Rissi Palmer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rissi Palmer | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Origin | Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Label(s) | 1720 Entertainment |
| Associated acts | Terry Lewis Patsy Cline |
| Website | www.rissipalmer.com |
Rissi Palmer (born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American country music singer-songwriter and musician. One of the only African-American singers in her genre, Palmer debuted in 2007 with the single "Country Girl", which made her the first African-American woman to chart a country song since Dona Mason in 1987.[1] "Country Girl" peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and served as the lead-off single to her self-titled debut album, which also produced the #59 hit "Hold on to Me". Also in 2008, Palmer released "No Air", an R&B hit by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. The song debuted on the charts at #58, and has so-far peaked at #47.
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[edit] Biography
Palmer was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She lived in the suburb of Sewickley until moving with her family to Eureka, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, at the age of 12.[2] Her parents were natives of Georgia. Palmer has said her mother, who died when Palmer was seven, "was a huge Patsy Cline fan", while her father loved musicians such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Chaka Khan, and Santana.[3] Palmer said she knew from a young age that she wanted to sing. As a child, she sang on a Mickey Mouse Club-like local television show called Team 11. At age 16, she performed country music at the Arkansas State Fair.[3]
When she was 19, R&B producers James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Lewis offered her a deal on their Flyte Tyme Records. Palmer rejected the deal because she said they wanted to turn her "twangy" country style into a "pop/soul hybrid." As she said, "I love R&B and urban music, but it wasn't what I wanted to do. I knew I wouldn't be happy doing that."[4] After that, Palmer sang jingles for Barbie commercials, performed on the Dance Fever television show, and competed on Star Search,[3] all while trying in vain for seven years to land a Nashville recording contract.
In 2006, Starbucks Entertainment distributed a four-song EP that put Palmer among the top 5 best-selling country artists on iTunes.[1] Palmer was also featured in a 2005 Country Music Television documentary about African-Americans and country music.[4]
Palmer's debut album, Rissi Palmer, was released on October 23, 2007, by 1720 Entertainment. Palmer co-wrote nine of the 12 tracks.[1] She is also the featured artist on Yahoo! Music's "The New Now," which highlights talented newcomers, from October 17 through November 21, 2007.[5]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | US Heat | US Indie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Rissi Palmer | 56 | 16 | 41 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Country Girl" | 54 | Rissi Palmer |
| 2008 | "Hold on to Me" | 59 | |
| "No Air"A | 47 | TBD |
- A Current single.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "As black woman, Rissi Palmer is country rarity" Associated Press. October 19, 2007.
- ^ Rissi Palmer, Jon Anthony. (2007-10-25). Highway 16 Driver's Ed (broadcast) [radio]. Nashville, TN: XM Radio. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Event occurs at 9:00 EDT.
- ^ a b c "A country singer who bucks custom" by Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 21, 2007.
- ^ a b "To Be Young, Gifted and Country: Rissi Palmer Finds Her Place On the Country Music Charts" by Ethan Smith, The Wall Street Journal, September 28, 2007, Page W3.
- ^ "Rissi Palmer Is The New Now" by Stephen L. Betts, 10/10/2007, accessed Oct. 22, 2007.
