Award-winning, multiplatinum-selling country artist Jo Dee Messina will serenade Baltimore?s country music fans this weekend. Thanks to 93.1 WPOC and Ram?s Head Live!, Messina will be in town to promote her latest album, “Delicious Surprise.”
The feisty redhead, known for her high spirits, sheer talent and gutsy determination, has carved a place for herself in country music history. Her saucy attitude has earned her an abundance of respect in the music industry, along with her eight No. 1 hits, the CMA Horizon Award for Best New Artist, the ACM?s Top Female Artist Award, and the accomplishment of being the first female country singer to have three consecutive No. 1 hits from the same album.
Although you?d never be able to tell it from her deep-country sound, culturally, Jo Dee Messina couldn?t have grown up farther from Nashville or Austin. While her early influences include Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Hank Williams Jr., Messina was born in Holliston, Mass. “I used to listen to a station out of Rhode Island,” she says.
She began singing at 14, moved to Nashville at 19, and won a string of talent contests on her way up.
“Music has always been an enormous part of my life,” Messina says. “It?s not just something I do ? it?s part of who I am. Songwriting to me is my refuge, a safe place to me where I can go to spell out my emotions, especially when dealing with tough situations. It helps me to gain perspective. You could say that songwriting gives me emotional freedom.”
On Messina?s fourth studio album, “Delicious Surprise,” she is able to convey a musical message of optimism, strength and hope by dealing with broken relationships, tenacity, the empowerment brought on by the choice to move on. It?s because she has faced her fair share of adversity that she has emerged with her “truest recording to date.”
“Managing relationships in today?s world is so hard,” Messina said. “It?s funny, in fact. We all spend so much time and energy chasing what we think matters at the time, but the truth is that what really matters are the simple things ? our family, friends and loved ones. Amazing when you realize that just living to see another day is the ultimate gift.” And you have to believe a woman who admits, “My mom is head of my fan club,” answering all of the e-mails and letters individually.”
When asked what exactly the delicious surprise is, Messina has no problem articulating the answer. “To me, the ?delicious surprise? in life is the dreaming, getting there, without limits, without putting up boundaries, just having faith and working hard. Dreams are meant to be followed, and if your heart speaks it, then it doesn?t matter how far-fetched it seems. You have to believe.”
Luckily for Messina, “Baltimore Believes!”
JO DEE MESSINA
» Venue: Ram?s Head Live!
20 Market Place, Baltimore
» When: 7:30 p.m. today
» Tickets: $40
» Information: www.ramsheadlive.com
