O.K.  Here it is.  I was born “…one fine day…” in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, one of six children.  My earliest recollection of  musical experience was singing shyly behind my dad when I was 7, so he couldn’t see me.  His encouraging words kept me interested and kept me trying.  The only song I knew was “Where Have All The Flowers Gone”. 

Day in and day out my dad played guitar and sang the old country songs.  No one else in the family seemed interested in music, so it became a favorite pastime for my father and me.

I moved to Alberta when I was 11.  Country music was all I heard growing up, because my mother’s radio was always tuned to a country station as well. 

My dad gave me my first guitar when I was sixteen.  He taught me to play in Hawaiian style.  Once I learned the basics, I started singing along to the songs I enjoyed most.  Although I never made any public appearances over the next few years, I was content to sing to myself.  Then, at age 19, I entered a talent contest and was chosen 1 of the 2 winners.  Interestingly, there were only two entries.  Still, I was thrilled, but never pursued music further.

When my four children came along, I became busy running a home, home-schooling the kids and driving a school bus.  My singing was reserved for the children.  Later, when I joined a church, I began to sing for services there.  Soon my children became involved in singing, too, and we’d do family numbers from time to time.  Country music had been left behind.

Thirteen years later – an abrupt change!  I was singing a karaoke country tune at a small party where Jackson heard me and asked me if I would be interested in singing with him.  He was singing regularly at that time for various seniors’ homes and other venues.  During practices, we soon discovered that we liked a lot of the same old country tunes.  We started to revive them and decided to do the senior home thing together.  Some would say the rest is history.  I’d say the rest is the future!  Three months after we began singing together, we were recording for our first CD.

I realized that country music has always been and will always be a part of me.  Yippee.