The Artists of Country Showcase

It would be impossible to name every artist who has ever influenced Memarie, as they range anywhere from Keith Whitley and George Strait to Kelly Clarkson and Nickelback - and just about everything in between. Memarie admits, "My musical taste is all over the board. I love almost every genre of music." Her distinctively compelling blues-tinged country voice is a direct effect from having grown up to the sounds of artists like Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Cash, The Judds, Bonnie Raitt, and Sheryl Crow.

Memarie penned her first song when she was just ten years old and soon learned that putting emotions onto paper served well as effective therapy sessions. "It has always been easier to express my emotions through writing songs. It's kind of crazy how I can write a song about something so close to my heart but telling someone face to face how I feel is so excruciatingly painful." She quickly took to mastering the guitar, taking occasional pointers from her father. "He would show a chord here and there and I would work on it. I took lessons one time for about a month but that's it."

Having already decided she wanted to be a singer early on, it was the movie Coal Miner's Daughter that set really the gears into motion for Memarie to realize her dreams! "I watched that movie so many times during my childhood years! It had a huge effect on me! I related to Loretta Lynn so much because I came from a small town and from a family that was not exactly blessed with financial abundance. It really motivated me and made my dreams seem within reach." Memarie had the privilege of meeting Loretta in person several years ago backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Loretta's gracious demeanor is something that continues to resonate with Memarie. "I was working for Make-A-Wish Foundation and had brought a young girl to see her. Loretta was so sweet and spent lots of time talking to her before she went on stage. It was great to know she was exactly the nice person I knew she would be. She was very down to earth, which is how every artist should remain no matter how much success you gain."

Determined to pursue music full-time, Memarie followed her heart all the way to Nashville to record her debut album. In 2004, she released that album, which included two R&R Top 40 singles and a #1 Christian Country hit. Another song, "I Know You By Heart," was included in an episode of the MTV television show, "Made."

Success can be sweet, though more often than not it is short-lived, bringing with it a hefty price for the artist to pay. Memarie has taken lessons from this fact of life as she moves forward toward a fresh direction with her music. "I have learned to go with my gut instinct. You can't worry so much about where the music fits in if you want to keep your artistic integrity. You should just make music that you love. As long as I am doing that, I am happy. I am working toward that now." Though change has been anything but easy, Memarie maintains a positive outlook delves into new musical adventures. "After I left my previous record label, I have found myself on a journey both personally and as an artist. I have a vision and I am anxious to see it come to life."

Her self-titled EP featuring six brand new songs is just one of the products of Memarie's newfound focal point. "I am trying to be more vulnerable with myself and my music, and I am excited to cut myself free of the restraints others have put on me and that I have put on myself also." The deeply personal project provided a much-needed outlet for Memarie to deal with the emotions that came with recent tumultuous times. She divulges, "When I wrote these songs, I was going through major changes in my life. I was in a whirlwind of change like I have never experienced before, and these songs are all over the board emotionally. These are all songs I wrote or co-wrote within a 4-month period, and they really represent where I was at that time in my life. There is a piece of me in every song."

One song included is especially meaningful because it depicts a new attitude Memarie has adapted into practice. "I wrote a song about a year ago called 'Fearless.' I really think I wrote this song to propel me to living my life that way. Every time I sing that song, I get to live in that moment for three minutes and really feel what it is like to be completely fearless." She contends, "Our thoughts are very powerful. Sometimes we have to step away from our immediate life and remember where we have been and also look forward to where we are going."

As a songwriter, Memarie says she wants people to relate to her song. "That is the most important thing to me. We are all human and we all have similar experiences and emotions. I have been blessed to be able to put those emotions into songs and express what we all feel at some point in our lives through music."

Though she resides in Tennessee, Memarie's Louisiana upbringing still remains the core of who she is both personally and musically. "It has everything to do with who I am today. The roots I have there will never leave me. Growing up in a small town with all of my family surrounding me is something that I am so thankful for. My family instilled values in me that still hold, fast even in this crazy world today."

Still a kid at heart, when she's not working on music, there's a good chance you'll catch Memarie at the checkout line of the local grocery store buying herself cell phone gum! "I really love to act like a kid every chance I get. I have a hard time resisting the crazy candy in the grocery line. You know the candy on the shelves that are short so the kids pick it up and beg their moms to buy it? I buy it for myself!"

Priorities may have shifted, but the one thing that has never changed for Memarie is the big picture. "That's simple. My ultimate goal is to make a living in music."