I swear, it feels like 3 days happened already!! I left Nashville this morning, flew to Chicago. Originally, we were supposed to drive straight from Midway to Madison, but because the airport experience took so long, we had a little time to kill, so we stopped for lunch in a neighborhood near Wrigley Field. The cafe (who's name escapes me now), had the most amazing cupcakes (for the record, I only know this because I ate a piece of Paul's). Anyway, after lunch, we hit the road.
On the way to Madison, Bill decided to impress us with his stunt driving skills. So far, with the exception of Stacey, every radio rep has narrowly missed killing us with their driving skills, or lack thereof! The best part was when Bill (who used to be a radio DJ) began making his speeding pass through 5 lanes of traffic, he says, very calmly, "Standby". Priceless.
Once we arrived in Madison, which is a beautiful city by the way, we stopped at the hotel to freshen up and then headed to the station to meet with Brad Austin. Brad is the PD for the station and quite possibly the funniest person ever (sorry Paul). We did our boardroom performance and then Brad took us on a station tour, which included their extensive and very impressive collection of autographed guitars. Everyone's favorite part of the tour hands down was the state of the art bathrooms. The toilet seats heat when you sit, shoots water when you are finished and then shoots air to dry you (check out my photo album when you are done reading ? )!!!!
We left the station and had dinner (and hilarious conversation) with Brad. Topics ranged from Randy Travis, the strange hang ups of Stacey and I (Stacey hates the noise ice trays make and I hate hair near food and a certain word used to describe anatomy parts) to the death of Robert Palmer (Stacey had no clue he died and was very distraught). All in all, it was a really fun trip and I'm glad I got to see this part of the country. In the morning we are headed to Minneapolis!!! Thanks to Brad for showing a great time and being such a great audience!!!!
I am sitting on a nearly full plane headed home, and let me tell you, I am going to ENJOY this weekend. I'm not going to miss flying on crowded and often times stinky airplanes at all!!! I'm not leaving my apartment until Tuesday. I even think my dog, Jeremiah, is ready to go home. He's been a little trooper but judging from his behavior as of late, I think he's over it.
From the little bit that I saw, Phoenix is a really pretty place. The terrain reminds me a lot of Joshua Tree, CA, where we shot all the pics for my album. Although I was super tired, I got up at 6:30am this morning and couldn't go back to sleep so I did a work out and took J on a much needed walk. We left the hotel at 11am and headed to our first stop, KMLE to meet with Jay McCarthy (PD) and Dave Collins (MD). This was a lunch/conference room meeting, so a lot of the staff was there. As soon as we began the first song, Dick's cell phone went off (flash back to Carthage ? ). Everyone laughed and we got through and no sooner did we get into the third song, Paul's phone went off! Outside of the hotline incidents, I think that this meeting went well. Most everyone stayed behind for pizza and conversation and we showed the video at that time, which went over really well. I had heard about a little contest the station does called "Hump it or Dump it", where the listeners vote on two songs and the song with the most votes is "humped" and the loser is dumped. Dave informed me that my song is on deck and will probably come up for voting sometime next week. Everyone was so nice and receptive and I think it was a successful visit!!! Thanks to Jay, Dave, & their staff!!!
On our way to KNIX, we dropped Dick off at the airport, since we weren't going to be playing. J and Paul stayed in the car while Jim and I met with Gwen Foster (MD) to play cuts from the album. The visit went well and again, although I love performing, I really enjoy being able to interact more personally. She seemed to really like what she heard and I enjoyed talking with her. Thanks to Gwen for taking the time out of her day to see us.
We left the station and stopped and had our final meal at In and Out Burger. Now, those of you who know me know that I don't eat red meat and I barely eat fast food, but these are the BEST burgers in the world so I had to break my no red meat streak, after all, how often do I get an In and Out Burger (to make myself feel better, I had a protein burger, which means it was sandwiched between lettuce leaves instead of a bun). From there, Jim and Paul visited the Fender showroom while J and I took a long over due nap in the car.
