Used with permission of CMA Closeup News Service
New Artist Spotlight: Katrina Elam
By Amanda Eckard
On a trip to Nashville when she was a teenager, Katrina Elam took a photo of herself in front of the Starstruck building on Music Row, dreaming of recording there one day. It was more of a premonition than a young girl's dream.
Born and raised in the small town of Bray, Okla., Elam started performing at 9, when she sang Dolly Parton's "White Limousine" at a talent competition. She went on to perform at fairs, local talent shows and the Oklahoma Opry, where she was named Performer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.
Elam spent her high school days writing songs and recording her demo, which caught the attentions of executives at Warner Chappell Music, who signed her to a publishing deal in 2002.
After hearing Elam perform for the first time, Universal South Records Partner Tim DuBois knew she was a star. He and Tony Brown signed Elam as the first new female artist on the record label. And it just so happens that the record label offices are located in the same Starstruck building where Elam was photographed as a teen.
Elam wrote eight of the 12 tracks on her debut album, including first single, "No End In Sight."
The album, produced by Brown and Jimmie Lee Sloas, was released in October 2004.
IN HER OWN WORDS:
If you could go back in time what year/era would you visit and why?
"I'd go back to the 1800s so I could wear those pretty dresses."
What song do you wish you had written?
"A song Lee Thomas Miller wrote about the nude statues in the round about on Music Row called 'Hillbilly Porn.' I wish I could be that funny."
What kind of album, other than Country, would you like to make?
"Bluegrass or rock."
If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
"Part One (I'm not old enough to have a good ending.)"
Who is your dream duet partner and why?
"Celine Dion because I think she'd make me have to try really hard to keep up."
What does Country Music mean to you?
"Country Music is all I've ever listened to. I'm from the country so I relate to Country Music. Where I'm from it's a lifestyle. I don't think they even know that they can pick up rock stations."