Counry Music USA "OPRYLAND" in Nashville,TN.

      I am not famous...nor did I ever want to be as I was growing up..Really, I am just a down home country girl at heart, who LOVES 2 SING. I know that not many people would answer the way I did, but I guess I am different. I always have been. I never really fit in at School or at least I felt that way. I had friends and wasn't a nerd or anything. I was more of a loner, but I was an only child growing up. So, I never was an open person kind of person, I was to myself a lot. I had friends, but I was learning to come out of my shell by my Jr. year in High School because I done all the plays they done. I was in "Carousel", 'The Sound of music",and a couple of more that escapes my memory at the time.
     I was just opening up to the true nature of the music that was inside of me. It was the best thing that I could do. I needed to get involved with working with others and this was it. I never regret all the experience I have gathered in my lifetime.

     My fault was dating just one guy and then when I graduated, I married him. I tell you, I turned 19 in August, after graduating, and then got married in October of the same year. I should have been horsewhipped. I told someone that I should have been packed up in a crate and shipped off to China..I would have probably been better off. I didn't have a clue to what in the world I was doing. As a matter of fact, it flooded the bottom out that night...I mean like 6 inches or something. When he was trying to get us to our house, he had to pull the truck right up to the doorstep. The water was all the way up to the top step...talking @ omens...LOL..sorry. I was in my wedding dress. We didn't have any money for a honeymoon. I mean this was crazy.

     I have always had the gift of gab..I just chose not to use it a lot when I was very young. As I grew, I found that I got good at the gift of gab and usually wound up putting my foot in my mouth..a lot. I had a good childhood..had a lot of cousins. We'd always play, sing together and just had music in all of our lives. I have got some cousins that can sing. I will have a post especially on that subject, I'm sure. Here is a picture of some of my cousins: from left to right is Linda,Keith,Judy, and me with my mouth open and going, of course. We'd have jam sessions a lot. My uncle Harvey would play the guitar and we'd sing. I have a good picture of that, that I will have to round up.

   I have to say it was good practice and it got me ready for an audience. I LOVED IT. When I was 14, I sang for the first time on stage at the Arkansas Jamboree in Marianna,Ar. I was scared to death. I remember when I got on stage that I just stood like a tree and my hands were by my side pulling on my jeans. I sang Leo Sayer's "More than I can say". It was a challenge for the band since it wasn't the regular standards that they were used to, but everything worked out fine. I got through it and made it a habit to sing every weekend I loved it soo much. This was something I'd look forward to every week. I would get a list of songs ready and did tend to

     Going back a little younger even, my mom always made sure I was busy doing something. She got me started into theatre, when I was 9, and I enjoyed being in the Childrens workshop. I was working with other people with the same interest. We all got to have a dance class, an Art class, vocal group singing, and of course acting. I have to say I got to do a lot of things and feel less intimidated @ being on stage in front of an audience. 

     I played a blind student the first year and it was very interesting and informative. The second year, they had selected "Oliver". OHHH.. I wanted that part. Even though it was a boys role, I wanted to do it. It was one of my favorite movies anyway and I WANTED THAT PART. I knew I could do it. I got the script and learned the lines and when it came time to auditoin, I felt I had

      My mom was surprised at how determined I was to get be Oliver Twist. I had to auditon against 9 other boys. I got the part. Even Mrs. Pauline, just the best dance instructor that I know, said that I aced it. I am not bragging now. I am just telling others that if you want something bad enough, you can get it. 

      I went on to do any and every talent and some beauty pagaents, that my mom could enter me into. I sang so many places with so many different bands, in which, all were good.                                                                 

     To me, it was an awsome chance just to get to audition for Opryland. After making the audition, I was going to Nashville for a new singing job. I have to say that after I got there I saw just how much of a singing job it was. It was great. So many people gathered together in this one large dance room( you know the ones that have the mirrors lined down the wall. It looked cool and the people were so..how can I say it...professional. It felt great to be in the same room as they were

     I don't know what to say. I am just a layed back simple life home town girl...HMMM? Do I hear a song in that title..I do...I'll work on that. Admitting one more thing...being admired by someone is a good feeling. Knowing that the girl sitting in the front row of the show crying because I am singing "Unchained Melody", puts you into a high like state...I don't know how I could explain how I feel...GREAT I GUESS. I have to admit that making the money would have been a nice thing to have especially if I got it from getting to record. I would have loved to have put my songs that I wrote on a CD..I don't think I could have contained myself if I would have heard it on the radio...ooohhh..that would have been great.

Anyway, I had so many opportunities and just let them pass and I don't even know why, except I can say that all I ever loved to do was sing, to put my heart into a song and feel it..hmmm a good feeling. I remember one night in Helena. Oh..C.W.Gatlin was playing at the blues hall and he asked me up to sing. Actually we had worked the song out b4 I got up to sing and I sang "Rock me Baby" by Tina Turner. It was Summer and IT WAS HOT. I FELT EVERY NOTE AND EVERY WORD.

