One Mississippi

Remember the last time you picked up a CD not knowing what to expect and found yourself blown out of the water? It doesn't happen too often with country music these days but guaranteed Jill King's debut CD on Blue Diamond Records will do it for you.

Growing up in the small community of Arab, Alabama, Jill points to her grandfather, Hitch, as being a significant influence in her life although he passed away before she born. A solid member of the farming community, he helped build it's small Baptist church and served as it's song leader. At just three years of age Jill began following in his giant footsteps,  keeping the family tradition. "The first song I actually sung was in my granddaddy's church. I sang I'll Fly Away. That was his favorite song. Everybody loved it because I was Hitch's granddaughter and that was his favorite song. It was my first experience singing and I pretty much never looked back. I started singing gospel music there in the church and singing country music in little fairs and festivals," she shares, before adding with a laugh "and where anyone would listen to me."

Singing isn't Jill's only talent -- she's a skilled songwriter, starting early at the age of ten with her first song. "It was a gospel song, 'I Love My Jesus.'" It was the beginning of a passion that would carry her through her teen years into adulthood. "I performed a lot at church and then I'd come home on Sunday and listen to the Top 40 Countdown. I knew all the words and everything. I did it for ten years, I'm sure -- soaking up all the music I could, I really did love it."

In 1992 she hit Nashville with suitcase in hand. While she eventually got ample education to fall back on, obtaining a degree in English from Vanderbilt University, it would be music that would end up putting the roof over her head. 1n 1997 she secured a publishing contract with Gate to Gate Publishing and has since penned over 200 songs, some of which appear on her upcoming release: Jillbilly.

2002 was a banner year for Jill, as things began to inevitably come together for her career as a singer, culminating in a debut album and a year long gig at Nashville's historic Tootsie's. Since the radio tour for 'One Mississippi' began she hasn't been on stage at the infamous club, but she remembers well her first day of work. "I heard there was spot opened up and I set up a meeting to go down there and sing a couple of songs. It was 10:30 Monday morning and I walked in and there were about forty tourists sitting in there. I got up and sang a couple of songs and John, the manager of Tootsie's, said 'I really like that, why don't you come back tonight and do a couple of more. It'll be kind of a different crowd and we'll let you get up and do a couple more songs and then we'll talk about when you might start playing down here, if you do, we'll figure everything out later.' I was all excited, I thought that was great. I'll go back tonight and do good tonight and maybe I'll get a job."

Little did she know, having growing up with an extensive exposure to the music of many of country music's greats including Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams  was about to pay off as she headed back into the club that night. "I showed up there that night and he goes 'So, can you cover the whole set?' It's a four hour set! I was writing and doing a lot of writer's nights and I had not done many cover tunes at all. I just looked at him I said "Yeah, I can do it." she laughs "The Tootsie's Orchid Band is the house band there and they've played with all the greats. They know everything just like the records. I was writing down every song that I thought I could remember at least most of the words to and we made it through the night and I got the job! I guess that was the beginning of one of the best years that I had performing. Pulling out 50 songs that I grew up listening to and having to perform them immediately was a rush!"

Jill King is sure to be in good favor with country music fans before the first track on this album ends. She moves to the head of class for having the conviction to make sure her debut project kicks off with a great Harlan Howard tune. She opens the album nailing down a Harlan Howard/Matreca Berg composition and leaves no doubt as to how deep her roots run with no hint of any interested in hiding the infectious southern twang in her voice. "I like a lot of different kinds of music, but my deepest roots and what I truly love to sing is traditional country music."

The song isn't on there as a filler, it's something Jill went looking for when pulling the album together. With the help of a friend in arranging the appointment, Jill headed off to Harlan's publishing company office went down to his publishing company. ""Harlan Howard and Matraca Berg are two of my favorite writers and Harlan Howard is just a legend to me, like an icon of country music songwriting, it just doesn't get any better than that. I did go specifically because he's a legend. He's absolutely incredible. There is something about the way he can deliver an emotional feeling with a very simple lyric and yet there's a lot of complexity in the song. They are so simple, you can sing them so easily and remember them so easily there's a real art to what he does." she shares. "I went in and listened to a lot of songs and kind of selected a few that I wanted. It's a very quick process when you go into a publisher and you're listening to songs for your album. If anything would hit me emotionally or melodically that I felt was really striking a deeper chord I'd say let me take that one, and that one.  And then I would go back and listen." What she ended up finding was '98 Degrees" and it graces the gateway to this promising debut release, kicking things off in grand country style. It's a tune that's guaranteed to have the dance floor packed in record time. If this song makes it to a single and ultimately to radio, it'll certainly go along way to restoring faith that's been a long time gone.

The list of highlights on this album doesn't end there. After listening to about 3000 songs herself, she's picked a bunch of winners and the great mix of tunes comes from a songwriter's list of who's who, as well as some self penned gems. Avid country music fans will recognize names such as Leslie Satcher, Randy Albright, Jerry Salley and Mark Nessler. "I'm really proud of the songs that are on the record. It feels really good to have a project not only brings together the people that I respect and work with today currently in my music but also people I respect and grew up listening to. The people that were playing on my record I grew up listening to them all the records that I loved. It really brings things together for me in a special way."

The album has preponderance of up-tempo tunes, which is a breath of fresh air from the flood of albums on the market by female artists that are filled with over sung power ballads. The first single to radio is the catchy, toe tapping, biographical "One Mississippi.'  "Craig (Wiseman) and Jess (Leary) wrote this song, but it really happened to ME! I dated a Southern Baptist preacher back when I lived in the buckle of the Bible belt.  He was funny, cute, sweet, and looking for a wife to raise a family with, but that was not my plan.  I had my sights set on singing and a life on the road.  I missed the boat!  Today, he is happily married with children, and I am happily moving down the road singing and promoting my first album, "Jillbilly!"

The song's caught the attention of country music stations the first week out. "We debuted the first week halfway up the charts at 48, half of the radio stations spinning it the first week we went for adds. It's tremendously exciting for me, especially with 48 being my lucky number, its been my lucky number since I was ten years old."

Well looks and sounds like she picked her lucky number on the nose!  But that aside, her talent and her attitude are going to be taking her places, and Jill's enjoying every moment of the ride. "I always kind of felt it would feel like this, there's so much work and so many aspects you have to bring into a career in music, but I always thought things would just fall into place and help the sweat of the brow work that goes into everything along and so far so good."

Jill King is one to watch for! Vibrant, enthusiastic and country, this small town gal's on her way to something big.

Cut By Cut

©Laurie Joulie Take Country Back January 2003