I'm excited about my lazy weekend at home. I can catch up on rest, phone calls, emails, errands, and chores at my leisure. I'm trying to plan a day of pampering and beauty for me and J next week before we head out again. In the end, I think that this was a really successful trip. Even if all of the stations don't play the song on June 4, they have a better understanding of who I am as an artist and a person. I won't be writing another blog until next week, so have a fun, safe Memorial Day and I'll holla!!!!
Today was a pretty light day in comparison to some of the other days we've had. I only had one radio visit and it was only to play cuts from the album. Jim and I met with Tonya Campos (MD). Her energy was so great and I loved her straightforward personality. We played a few cuts and in the middle of the meeting she asked if I wanted to go on air with Todd Baker, the afternoon dj. Of course I said yes, so once we wrapped up our meeting, I went in the studio and did a little interview with Todd. He's really funny and very nice and the interview went really well. He wrapped it up by playing the single!!! I really enjoyed this visit and I thank Tonya and Todd again for all the love!!
We left the station and headed straight to the airport for a flight to Phoenix. There we met up with Paul, who was coming from Dallas. Jim is from Phoenix so while driving he was giving us some local trivia. We had an amazing dinner at the Capital Grill and one of the other patron's (who was CLEARLY drunk) provided us with some entertainment.
Although I'm having a great time on the road, the time changes are starting to catch up with me and I'm pretty tired. We're in the home stretch though, so I'll be in my own bed soon enough!!! Check out my photos from the day in the "Radio Tour" album in my pics.
While sitting in the airport today, headed to LA, I got a call from Terry (the president of 1720 Entertainment). At first he sounded very serious, saying that he had some very important news to tell me. I braced myself and asked, "What did I do? (I'm always in trouble for something :) )", and he said, "CMT is adding your video to their rotation!!!!". To say that I am overjoyed would be the understatement of the century. Everything that I have ever wanted is beginning to come true and I am so thankful!!! I'll keep you all posted on an air date!!!
Rissi :)
I am sitting on my bed in LA writing this blog, not really believing that I have been in four cities in three days!!! Today's visit was to KUPL in Portland. Unfortunately, because of our late arrival and early departure, I didn't really get to experience Portland but judging from the drive last night and our brief walk from the hotel to the station this morning , it looks like a beautiful city. Anyway, we met with Rick "Bubba" Taylor (MD) and John Paul (PD) and their staff. The show went well, especially for it being first thing in the morning. "Bubba" got a kick out of the video and I think this was a successful visit. From the station we went straight to the airport, where Paul was shipped off the Dallas to play with Cowboy Troy for the day (he's meeting us in Phoenix). While sitting in the airport, I got some amazing news. If you want to know what it was, check out the next blog...
I am writing this from the comfort of my bed in Portland. We just drove from Seattle to Portland, and let me just say, that is some beautiful country. Its lush and green, how gorgeous!!!! Anyway, we saw three stations today. Our first visit was at the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. Tony Thomas, the stations MD, and KMPS combined my visit with a listener contest, so we performed for the Port of Seattle K9 unit (congratulations Hannah for winning the contest by the way). They won lunch catered by McDonalds and a live performance from me. The officers seemed to really enjoy it and so did their dogs (Jeremiah, my furry baby, was there too and he proceded to bark every time they applauded me). It was a cool, laid back show and I had fun. We then rushed off to our second appointment with the Jones Radio Network in downtown. On the way to the station we saw the Space Needle and the first Starbucks. We performed for syndicated show hosts Lia Knight (The Lia Show) and Danny Wright (DW All Night) as well as Operational director Hank Aaron (not the baseball player) and staff. Everyone was really nice and they really seemed to enjoy the video and show. We had a little time so we were able to visit longer. Our final stop of the day was KKWF to meet with Rob Walker and Val Hart and their staff. The visit went really well and Rob invited me to play "Country Girl" on air during the "Live at Five" segment of Lobo's afternoon show. It turns out I was the first artist to play live during his show!!! Lobo said that he got 6 calls immediately following our performance!!! I'd say that this visit went very well!!! Afterwards we had an incredible meal that thankfully did not involve a tortilla (I don't need to eat another burrito for the rest of my life!!!) at Anthony's down on the waterfront. From there we hit the road to Portland. Stay tuned for more...
