Someone Said I Had To Have One of These
So Here is Just A Little Bit About Myself

 

 

I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee.

 

Growing up I knew I loved music.  My family always had a love for good clean music.  Gospel was number 1 and then a little country.  My mother introduced me to Charlie Pride’s " Kiss An Angel Good Morning" at a very young age.  My grandmother was a huge fan of the Hee Haw and the Lawrence Welk shows and I shared that love with her.  Sunday mornings at home were always filled with Sam Cooke’s gospel album playing while we prepared for church. 

 

Both my parents loved music.  I come from a long line of ministers and missionaries and being raised by a Pentecostal Minister and pastor of his own church, listening to good clean music was greatly enforced.  Therefore, being the daughter of a Pentecostal father who was minister of his own church, my exposure to some types of music (Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and much Rock and Roll) was very limited.

 

I was always singing in our church choir and, on occasion, directed it.  My mother was a self-taught pianist and song writer.  I was in the school choirs from second grade through tenth grades.  I even had to take one of my younger sisters on every date I had as a teenager.

 

But even conservative restrictions did not keep me from the wonderful ballads of the likes of Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.   For a long time Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie love songs made a great impression on me.  Johnnie Cash ( the man in black) singing duets with Dolly Parton kept me glued to the TV screen. 

 

I discovered my hidden talent of writing songs in 1997.   I wrote not about myself but about how I felt and the things I saw happening to others in this difficult world.
Listening to George Strait and Trace Adkins sing gave me new ideas on how I would like to structure my writing. 

 

As time went on, Bonnie Raitte music taught me that you can have country in your heart and still express your soulful roots.  Country music was what I loved and felt.  As the years went by, I realized that country music not only represented the joys and heartaches through ballads but was also a fun music too

 

The more I wrote, the more I understood one very important thing about country music.  “You can’t learn it.  You can’t teach it.  It has to be in your heart and soul.”  I knew that my style of country would be a combination of the heart and soul of what I feel.  If I don’t feel it, I don’t sing it.

 

After a demo of three songs I had written was produced with an extremely traditional country style, I realized that I was not a Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette.  I am Kitty Jerry.

 

While continuing to make a daily living serving drinks @ Horseshoe Casino I also continued to pursue my career in country music.  Over the last few years I participated in and won the $5,000 Sam’s Town Talent Showcase with my song “A Whole Lotta Country”.

 

I had a wonderful experience doing a four song demo at Capitol Studios’ Room “A” in Los Angeles, produced by Jeff Weber and available on CDBaby and Qtrnote.

 

My most memorable performance in my ten year struggle had to have been being invited by Willie Nelson and Neal Young to perform at Farm Aid 2004.  While in Seattle I talked to many artists and fans.  But I did a lot of listening too (and not just the music).  Listening to others such as Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Trick Pony and Dave Matthews, I again realized the true spirit of country music and how well defined it is.

 

I have subsequently finished my first album “Livin’ On Love” at Masterlink Studios in Nashville, produced by Ben Keith (Jewell).  The players in Nashville were totally awesome and included such musical greats as Spooner Oldham, Larry Byrom, Eddie Bayers, Kevin Grantt, Mike Utley, Shane Theriot, Don White, Vic Jordon, Mickey Raphael and others.  Describing these guys as some of history’s best is an understatement.

 

We are currently working on two video storyboards for my songs “Fallen Heroes” and “Whole Lotta Country” and implementing a national and international radio promotion campaign.

 

I welcome everyone to visit me at www.kittyjerry.com.  Email me anytime.

 

“Livin On Love” is available at the following US and European markets:

 

Tower Records
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kittyjerry2
http://www.qtrnote.com/CDDetails.aspx?id=10491# - Only $ .99
http://www.qtrnote.com/CDDetails.aspx?id=10492#- Only $ .99
http://www.honkytonkinmusic.bizland.com/store/jerry_kitty_livin_on_love.html
http://www.musicstack.com  (Type In Kitty Jerry in Search)
http://www.thecdparty.com/kittyjerry.html