Raised in the mountains of Southwestern Virginia, Jackie Chatham knows first hand just what it means to be a country girl. At first glance, you might never suspect that this former fashion model spent her youth helping her dad out around their farm. And, you certainly wouldn't suspect that she has vaccinated cows and worked in the tobacco crop her family grew for many years. But after talking to her for five minutes, it would start to make sense. With the looks and experience of a big city charmer, her sweet southern disposition proves she remains a delightfully small town girl.
When you ask Jackie to describe her childhood growing up on the farm don't be surprised to hear her say, "Blessed". Although she admits that she didn't always know exactly how blessed she and her sister really were growing up in the rural south. She remembers as a child thinking there wasn't very much to do, but says she realized in retrospect it was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. "Growing up cable TV wasn't even an option. We got two channels from an antenna on the top of the hill, one of which we didn't get very well. However, that forced us to be creative and find other ways to amuse ourselves." From listening to her stories about barnyard baseball (think tobacco sticks and clods of dirt) to making up songs about her pet cow, George, it is easy to see just how blessed her childhood really was.
The flip side to all the fun she had as a kid growing up in on the farm was the work associated with country living. "Farm work was always a family affair. We all chipped in because that's what it took to get the work done. My parents didn't have sons to help around the farm. So, my sister and I helped. I think in a lot of ways it made both of us stronger. It also taught us that girls can do anything boys can do, and that gender is no obstacle."
Jackie always knew she wanted to pursue a career as a professional country music singer. She started singing as a youngster and would sing to anyone who would listen. "I remember as a little girl my grandparents would stand me up on the coffee table and have me sing to everyone."
Encouraged heavily by her father, when any one asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up she quickly answered, "I want to be a country music singer". Jackie's passion for music grew though her adolescence. Her parents put her in piano lessons. And she became active in her high school and church choirs. But she says she learned the most from the cassette tapes her parents bought her. She listened to everything from Dolly Parton and Conway Twitty to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And she recalls listening to many of her favorite cassettes until they literally fell apart.
This striking singer-songwriter credits her mother as one of her strongest musical influences. "My mother loves to sing as much as I do, maybe even more," she says with a grin. "She would blast the radio at eight o'clock on Saturday mornings. That was our wake-up call. Then my sister and I would stumble out of bed and down the stairs to the living room where we would find her singing along to one of one of her favorite songs. We would join her, singing and dancing around the living room, morning breath and all," she laughs.
When it comes to her songwriting, she says that her grandfather kindled her desire to write by reciting old songs to her when she was a child. "My grandfather wasn't much of a singer but loved music and poetry. He also had an awesome memory and had tons of song lyrics memorized. I was enthralled by the power lyrics had on me, even without music behind them. So I started writing."
In the summer of 2002 she decided it was time to make the move to Nashville, as she had always dreamed. "I always said, for me, all roads lead to Nashville. I took the long road because I wanted to make sure I was prepared once I got there."
Jackie says she came here to Music City to establish herself as a country music singer, and you don't have to know her very well to believe she means what she says. Her determination and drive is easily detectable. But more than that, her genuine love of the music she longs to be a part of sets her aside from the rest. When asking her about her most profound music memory she shared a story that attests to the sincerity of her dream. "I remember the first time I ever heard George Jones' song, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" on the radio. I was in the back seat of my parents' car listening and hanging on every word. I was so moved by the song that it gave me chill bumps and I had to fight the tears welling inside me. Then I remember thinking, 'Please God, let it be me'." After spending time with this little lady, don't be surprised if you find yourself whispering a silent prayer on her behalf. I know I did.
I edited my profile with Thomas’ Myspace Editor V3.6 !