I am writing this on a plane headed to Seattle. My last 24 hours have been in St. Louis, my home town, for a visit with WIL Fm. Paul, Rosey, and I got into St. Louis on Sunday night. I wanted to come early because I wanted to try to see some friends. We ended up meeting up with my friends Nikko and Darren and hanging out at Harrahs. Nikko and I grew up together, going to the same church and singing in a group called Team 11. Some of you reading this may know him from Amercian Idol two years ago (when Carrie Underwood won). He made it to the top 10. Anyway, we hadn't seen each other for a few years, so it was great to catch up. He's still in StL, pursuing his music (which is really great by the way). Throughout this morning we had a couple little mishaps; first Dick got caught in a unbelievably long security line in Atlanta and wasn't able to make the meeting. Next, when we met with Daniel, the MD of the station, we found out that our meeting/lunch had been cut short due to extenuating circumstances. Finally, as I was tuning my guitar to begin the set, a string broke and I had no extras on me, which is rare. I just chalk it all up, because the meeting was great and I think he enjoyed it (although with the day we had, there's no telling). Unfortunately I didn't get to spend the kind of time I would have liked to in town, but Rosey says we'll be coming back soon. I've got another 7 hours of flying and waiting ahead of tonight, so I'm looking forward to getting to the hotel in Seattle. Stay tuned…
5:01 PM -
Hey All,
I just thought that I would share this review of my single, "Country Girl", with you all. It was written by one of my favorite music critics, Robert Oerman. Some of you may know him from his turn as a judge on the first season of "Nashville Star" (he was the "Simon" judge). Anyway, I read his column every week and usually we agree. I respect his opinion and I was VERY nervous about his critique of my song. Here's what he said...
"African-American "Country Girl" Rissi Palmer and teenager Katie Armiger finished in a dead heat for the DisCovery Award.
RISSI PALMER/Country Girl
Writer: Rissi Palmer/Sarah Majors/Dan Shea/Shannon Sanders; Producer: Dan Shea & Cory Rooney; Publisher: none listed; 1720 Entertainment (www.rissipalmer.com)
I like the little breaks, cries and quasi-yodels in her vocal style. The pumping production is right on the money with its dobro moans, trilling harmonica, handclaps and layered, call-and-response vocals. Very cool, very hillbilly sophisticated."
I LOVE it!!!!!!
I am sitting on the flight back to Nashville from Detroit and I swear, it feels like we a jammed a week of touring and site-seeing into one day. My day began at 5am when I was awaken by a phone call from a very stressed out Rosey. Her flight had been cancelled and there were no other flights that would get her to Detroit on time. My next phone call was Paul, saying that he thought we could do it by ourselves and we needed to get organized. I love that Paul was already so alert and organized while I still wasn't completely able to see or hear. Once I got it together and got ready, I called Rosey and assured her that we would be fine. It turned out to be a really great trip. Paul, Victor, and I first went to WYCD 99.5 FM to meet with Tim Roberts, Ron Chapman, and Terry Phillips. They had invited a few listeners to come in and see the set, which was really cool. Paul and I fell into the roles of Rosey and Bill in addition to that of singer and musician and I think that it worked really well. The cool part was that I had met Ron Chapman almost 6 years ago at the CMA Awards and he remembered me!! It was nice to run into someone who knew me at the very beginning of my career. Everyone at the station was so incredible and after the set, I recorded some drops, took some pictures, and was invited to sign their wall of fame!! This was really great considering who has signed this wall: Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans, Sarah Buxton, etc. Very cool!!!
Our next stop was WDTW to visit with John Trapane and Scott Gaines. A lot of the staff joined in our meeting so it was a nice audience to play for. They were really funny and spirited and I had a blast playing for them. At the end of the set we called Rosey on speaker phone and made her give her Rissi Palmer speech?
