Origins
I was born in Meridian which is located in the east central part
of Mississippi. Meridian is better known for being the hometown of Jimmie Rodgers, the
father of country music. It is also the corporate headquarters for Peavey Electronics.
I currently live in Harmony, a small community just south of
Meridian. I worked as an interpreter for a deaf child in the local school system. My
husband’s name is Eddie and together we have three children, Joshua, Luke &
Emily.
Other than singing and performing, the things I enjoy the most are
our family outings which usually include camping, hiking, fishing, deer hunting, and going
mud-riding on our 4 wheelers! In most aspects, I’m just a good ole’ fashion
country girl.
Heritage
My childhood was much like anyone else’s except for the fact
I was born unto hearing impaired parents. My mother has a little hearing in her right ear
and is able to speak and read lips proficiently. My father is a different story, he’s
what you would call stone deaf and his only avenue of communication is sign language.
Shortly after my birth we relocated to Georgia for a few years. I
had little exposure to the hearing world during those formative years so I picked up on my
mother’s speech patterns, and spoke in off-tones. My English was very fragmented and
broken, like that of ASL (American Sign Language).
Around the age of four, we moved back to Meridian, where all our
family lives, and it wasn’t until then it was discovered that I was not hearing
impaired myself. As luck would have it, my grandmother was a speech teacher! She started
working with me extensively to help me correct my speech before I started school. I can
remember becoming very frustrated with trying to find the right spoken words to express
myself so sometimes I’d lapse back into sign language. The teachers would grab my
hands and say "Talk with your mouth!"
Intro into Music
The very first time I sang in public, or in front of ANYONE for
that matter, was at a Junior Miss program. For my talent I decided to sing "You Light
Up My Life" and sign the song for my parents who were in the audience. To my surprise
I won the talent division, as well as the title of Neshoba County Junior Miss.
Due to urging of my Uncle Billy Thomley I joined a local
organization called TISBA (The International Singing Brakemen’s Association). They
are a group of musicians dedicated to the preservation of Jimmie Rodgers’ music as
well as the Jimmie Rodgers’ museum in Meridian, MS. Being with these people instilled
the love of Classic Country Music into my heart.
In March 2000, Meridian Little Theater was casting for a
production called "Always....Patsy Cline". I decided to try out and won the part
of Patsy Cline. It was such a honor to be able to portray a legend. I played to a crowd of
over 300 for 9 nine nights in a row singing 24 of Patsy’s most famous hits. I felt a
closeness with the audience I had never felt before and it was then that I was hooked. The
play in the director’s own words was the most successful play in Meridian Little
Theater’s history.
Since "Always.....Patsy Cline" was such a hit, I was
pre-casted for the part of Annie Oakely in "Annie Get Your Gun". This production
would prove to be more difficult to do because I would have to ACT as well as
sing.........something I had NEVER done before. But we pulled it off, and played to a sold
out house every night. My most recent production was "Honky Tonk Angels" which
was written by Ted Swindley, the same author of "Always.....Patsy Cline".
In May 2003 the Meridian Little Theater held its 70th Anniversary
Gala Awards Show. Out of 280 productions, in MLT’s 70 year history, I was awarded
"Best Actress in a Musical" for my portrayal of Patsy Cline. It was a privilege
to receive such an acclamation and I truly appreciate everyone’s support.
Other than performing at various locations across Mississippi,
I’ve also performed in Branson, MO before coming to Tootsie’s in Nashville.
One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was being a
part of Fanfair 2003 as an artist with Tootsie’s Records. It enabled me to do what I
love the most....sing, perform, and share my music with a multitude of people. My single
"Lucky Girl" off of my new CD Black & White will be released in soon. The
song relates to children with handicaps, which is a subject that I hope will touch the
hearts of others as it has mine. I will appreciate your requests to local radio stations
to play this song and look for my CDs in Ernest Tubb Record Shops, Tower Records,
Wal-Mart, or at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.
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"Angela White has a great and new
way