I have had many times like that..just @ everytime(especially singing with C...he can ROCK). We even worked..if u can call it that:) at the Rex Restaurant. So many nights we'd entertain the customers with our blues and jam. I can tell u this, that man (C) can sure play the GEEE TAR..He's playing with LIVE WIRE now and they are doing a great job..OH..also my cousin,ah..two cousins are playing with him(Alfred on Base and Clyde Watson-who can rock with the best of them). I heard them at the Tri-County fair this yr.(missed last yr.due 2 this stuff I am dealing with),and they sound great.
I wanted to get up and sing at the fair with them soooo bad, but not able or ready. My voice has been scratchy after the surgery, but I am thankful because the NS(Neurosurgen)that did my surgery(ACD&F spinal diskectomy)told me that he had two patients that had completely lost their vocal ability..NOOO I told him that I couldn't lose that. He even changed where the surgery was performed. Instead of doing it on the right side, they did it on the left.*(I have a special section that I am working on @ my surgery..you'll have to check it out when I add it..:)) Working on that..you'll have 2 hear @ what I have 2 say.

Back 2 music, I even got to do demo songs for Kent Blazey. He wrote "If tomorrow never comes" for Garth Brooks. It's a funny story how me and Kent met. I was singing for Mrs. Fitzhugh in Helena,Ar, in her big old two-story home. I LOVED it. Singing was all I ever wanted to do. Now, this was b4 I auditioned or worked in Opryland. Kent was just there at her Bed & Breakfast with friends and family. Of course, he was there at the same time the Blues Festival was going on.

It was nice, the ambionsce(if spelled correctly..u get the gist), was so delightful. Candlelit evenings, I would go and serenade the patrons that came in to enjoy a little distraction. I had a song list soooo long that I know it was over 300 and these were the songs I sang. I had a mixture of Barbara Striesand to Bryan Adams to Gerswin to who knows what...I sang everything...everything I wanted to. I even had some James Taylor, and Linda Rondstadt....It was great. I wish I could do it again.
Well, if you want to go back to 1988, I will. I was married and had been for 4 yrs(I got married right out of High School..I know STUPID..just two months into my 19th yr.of age). I graduated in May, turned 19 in August..and got married in October.

I had a chance to audition for Opryland, the theme park in Nashville, TN. and I made it. Now, my husband(1st), was fine with the idea of me auditioning, and he even said(at the time),he was all for it and if I made the audition we would move to Nashville...no prob. I really thought he meant it and would move. I really don't know what he meant half the time, now that I think back(at least now we get along civilly...some).

When I got the call that I had made it, he was not happy. He told me that he wasn't going. I didn't understand why. I thought things maybe could work out where he accepted my music. He never did.
I remember one time, I was singing at the "Old Farmers Market", over in Helena,AR. I had two guys come up to me and say that they enjoyed the show. He walked right up to them and said, "I'm Mr.May", that was when my name was May. It was strange for when he shook their hands, I saw this look on his face. He has these temple things he does with his muscles in his face. I looked down at them shaking hands and he was squezzing their hands. That man. He was so..I guess possessive, I don't know what he was thinking..jealousy? It doesn't matter now..that was in the past.

That is just one of many many things I delt with then. I have to say that it was not a pretty site to hear though...yeah, I could hear the bones cracking in their hands. Really it angered me because here I was singing to entertain and two people walk up to complement me(in my eyes I just saw someone that admired my singing, nothing more), but I guess he saw it as trouble or something...who knows, but they are getting punished 4 liking my singing/music... Not right.

I am glad we get along somewhat now(me & Jim-I try). It has been a long road to here and I used to say that I would go back, if I knew what I know now..NOT! My life is all I want it to be now..I have God in it and that is most important...IT IS.
HMM? That makes me think of something my dad always says.."I feel more like I do now, than I did a while ago"...Think @ that one a minute..LOL (cute hey)
My dad, is a character. I guess that is where I get it from and the gift of gab. Definately, the gift of GAB..and this is where I leave u 'til next time, but I am sure you'll find next post just as interesting..hope so.
I am just enjoying being able to express my feelings as truthful as it is, which sometimes is sad, but true...but all true.

Hey, I am going to let u think @ all of this and prepare 4 my next post of WHO knows what. I am sure you'll find all sorts of things. I am loving posting @ Nashville.(Definately a lot more PICS!!) I can say that those years were great and my life now is fuller than it ever was because of the experience,maybe.
I would love a comment. I know I am getting some hits on the site, but NO comments..hmm? What am I doing wrong or am I doing it right? Tell me..I'd love input. Thanx..Karen

Psssst...I am just going to keep adding photos of Opryland.."GOOD TIMES...GOOD TIMES"...:))



4 THOSE OF U WHO DIDN'T KNOW:
I am married to a wonderful man, GARY. we've been married 14 yrs. worth of happiness and love(THAT'S ANOTHER STORY). I have say that me and my first husband ,Jim, finally get along, a little now. Thank God..we have a son together, Shane, and need to get along with each other. It is so important 4 the well-being of our son.

Okay, back to the story 2 give u a semi-conclusion. Anyway, I did go to Nashville. He just stayed behind(my ex). I couldn't give up this chance AND IT WAS A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. (Garth Brooks HAD tried 5 times and never made it there and look where he is now). So, NO I was going and one of the best dicisions I had made in my lfe so far....