So, being the music lovers we are, the three of us immediately headed to the Motown Museum. I know this is going to sound really corny, but I was feeling very sentimental as we walked through the rehearsal rooms and studio. So much of the music that I grew up listening to was from Motown. I can remember sneaking my parents' old Marvin Gaye, Supremes, and Smokey Robinson records out when they weren't home and listening to them and every Christmas for as long as I can remember, Motown Christmas has been a holiday tradition for my family. Motown, not only laid the ground work for the careers of every black artist that has been able to crossover, but changed modern pop music. I started getting teary when we walked into Studio A, where EVERY great Motown record was recorded. I stood where David Ruffin sang lead on "My Girl" and touched the piano that Smokey Robinson played when he wrote it. I'm getting chills now just thinking about it. I wonder if they knew that they were changing music as we know it? I read a quote from Berry Gordy that said "We wrote songs that touched on everyone's experience; we've all been in love, we all want peace, we all love to dance, and we all want to have fun…these are universal experiences", and that was the magic of Motown. I touched the walls in that studio, hoping to take some of whatever magic or luck they had with me. Wow!!! Anyway, I'm excited to go home and go to sleep because we have a BIG meeting at CMT tomorrow!!!! Check out my picture album for pics from the day. Thank you to Tim, Ron, Terry, the listeners, and staff at WYCD, and Scott, John, and the staff at WDTW for a great visit!!!!
Today I'm writing to you from the comfort of my living room and let me tell you, I love being on the road, but I love being home even better!!! I've got a million errands to run today so I'll keep this short. Today's radio show was in town at WKDF. It was first show we've done with Victor (who usually plays bass in my band) playing guitar in place of Dick. The three of us played pretty damn good if I do say so. Bob, the new pd, and a few other staffers (including Kim, who was really cool) were are great audience, in spite of the fact that they were extremely busy today. Once again, the video was a big hit and I think this show came off very well. Afterwards, Victor, Paul, and I grabbed a bite and I headed back to my house to begin making lists of things that I need at home (my cupboard is extremely bare!!!). A very big thanks goes out to all the stations we visited this week, you guys were all very cool and fun to play for. Thanks and talk to you all next week!!!! To all the mom's out there, Happy Mother's Day!!!! And by the way, my song "Country Girl" will play this at appx 10:20 PM (Eastern) on Beyond The Buzz on SIRIUS 60, New Country this Saturday night. Time is approximate and may move by up to 10 min either way!!! Check it out!!
I am currently sitting in the Philadelphia Airport waiting on the plane to head back to Nashvegas. Earlier today we paid a visit to WCAT in Harrisburg, PA. We met with Flick and Rich, the hosts of the station's very popular morning show. Dick had to head back to Atlanta to take care of business, so Paul and I performed as a duo, and I have to say, it turned out really great. This was also a solo performance for Stacy as promoter since Bill had to head home for his son's graduation. Flick and Rich were a great audience and seemed really receptive to me and the music. They asked me to give them a call during my 5th week on tour and let them know if I'm still having a good time. After the set, I recorded some drops for the station, so if you hear a husky voiced chick saying happy holidays, that's me :) After the visit, Stacy, Paul and I decided to kill time before our flight by paying a visit to the Hershey Chocolate Factory in nearby Hershey, PA. Although the three of us are clearly adults, we were all smiles and giggles when we went through the "Great American Chocolate Tour" (which we all agree would be a GREAT name for my first tour...lol). Once the tour ended, we grabbed a bite and headed back to Philly. After my night in the "fantasy suite", I'm looking forward to sleeping my own bed tonight. Tomorrow is an easy day; we are playing in town at WKDF in Nashville. Stay tuned....
