With the release of her debut single, Melissa Lawson strikes a blow for dreamers everywhere. "What If It All Goes Right" is the perfect follow-up to her impressive victory on NBC's Nashville Star, the culmination of a 20-year trek from Texas to "overnight" success.
The single also allows those who missed her dramatic win to hear for themselves the voice that millions of audience voters found so appealing. Produced by Nashville Star judge John Rich, "What If It All Goes Right" perfectly captures the go-for-it spirit that infuses Melissa's life and career.
"When John played that for us the first time," she says, "I was thrilled. Of all the songs they could have picked, I thought, 'This one says it all.'"
A celebration of possibilities, "What If It All Goes Right" takes Melissa's own story to the country airwaves with a bang--in fact, it shot straight to the 1 slot on the iTunes country chart, ahead of hits by Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith and Sugarland.
"The line that popped out for me was 'What if that love lasts a lifetime,'" she says. "Having been married 11 years and with my husband for 15, that's a huge thing for me." Her family--husband Rick and five sons--was an integral part of her success. Still, it was Melissa's own drive that carried her through the grueling audition and competition process—a single-mindedness that prompts Rick to liken her to "a freight train."
"Once I decide something," she says with a characteristic smile, "I will not give up. I'll go until I accomplish it or until I've been beaten to a pulp."
Melissa's belief in her own potential started early.
"I've always known I could sing," she says. "It wasn't like I felt like I was better than anybody. I just felt like I had a gift and it was my responsibility to use it."
She first sang for audiences in church and school, then auditioned for Johnnie High's Country Music Review, the Arlington, Texas, show that helped launch the careers of LeAnn Rimes and Steve Holy. Melissa was chosen as a performer, which led her to appearances on other Opry-type shows in the region.
She attended Fort Worth's Performing Arts High School, doing more than 100 dates a year with its traveling show, and began playing with her own band when she was 17. By the time she was out of her teens she was appearing on regional television like "Good Morning Texas" and "Good Day Dallas."
The strength of her reputation--and her dedication--could be seen when, three days before her wedding to Rick, she was called and asked to open for Tracy Byrd.
"We were getting married in Wisconsin, where my family lives," she says, "and the concert was going to be four days after the wedding. I talked to my husband and he was willing to reschedule our honeymoon in Cancun so I could do it!"
With marriage came the first of her five boys and a nomadic existence with her husband, who was part of a roofing business that set up in regions hit by hailstorms. They would stay on the road for months at a time, then return to their Texas home. In between, Melissa bought and sold real estate. After a few years, Rick, who is as much a self-starter as Melissa, was managing 22 salesmen and 15 roofing crews. When they finally returned to Texas for good, it was to open their own roofing company.
Melissa had never stopped singing, although she had moved from club work to private parties and her mainstay, which was church. She tried out for American Idol in its fourth year, reaching the top 75, and although the experience was a disappointing one, she held onto the dream.
"After I had my last son," she says, "I told my husband I wanted to spend a year really trying to make something happen. When Nashville Star came along, I wasn't sure because of my Idol experience, but at the last minute I decided to come to the audition." She pauses to savor the moment, then adds, "It worked out!"
It did indeed. She impressed Rich and fellow judges Jewel and Jeffrey Steele, and drew millions of voters in achieving her final victory.
"It was when they showed me the video of the moment when they called my name that I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is actually happening.'"
Life instantly became a whirlwind. She took off for China to sing at the 2008 Summer Olympics, before returning to work with Rich on her debut album for Warner Bros. Records.
It's a life she has earned with a rare combination of talent and drive, and with the ability to touch audiences with a down-to-earth quality she wants to infuse into her music.
“I want to tackle real-life issues that women around the country have to deal with,†she says, “that anyone who struggles and has a dream has to deal with.
Given the strength of her own dream, believability won’t be a problem. And, given where that dream has already brought her, neither will success.
