night Out.’

Thursday’s schedule is just as busy. I am singing in the studio on the Doobie Brothers’ album. And then more radio, and then in the evening is the Sony Boat Show. Every year, Sony rents the entire General Jackson and invites all of radio for a night of entertainment by all of their artists. We usually set sail and are gone for about 3-4 hours. But this night we have a monsoon coming in so we stay docked! Special things can happen on the Boat show. One year I got to sing with REO Speedwagon and tonight was no different. I got to sing with the Doobie Brothers. I also got to spend time with the very sweet Miranda Lambert.

And all of these other guys!

All in all it was a great week. I got to see all my friends at radio and I didn’t get the stomach flu. Thank you Country Radio! And thank you KK.

Sara