Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 12, 1992 TAG: 9203110227
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: JOE EDWARDS ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NASHVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
"I feel like Cinderella sometimes - like this has all been a dream," she said. "God has shined on me."
In just one year, the 27-year-old Yearwood has become one of the top-selling country vocalists in a field dominated by men: Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, among others.
Her debut album "Trisha Yearwood" outsold other LPs by more established singers such as Barbara Mandrell. And she scored in 1991 with a memorable No. 1 record "She's in Love With the Boy," about how young love endures.
One recent Tuesday, she was practically breathless from sudden success and a packed schedule.
She did a telephone interview at her publicist's office with an out-of-town reporter, ran late and then warmly greeted another reporter for another interview.
Before she could get started, she excused herself to return two phone calls. Later that night, she performed for charity at a nightclub. Three nights earlier, she had wrapped up a seven-month concert tour with Brooks.
"Anybody would have killed to be on this tour," she said between sips on a soft drink.
"It was scary, intimidating and wonderful. I know a lot of people came to see Garth, but we had something to offer."
Their careers were not merely linked by the 80-city tour. Yearwood sang harmony on his albums "No Fences" and "Ropin' the Wind," which together have sold 12 million copies.
In return, he sang harmony on her album and co-wrote two of the 10 songs, including her second hit single "Like We Never Had a Broken Heart."
"He's been like a big brother to me," she said.
Yearwood is well-connected in other ways, too. Vince Gill, the Country Music Association's male vocalist of the year, also sings harmony on her album. Ken Kragen, Kenny Rogers' manager for 24 years, has signed on as her manager. And with Kragen calling the shots, she's already booked for key concert appearances this year with Rogers and Randy Travis.
But it's not just others making decisions for her. It was her suggestion that resulted in a major change in her music video "That's What I Like About You." She was dissatisfied with the plot that had her kissing a young man in a hammock in the final scene. Instead, at her urging, she dumped him out of it.
Yearwood was born and raised in Monticello, Ga., and has been singing as long as she can remember. One of her first jobs in the music business was working for the now defunct MTM record label in Nashville. She toiled in the publicity department for a few months, clipping newspaper articles and arranging media materials for kits.
She does not let ego stand in the way of an honest description of her job: "I did the dirty work."
by CNB