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Current mood:  happy
Hey guys! I am so excited to share this with you all...
Shinbone Magazine is a new PA-based Music Magazine and I was asked to give an interview as the "Spotlight Artist" for the month of May.
You can get hard copies at local live music venues or local PA music stores, or you can read the online version at http://www.shinbone.net/indexNews.html (Scroll down to where it says "Angela Dodson" for the article).
OR... you can just read it here!:)
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(SW) Focus Band: Angela Dodson
By Scott Griffiths
Shinbone Editor
Angela Dodson knows what's in her heart.
"I grew up with country. It was never even a question. It's something I've always loved," she said.
Dodson has been singing since she was 11, about one year after she heard LeAnn Rimes for the first time and decided right there that becoming a performer was her life's goal.
"I heard 'Blue' and I got her (LeAnn Rimes) CD. I was just blown away. I thought, 'she sings so well, I want to be able to do that, too.' So I would just listen to her CD over and over again."
She'd sing it over and over, too, even yodeling along with Rimes. It was practice for what lay ahead, practice she wouldn't receive during vocal lessons.
"I enjoyed it, but I was really being pushed toward Broadway, and also I was doing Italian opera songs. That was interesting. It was a nice experience and a great way to build different vocals, but it was not me."
It isn't easy being so young and trying to break into the music scene. It's especially tough if you don't command the attention of the audience.
"Everyone's talking and sometimes they seemed like they could care less," Dodson said. "It was a new experience for me and I'm putting myself out there and people are just talking and don't even realize I'm there."
Now 20 years old, she performs as often as possible at fairs, festivals, patriotic events, competitions and other rallies. It's a struggle, but she's determined to make a name for herself.
"It's been a long process. Obviously, this isn't Nashville. This isn't a big place where you can get a lot of recognition right away," Dodson said.
"But I would say that the more I've sang at places, people started to remember me and came back to shows wanting to hear more."
Dodson's persistence and true talent persevered. The audiences pay attention now and even sing along. She's even been asked for autographs, something that still amazes Dodson.
"That is so weird to me. The first time that ever happened, I actually just laughed and thought the person was joking. I was like, 'Are you serious,' because I felt like this is just me and (singing is) just something I do."
It wasn't just the sweet-singing Rimes that influenced Dodson as a child. The man in black, Johnny Cash, had influence as well. It was that link that pushed her career along further in November 2006 when she was billed with a band named The Country Outlaws.
"I actually met them in November; we both happened to be playing at the same place. They heard me perform before they went on and during their set they had asked me if I knew 'Jackson,' a Johnny Cash and June Carter song," she recalled.
She knew the song, got on stage and performed with the Outlaws — a spur of the moment performance that lead to a collaboration.
"Wasn't long 'til we were practicing, and I've been going to their shows with them and performing ever since."
Dodson keeps her plate full of musical outlets. Besides The Country Outlaws, she still performs at various events, including benefits, and was even a talent show judge last month. In addition to all that, she is doing some work with the all-original rock band Issues from Altoona.
In 2005, Dodson released a CD of her performances, "Simple Life, A Collection of Songs from the Shows," and hopes to release a full CD of her original work.
"I've always had these songs that I've written and I've tried to dabble with guitar, but that's not really my thing, and I'm not that good with that. So I have all these melodies that I've come up with and the lyrics but I needed help with the actual music."
Last summer she received some help from Jack Servello of Altoona, and Dodson released her two originals, "They Called Him Cash" and "Crash and Burn." They are available on her MySpace page and her main Web site. There are also other recordings of her and The Country Outlaws, including their version of "Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man," a song by Johnny Cash and June Carter.
With country music in her heart and performing live in her blood, she'll fulfill another dream of hers later this month as she heads to Nashville, Tenn., for the first time. If she has her way, this visit to "Music City USA" won't be Dodson's last.
Visit Angela Dodson at www.angeladodson.net or at www.myspace.com/angeladodsonmusic
2:13 AM
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