I'm writing this as Stacy, Paul, and I drive from Washington D.C. to Harrisburg, PA. Today was a really cool day that seems like its actually two different days. We started out in Valley Forge, PA, where I spent the night in a "fantasy suite" that was NOT a fantasy to sleep in, and drove to Baltimore for a meeting with Michael J. at WPOC Baltimore. The meeting was really great. The guys and I were really in synch and that made the songs really come alive. Michael and a few members of his radio team were really, really great listeners and seemed to enjoy themselves. The icing on the cake was the video. Michael joked that if I'm not already married or taken that this video would certainly help :) Anyway, we all agreed that this was one of the best sets we've done this trip. Once the meeting was over, we drove to our second appointment in D.C. to meet with Mr. Jerry Halpin. In a nutshell (and I am really simplifying this explanation), Mr. Halpin is a real estate developer in the D.C. area with ties to just about every business you can think of. His main development is the Tyson's Corner area of D.C., which for anyone who knows this area, is one of the fastest growing and nicest areas in town. The reason for this meeting is that Mr. Halpin is a good friend of Terry's (the owner and CEO of 1720 Entertainment) and an investor. His staff was very excited to have the change of pace today so we performed our radio set in their conference room. They were all very sweet and fun but the best part was Mr. Halpin's stories. He's in his 80's, works 7 days a week, very funny and tells the best stories. We sat for about 45 min and listened to him; we could have done it all night but we had to take Dick and Bill to the airport. Once we dropped the guys off at the airport, Paul, Stacy, and I decided to go to a couple monuments before getting on the road again. We stopped at the Lincoln and Washington memorials and took some pictures and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was nice to get to hang out in the city and see more than the airport. When the sunset, we left, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed out to Harrisburg. I would like to point out that I have really enjoyed this tour. The people I am working with are absolutely amazing!! Paul and Dick are top of the line musicians (plus Paul is probably the funniest person I have ever met), Bill, Stacy, and Rosey are really great at their jobs and have so much passion for what we're doing, not to mention that they are a riot as well. I sit here reflecting on the last few days and I am just really thankful for it all. Anyway, check out the pics from the day in my album and stay tuned for more!!!!
We began our second week of the radio tour in the city of brotherly love, no not San Francisco, Philadelphia. Unfortunately, our visit to the radio station, WXTU, was cut short due to a late arrival on Southwest (who, by the way, do WAY too much joking on the flights these days) and crazy Philly traffic. Thanks to Bob though for seeing us anyway. So after our "meeting", we looked around the King of Prussia Mall (yielding no new clothes; I was very upset) and had a pretty good dinner at Sullivans. The real fun of the evening took place at our hotel. We stayed at the Radisson in Valley Forge and let me tell you, I've never experienced anything like in my whole life. It started out pretty normal. The guys, Stacy, and I checked into the hotel and got our keys. When I went to open the door, it wouldn't open. After a few minutes of trying several different ways of getting in (even with the help of several hotel workers), I finally gave in and they gave me a "fantasy suite". Now, when I think of "fantasy suite", I think kitchen, living room, plasma tv, well stocked bar, etc. However, when I got to the 15th floor, I realized that "fantasy suite" actually means "second rate Las Vegas theme room". The first thing that tipped me off to this was the ornate sign on my door that read "Atlantis" (check out the pictures in my picture album; you have to see it to believe it). I walked in to a room decorated in lots of ivy, gold lame', and peacocks. The ceiling and walls were adorned with mirrors and there was a Jacuzzi in the middle of the bedroom. The best part was the bust of Julius Ceaser staring at the bed. Of course I had to call everyone upstairs to view my room. The 15th floor boasted 12 rooms, each in a different theme, including "Leather and Lace", "Cleopatra's", "Ice Castle", and oddly enough "Gilligan's Island" (I shudder to think who's fantasy that is…ewww). Stacy's room also ended up being wrong and she was given the "Governor's Suite", which consisted of a loft bed and a bed embedded in the wall. Needless to say, after hanging with everyone in the lobby lounge, I dreaded having to sleep under the watchful eyes of Julius Ceaser (I ended up putting my shirt over his head to keep him from looking at me). It wasn't the worst thing but I'm glad my stay is over. So in closing, if you ever feel the need to fulfill that Gilligan/Maryann fantasy, check out the Radisson Hotel in Valley Forge, PA!!! Stay tuned and please check out the pics of my "fantasy suite" in the photo album!!!!
