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PimpMyArea.comAsk any Texan what the hardest thing in the world is and they will probably tell you it is leaving Texas. So, when Valerie Bolin, a sixth generation Texan, loaded up her truck and drove to Nashville at the age of 19, she must have had a good reason. And she did.The Lone Star State is a big place, but even it wasnt big enough to house a talent like Valerie's. This Dallas native approaches country music with a style all her own, blending vocal depth with a velvet-smooth tone and a heartfelt emotion that is sure to make even the most ill-attentive listener sit up and take notice.Valerie fell in love with country music as a preteen, when she attended her first rodeo and heard George Straits Baby Blue blaring over the loud speaker. But her recording career started much earlier than that. At the age of three she sang into a cassette recorder to make a tape for her aunt who was in hospital. The song was Jesus Loves Me and Valerie could not remember many of the words, but none of that mattered. She knew at that moment that she had found something she loved doing.Valerie grew up singing in the church and school choir, as well as her high school pop group, but her heart lay with country music. On the weekends she would moonlight at country Oprys and front local bands, performing in honky tonks around the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. As it became obvious how talented she was, both her music teacher and her mother encouraged her to move to Nashville. And, after an experimental year at the University of Texas, Valerie loaded up her red GMC Sierra and set off for Belmont University in Music City.While studying music business management at Belmont, Valerie auditioned for Opryland and was cast in shows in Nashville and Myrtle Beach. Performing in front of 2,500 people a night, six nights a week for the best part of a year not only sharpened her vocal talent but provided the opportunity to fine tune her entertaining skills. Following her residency with Opryland, she continues to work hard in and around Nashville, writing, performing and singing demos for other songwriters.Valerie has been with EMI Music Publishing for the past couple of years, working toward a record deal. As well as writing for both herself and others, she still sings demos and background vocals for other writers, and performs live -- both locally and on the U.S. Pro Rodeo Tour. When shes not immersed in music, Valerie is not one to sit still. A certified personal trainer, she loves a wide range of physical activities, including running, cycling, rock climbing, skiing, weightlifting, cycling, water-skiing and wakeboarding. Whenever possible though, she is plugged into her personal CD player and listens to everything from country to hip hop. Her influences include everyone from George Strait, Patty Loveless, Patsy Cline, Keith Whitley, and Garth Brooks to Sarah McLachlan, John Mayer, Coldplay, Nelly and Gwen Stefani.
