I truly feel at home on the stage because the people in the audience make what I do seem all together worth it!
I was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Beaumont, Texas, from the age of three. The youngest of three daughters, our family was a musical family. From the young age of seven, I started singing from the influence of my daddy, but always trying to sound as good as my mama did, she could sing better than anyone I’ve heard to date. I started singing with my dad’s favorite singing star at the time, Brenda Lee. I was determined to master her music and loved her style of singing too. In 1981, I decided to leave Beaumont and would never return there to live again.
Not able to showcase my talents anywhere in public except at the church that I attended; I sang mostly in my room at home. It wasn’t until 1989; I was introduced to the Opry’s. It was the Magnolia Opry in Magnolia, Texas, where I made my first stage debut. My presence on the stage was my home. I knew I was meant to entertain and I was so thankful to have the opportunity.
The Opry stage and atmosphere was a place where I could entertain and feel good about what I was doing. In 1993, after moving to Deer Park, Texas, I asked the City of Deer Park to begin a local Opry in our town. It was not received very well and after several attempts to make it work, Don Wester took what was left of the Cattledrive Opry to Pasadena, East Harris County, and asked for assistance from the Senior’s Group there. Today, it’s the Hometown Opry, produced by Don Wester and still going strong! In 1999 we opened the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo for their 50th anniversary. I was chosen for the opening act and performed “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man”. It was the biggest thrill thus far in my book!
I have performed at many different shows and something from each show is still with me today. These are the Texas Opry’s I have visited during my travels: Alvin Opry, The Alvin Opry House, Bell County Jamboree, Buckshot Jamboree, Columbus Opry, Comal Country Music Show, Copperas Cove Opry, East Texas Jamboree, Farm Street Opry, Fayette County Country Music Opry, Georgetown Opry, Giddings Opry, Hometown Opry, Humble Opry, Lake Theater, Lockhart Opry, Lone Star Opry, Livingston Opry, Manvel Opry, The Original Opry, The Milam County Opry, Rosenberg Opry, Victoria Opry, Washington County BlueBonnet Opry.
During our time in Louisiana I performed at Whitewing All-Star Showcase in Crowley, LA and Old South Jamboree in Walker, LA, Reimer’s Musical Theater, Hammond, LA, as well as operated our own show, The Lakeside Opry from 2004-2006.
I married Jerry Varley in 1995 while in Texas, we moved to Louisiana in 2002, a bit disheartening for me, I loved to perform at the Opry’s and I had researched and found no shows like the ones in Texas where I was going. But there was no question where my heart followed so we moved to Watson, LA in 2002.
I began the Lakeside Opry in March 2004 with the help of my soulmate Jerry. We had a good 2 1/2 year run, our largest show netted 950 people at North Park in Denham Springs, and we averaged around 500-600 a month. There hasn’t been a show that has ever had the crowds we pulled in Livingston Parish, that speaks mounds for the quality of the show that Jerry and I worked hard to keep! However, we closed the show in 2006 to pursue other interests, we sure enjoyed meeting some wonderful musicians and performers and loved the audience we performed to. What a blessing it was for me and my family to be able to bring this event to our community. In between we also began a show called The Louisiana Opry, I don’t think the time was right for the show and therefore we closed all our operations and decided to do what we love to do, spend time with our family!
I will continue to sing in Texas and Louisiana and I will continue to believe in the quality entertainment I have been a part of and know-how to provide. My heart has always been with the people in the audience, and I hope they will always be blessed by my music because I give them everything I have, that’s a part of my passion for singing!
Jerry and I moved back to Texas in June 2015 and I can’t even tell you how excited I am to begin this new chapter of our lives! I will be returning to the Opry stage and have longed for it!
I thank God for meeting the kind of people I’ve had the opportunity to come across while traveling around! So many of these people have watched my life evolve into what it is today. The good and the bad, these folks were a second family to me and shared in all of it.
I thank each one of you for your support, kindness, and loyalty to the Opry’s and the Opry Performers.
We are because of you, we sing to you, and thanks to you have a place to sing and showcase our music for you to enjoy and hopefully your families too.
Thank you for continuing to support our efforts!
May God continue to bless each of you and your families and I hope to meet you or come across you again through my many travels!
God Bless!