Today was our final stop this week and it was a great one. It was kind of a whirlwind day; we left Dallas early, flew into Houston, and drove straight to the station. We were set to meet with Jeff Garrison (PD), Greg Frey (APD/MD), and the rest of their team. Jeff is such a busy guy, so it was a pleasant surprise to have him in the meeting the whole time. The set went really well and everyone really seemed to enjoy it (it helps that we serve them pizza and other goodies while I'm singing). They were another great audience. Afterwards, we sat and listened to Bill and Jeff's great radio stories and ate leftover pizza (I'm officially tired of pizza, I never thought I'd say that). Then, just as quickly as we got there, it was over and we were headed to the airport and back to Nashville. Although I had a really great time sleeping in hotels and riding in pimped out cars, I'm really glad to be in my own car, sleeping in my own bed with my little fur baby Jeremiah, who was very happy to see me, much to my delight! I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow to celebrate my Grandmother's 76 birthday and then its off on the road again Monday morning for week two of my radio tour. Check out the pics from this visit in my photos. I want to say thank you SO much to Jeff, Greg, and the rest of the amazing team at KILT in Houston and also to all the other stations I visited this week. What a blessing it has been to perform for such a great and receptive audience. Stay tuned...
Right after our meeting in Kansas City, we all piled into our cars (Rosey and Dick in the truck, Bill, Paul, and I in the pimped out Charger) are rushed to the airport. On our way out of the parking lot, a bus full of school children got a kick out of the souped up Charger and started cheering!!! We arrived in Dallas last night and had a great dinner at Truluck's (if you live in Dallas and have never been there, you have to go!!) and the guys and I watched Borat back at the hotel (I'm so glad that I saw that movie at the hotel and not in the movie theater because I have never laughed so loud or so hard in my life). After a restful night, we got up this morning and drove to meet with the very cool people at KPLX- The Wolf. I felt very relaxed today and a lot less anxious than yesterday walking into to this meeting. I went into the set today and decided to cut the songs from 5 to 4, which I think was a great decision (people start to tune you out after the 4th song). They were a very attentive audience and they seemed to really enjoy it. They made me feel really comfortable and we breezed through the set without me howling :) Afterwards, we enjoyed the leftover pizza and conversation with John Sebastian (program director), Smokey Rivers (APD), and Paul Orr (Station Imaging). You know, its such a small world. One of the ladies from the station was from St. Louis and knew one of the founding members of Team 11, the group I was in when I was 16 and growing up in St. Louis!!! Its not often I meet someone from STL, so that was a very pleasant surprise. Once we got back to the hotel, my thoughts immediately turned to shopping, so Paul and ventured out into the city and did some window/actual shopping at the North Hills (?) Mall in downtown Dallas. Very cute mall!!!! Anyway, the guys, Rosey, and I had mexican for dinner. I ended up back in my room, typing this blog and watching "The Devil wears Prada". We leave first thing in the morning for our last stop this week, Houston, so I am going to wrap this up. A very big thanks goes out to everyone at the Wolf, thanks for making this visit so amazing for me!!! Take care and stay tune!!!
Today was my first official day on the "road". We (Rosey, Paul and I) actually got to town last night and had an AMAZING dinner at the Plaza. I just hate that I didn't get a chance to shop there. Dick and Bill arrived this morning in a FABULOUS neon green Charger (thanks to a mix up at Budget rent-a-car). Anyway, I was a little anxious and nervous this morning (I guess opening day jitters), so I sat with Dick and Paul and rehearsed before we had to leave the hotel. So we hope in our Charger and headed to the station. Everybody at Q104 was really nice and very attentive to the presentation. I'm glad I got a chance to do this in front of kind people because I feel like I'm still working the kinks out of the set. We performed "Mr. Ooh LaLa", "Hold On to Me"(in which I made a very interesting howling sound when the song modulated; it's a very hard song to sing first thing in the morning), "Leavin'", and "Country Girl", and I performed "Butterflies" by myself. Afterwards we showed the video (which is absolutely amazing, I can't wait for everyone to see it!!!), which got very high marks from the audience. All in all, it was a good show and now I can build from what I learned today. I want to send a very special thank you to Mike Kennedy, program director, TJ McEntire, music director (and very sweet lady), Nycki Kennedy, and Heather Fischer, promotions director, for being such a great audience!!! Check out my photo album for pics from today.
