FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- You may have not heard of Natalie Stovall in the past, but soon you will be hearing a lot from her and about her.
Stovall has risen to fame on college campuses across the country and has been named the 2012 Entertainer of the Year and Female Entertainer of the Year by Campus Activities Magazine. Stovall is currently on a tour of military installations and will come to Fort Jackson July 7.
While on a concert tour overseas for the military, Stovall met a Soldier who married days before deploying. He asked Stovall to write a song he could sing to his wife when he returns home.
On her website, www.nataliestovall.com, Stovall wrote, "While we were performing overseas in Djibouti last year for the military I ended up talking with a Soldier who had gotten married a few days before his deployment and had basically missed the entire first year of his marriage while being deployed. He asked if I could write a song for his wife that he could play for her when he got home... His sadness and sincerity really touched me ... Especially knowing the fact that his story is far from unique. When I got back to Nashville I sat down with my friend Ruth Collins and we wrote a song for them. We would like to dedicate it to that couple and every military couple that are sacrificing so much for all of us."
Stovall is a native of Tennessee, a state with a long history of its residents serving in the military, and Stovall herself comes from a military family. Stovall's father is a retired colonel, and she grew up in the culture of the Army.
"For me doing the military shows is more than worth it, on many levels," she told Campus Activities Magazine. "Playing for the military is 100 percent absolutely the best audiences that we have ever seen. There is this unbelievable cycle of gratitude that has honestly been the most baffling thing to deal with.
"So, we are there, brought in and paid for as a means of saying thanks by playing for the troops. We are there because of what they do for us ... it's the only way I know how to say thank you,"she was quoted in the article. "You don't feel like normal words can say thank you enough for the sacrifices they are making for all of us, but when they say thank you to me for being there, well that's when my head just starts to explode, because I don't know how to handle that. At the same time, it is what is so beautiful about those shows. We are there to say thank you for their service (in addition to the gigs), and they say thank you over and over because we bring a piece of home to them there and I'm sure it's ridiculously sappy to anyone who might see it from the outside, but I have grown to love it."
Stovall is a talented fiddle player and country singer with some definite rock and roll chops, which give her sound and energy diverse enough to appeal to country fans and nonfans alike. Her rendition of Charlie Daniels' hit, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," has been described by reviewers as having "Metallicalikeriffs."
This spring saw the release of her second record, "Standing My Ground" -- an EP featuring five new songs written by Stovall along with her version of, "The Devil Went down To Georgia."
"It's amazing; my version of 'Devil' has been such a big part of my show ever since I started my first band." Stovall said in her official biography. "I mean, for the past five years people have been coming up to me and asking if I would record my version. And although part of me felt crazy for taking on the responsibility of recording such a legendary fiddle song, I just knew it was the right thing to do. I really wanted to give something special to everyone that's stuck with me and been a part of this adventure so far."
Stovall has already been selected to open for acts like Gretchen Wilson, Little Big Town, Gloriana, Justin Moore, Josh Gracin, Trent Tomlinson, Safetysuit and The Doobie Brothers.
Stovall's first professional gig singing and playing the fiddle was at the age of 10. She's performed everywhere from Oprah to the Grand Ole Opry. She was the first performer ever to be invited to sing, "God Bless America" for the president at the White House Press Correspondents Dinner.
She did all of this before her first record deal.
Stovall will perform at the pavilion between Palmetto Falls Water Park and Palmetto Greens Miniature Golf, Saturday, July 7, 4 to 7 p.m. as part of her "Laughter, Love and Fiddle" tour. This concert is free with water park admission and costs $5 per person for all others. Opening for Stovall is comedian Paul Varghese. Varghese has performed on Last Comic Standing, HBO Comedy Festival, and TBS Comedy Festival.
The show is appropriate for all ages. Proceeds benefit quality of life programs for Soldiers and families. For more information, call Charles Stoudemire at 751-0891.
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