Dream Come True

Informationen zum Autor Jo Sgammato is a writer and journalist who writes about popular culture. She is the author of Dream Come True: The LeAnn Rimes Story and Keepin' It Country: The George Strait Story , and the coauthor (with Marjorie Jaffe) of The Muscle Memory Method . She divides her time between New York and Nashville. Klappentext THE DAZZLING RISE OF A YOUNG COUNTRY STAR Who is this singer with the incredible voice! the youngest ever artist ever nominated for a Country Music Association Award! and winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist? Jo Sgammato traveled from Nashville to LeAnn's hometown of Pearl! Mississippi! then followed her path to Dallas and beyond to reveal her inspiring life. From singing at eighteen months through dazzling performances at talent shows! opry stages and sports arenas! here is the heartwarming story of a determined young singer and an American family whose dedication made A DREAM COME TRUE. CHAPTER ONE Nashville Saturday Night The lights dimmed inside the sparkling new Nashville Arena. The crowd began to cheer, anticipating another great night of music in Music City. All eyes were on the stage as the announcer's booming voice filled the hall. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and give a great big Nashville welcome to Miss LeAnn Rimes! Preparation for the evening's showfor which twenty thousand fans would be packed inside the Arenahad begun at ten o'clock that morning when a line of forty-foot tractor trailers exited Interstate 40 at Demonbreun Street, drove downtown, and pulled into the loading dock of the Arena. They were met by the local stage crew for the load-in. Fifty or sixty trunks, each prominently displaying a white number, were rolled to the stage area. Trunks filled with the T-shirts and tour books fans love to collect went to the lobby. The crewssound, lights, and merchandisingstarted getting ready for the show. * The Nashville Arena on Broadway is the latest addition to the shimmering multimillion-dollar restoration of downtown Music City. It's up the street from Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe and within honking distance of the Wildhorse Saloon. Country line-dancing shows on TNN broadcast the fun of the Wildhorse into homes across America. Near the banks of the Cumberland River, the area known in Nashville as the District is turning into a flashy entertainment and residential area after years of neglect and decline. In Nashville, there are dozens if not hundreds of ways to spend a Saturday night. Almost every type of live music is played in almost any kind of setting. If you're an artist, you'll find Nashville a tough place to perform. Some of the world's best players and singers call the city and its surrounding counties home. The headliner at the Arena on this Saturday night in February was Alan Jackson, a down-home superstar and winner of seven Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year. Alan Jackson's special guest, whose fans were plenty excited themselves, was LeAnn Rimesthe biggest new country star of the year of any age. And her age was fourteen. By two o'clock in the afternoon, when the Arena crews broke for lunch, the stage, the sound equipment, and the lights were set up. The merchandise was unpacked and on display. The tour accountant and tour manager had checked the box office and met with the local concert promoter. Security personnel were assigned to their posts. Alan Jackson and LeAnn Rimes had toured together very successfully in 1996 and were already booked for at least thirty-two Arena-size dates in '97. Alan Jackson has ruled the country charts since 1990 and boasts the biggest fan club in country music. LeAnn Rimes is the youngest performer in country-music history to debut at number one on th...

Autorentext

Jo Sgammato is a writer and journalist who writes about popular culture. She is the author of Dream Come True: The LeAnn Rimes Story and Keepin’ It Country: The George Strait Story, and the coauthor (with Marjorie Jaffe) of The Muscle Memory Method. She divides her time between New York and Nashville.

Klappentext

THE DAZZLING RISE OF A YOUNG COUNTRY STAR

Who is this singer with the incredible voice, the youngest ever artist ever nominated for a Country Music Association Award, and winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist? Jo Sgammato traveled from Nashville to LeAnn's hometown of Pearl, Mississippi, then followed her path to Dallas and beyond to reveal her inspiring life. From singing at eighteen months through dazzling performances at talent shows, opry stages and sports arenas, here is the heartwarming story of a determined young singer and an American family whose dedication made A DREAM COME TRUE.

Leseprobe
CHAPTER ONE
 
Nashville Saturday Night
 
The lights dimmed inside the sparkling new Nashville Arena. The crowd began to cheer, anticipating another great night of music in Music City. All eyes were on the stage as the announcer’s booming voice filled the hall.
 
“Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and give a great big Nashville welcome to Miss LeAnn Rimes!”
 
Preparation for the evening’s show—for which twenty thousand fans would be packed inside the Arena—had begun at ten o’clock that morning when a line of forty-foot tractor trailers exited Interstate 40 at Demonbreun Street, drove downtown, and pulled into the loading dock of the Arena.
 
They were met by the local stage crew for the “load-in.” Fifty or sixty trunks, each prominently displaying a white number, were rolled to the stage area. Trunks filled with the T-shirts and tour books fans love to collect went to the lobby. The crews—sound, lights, and merchandising—started getting ready for the show.
 

• • •  
      The Nashville Arena on Broadway is the latest addition to the shimmering multimillion-dollar restoration of downtown Music City. It’s up the street from Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe and within honking distance of the Wildhorse Saloon. Country line-dancing shows on TNN broadcast the fun of the Wildhorse into homes across America. Near the banks of the Cumberland River, the area known in Nashville as the District is turning into a flashy entertainment and residential area after years of neglect and decline.
       
      In Nashville, there are dozens if not hundreds of ways to spend a Saturday night. Almost every type of live music is played in almost any kind of setting. If you’re an artist, you’ll find Nashville a tough place to perform. Some of the world’s best players and singers call the city and its surrounding counties home.
       
      The headliner at the Arena on this Saturday night in February was Alan Jackson, a down-home superstar and winner of seven Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year.
       
      Alan Jackson’s special guest, whose fans were plenty excited themselves, was LeAnn Rimes—the biggest new country star of the year of any age. And her age was fourteen.
       
      By two o’clock in the afternoon, when the Arena crews broke for lunch, the stage, the sound equipment, and the lights were set up. The merchandise was unpacked and on display. The tour accountant and tour manager had checked the box office and met with the local concert promoter. Security personnel were assigned to their posts.
       
      Alan Jackson and LeAnn Rimes had toured together very successfully in 1996 and were already booked for at least thirty-two Arena-size dates in ’97. Alan Jackson has ruled the country charts since 1990 and boasts the biggest fan club in country music. LeAnn Rimes is the youngest performer in country-music history to debut at number one on the sales chart with h…