THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406220040
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: Medium
``One of these days it would be fun to win one,'' Tillis said during a phone interview from her Nashville home. ``The main thing, though - most important - is that people buy my records and come to my shows,'' she said/
{REST} Two Pam Tillis shows are coming to our neck of the woods. She will be one of the stars of the Tangier Sound Country Music Festival in Crisfield, Md., on Saturday. Then on July 4, she performs at the July 4 Birthday Bash in downtown Newport News.
Among other offerings are songs from Tillis' new album, ``Sweetheart's Dance,'' including the Geraldo-inspired ``Mi Vida Loca'' - ``My Crazy Life,'' for those who slept through Spanish class.
The show concerned female gang members, one of whom had a tattoo on her wrist with that statement. A song-writing bell dinged above Tillis' head and a song was born.
Let it be known that Geraldo-watching was a dial-flipping incident. She is normally into the more intellectual CNBC offerings.
Another song from the new album, a remake of ``When You Walk in the Room,'' will contain a few surprises in the video version.
``I have a special guest - male,'' Tillis said. ``He's awesome. I asked for him.''
Who? He is not in showbiz or politics ``but,'' said the cagey singer, ``he is someone you'll easily recognize.''
Bill Clinton?
``Not with the kind of taxes I'm paying,'' said Tillis.
She just got a gold record for contributing a song to ``Eight Seconds,'' the Luke Perry rodeo flick.
``It's the first thing I produced and I got gold,'' said Tillis, who co-produced her new album ``which is close to being gold. We'll be releasing singles for about a year from that album.''
An autumn album, with proceeds going to the Second Harvest Food Bank, is an all-star tribute to Merle Haggard featuring Tillis doing ``Silver Wings,'' one of his lesser-known efforts.
She is putting some effort into acting - typecast as a country singer on a recent ``L.A. Law'' and in last week's CBS movie, ``XXXs & OOOs.''
Tillis concentrates on singing, though, and is grateful for her longevity.
``Three years and you're given credit for staying power. I've been able to hang on for four strong years,'' Tillis said. ``Look at Dad (Mel). He's been around 35 years. Today, everybody in the industry is sweating a bit because of the climate. Here today, gone tomorrow. I try to find good songs.''
Examples are ``Maybe It Was Memphis,'' ``Shake the Sugar Tree,'' ``Don't Tell Me What To Do'' and the super hit, ``Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.''
As far as song selections are concerned, ``I listen to what people say,'' said Tillis, who lives with her song-writing husband of three years, Bob DiPiero and her 15-year-old son, Ben. ``But in the end, you have to be singing it and you can't do something you're not comfortable with.
``I let people talk me out of things I wish I'd done,'' she said, ``but you have to listen to your heart.''
COUNTRY MUSIC FEST
Who: Pam Tillis, Doug Stone, Ricky Van Shelton, Shenandoah, McBride & The Ride, Victoria Shaw, Daron Norwood
When: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.Saturday
Where: Crisfield, Md., on the Eastern Shore
How much: Tickets are $24 in advance, $28 at the gate, $5 for children 10 and under
Tell me more: (800) 521-9189. Pam Tillis will also perform at the July 4 Birthday Bash in downtown Newport News. The free concert starts at 8 p.m. For information, call 424-1050. by CNB