Today marks the first date of my introductory radio tour and we (Bill Macky, my radio promoter, Stacy Blythe, my northeast radio rep, Rosey Fitzpatrick, my west coast, mid west radio rep, Paul Allen, guitar/percussion player, Dick Smith, guitar/vocal, and me!) started at the first station to play "Country Girl", my first single, 104.1 The Ranch in Carthage, TN. I felt like a kid getting ready for the first day of school. I was up at 6:30am and had to run off some of my excitement in the gym before leaving home. This show was different from what the rest of the tour in that I actually performed on-air for an hour!!! Most of these initial shows will be for the programmers and djs, no on-air stuff until the single actually comes out in June. Dennis, the station programmer and on-air personality, interviewed me and we had a ball!! He asked some fun questions (like, "What do you mean a single girl can't be a tease?"; Apparently he read the survey on my page) and some poignant questions as well ("Why do you think there are no blacks in main stream country?"). The guys played great, except for the part when Dick's cell phone went off while I was singing "Butterflies" ? , so Dick walked back to Nashville (just kidding). After the performance/interview, we all convened in the lobby of the station and had Krispy Kreme Donuts (and for the record, I only had one!!). It was a great first stop and very symbolic for me. Dennis was the first person to take a chance and play my song so I am very thankful and appreciative of him. Check out the pictures of this visit in "my pics". Next week, Rosey, Paul, Dick and I will be traveling to stations in Kansas City, MO, Dallas, and Houston TX. Stay tuned!!!!
Hey all,
I am excited to say that I have just wrapped my first video, "Country Girl"!!!! It was filmed over this weekend in Memphis, TN. My director was the fabulous, illustrious :), crazy, & very fun Kristen Barlowe (Little Big Town "Bring it on Home", Sara Evans "Always be My Baby", and LeAnn Rimes "Nothing Bout Love" to name a few). The concept was to capture all these contrasting landscapes and people to illustrate the point that country is a state of mind. We visited the Arcade Diner, Staxx Records, Shirley's Beauty Salon, Hair I Am salon, the Mississippi Queen riverboat, the trolley's on Main St., and a beautiful farm on the Arkansas/ West Memphis area. The people in all of these places were amazing and so gracious!!! We got to experience southern hospitality at its finest. I have to say that these past two days have been the best of my life. My director and crew made the whole shoot a breeze, two of my closest friends, Holly and Jason Sky were there to share it, and the best part, my grandmother (aka PooPoo) was there to see it all. She even made a cameo!!! I am the most tired I have ever been, covered in bruises, and sore in muscles I didn't even know I had, but it was all worth it!! I'm going this afternoon to see the footage for the first time!! If anyone from Tailight or Memphis reads this, I want to say thank you for making my first video such a memorable and amazing experience for me!!!
They say that an artist never forgets the feeling of hearing their song on the radio for the first time. I am proud and excited to say that, as of 12:40pm this afternoon, I now know that feeling and I must say, its pretty damn good!!!! I received an email from Terry (president of 1720 Entertainment) telling me that the program director of WUCZ 104.1, Dennis, in Carthage, TN loved "Country Girl" and was going to play it today 5 times. Those of you in the music industry know what a major job it is to get a radio station to play a song, so imagine our delight when someone volunteered to play the song!!!! So, I immediately left my apartment and ran down to my car and began driving the streets of Nashville waiting for the song to play. It came on after Tim McGraw's "Last Dollar", I'll never forget it. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really get to listen that much because I was on my cellphone calling everyone I know :) It was clear and loud and fabulous!!!! After it played, the dj says "That was a new song from new artist Rissi Palmer". What an amazing day!!!! I hope and pray that this is the first of many. We begin our radio campaign next month, so keep us in your prayers....
Hey everyone!!
I'm very excited to let you all know that my music, specifically "Leavin' On Your Mind", "Anybody Out There", and "Country Girl", are now available for your listening pleasure on Yahoo Music Internet Radio on the "Today's Country" and "New Country" stations. Go check it out and let me know what you think!!! Thank you for all of your support and kind thoughts!!!!
Love ya,
Rissi
