free of charge by WXBQ as a listener appreciation eventArista recording artist Brett James, who has already established himself a hit songwriter in Nashville, is off to a great singing career with his new release, "Chasin' Amy".

Brett James penned his first song when he was 17 year old. It was called "Sweet Slow Oklahoma." Brett remembers, "My mom had gone to a pawn shop and bought me my first guitar for Christmas. Once I had figured out three chords,. writing a song seemed like the next natural thing to do." Brett continued to write songs and eventually, after he had married, he moved to Nashville. But like so many others, he found the music business tough to break into.

His first song that really mattered was a song called "Love Is A Sweet Thing" that Faith Hill recorded on her album Breathe. "I had just decided to pretty much give up on the music business and go back to medical school in Oklahoma," said Brett. "My wife and kids had stayed behind in Nashville to sell our house. I started school on September 2nd, and Faith cut the song on September 4th. I was obviously thrilled, and it really jump started by songwriting career."

Over the next seven months, Brett got 27 more album cuts by other artists. By the following May he had decided to quit school for the second time and go back to his house in Nashville.

Brett, who now plays several instruments including guitar, piano, saxophone, and drums, has release his new single "Chasin' Amy" on the Arista label. An additional 30 of his song have been recorded by artists like Jessica Andrews, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Chely Wright, and Lonestar.

The New Country Concert is presented free of charge by WXBQ as a listener appreciation event.

Jamie O'Neal and Mark Wills were the festival headliners performing for the Fun Fest AFG Community Concert at J. Fred Johnson Stadium. Several thousand WXBQ fans came out to see the big show.

"I have always wanted to be in Nashville," says Jamie O'Neal. "I have dreamed of this my entire life."

That is not an exaggeration. She has been preparing for the country music stage literally all her life. Jamie O'Neal was born in Sydney, Australia as the first child of professional musicians Jimmy and Julie Murphy. When she was two the family migrated to Hawaii, where younger sister Samantha was born. When Jamie was seven the musical Murphys settled in Las Vegas to perform at The Golden Nugget casino. And when she was eight, she took to the stage.

"Once Dad learned that Samantha and I could carry a tune, suddenly we were on stage. I was eight and Sam was six. She and I sang 'You and Me Against the World' looking at the floor." Dad, Mom, the girls, a tutor and a four-piece band were gypsies throughout Jamie's girlhood, traveling throughout the U.S. in a motor home to perform at state fairs, hotels and conventions. "We opened for a lot of the country stars at the fairs," Jamie recalls. "The one I loved the most was Dolly Parton. She was so sweet to us kids. And she loved hanging out with her band. I was just so impressed with her as a person, as well as a musician."

Inevitably, the Murphys came to Nashville to record. Jamie was a young teen when the family lived in Music City. The act recorded three LPs on Music Row to sell at shows before breaking up when Jimmy and Julie divorced. Her mother returned to Australia. Jamie continued to sing with her father, who relocated to L.A.

"I actually went to Beverly Hills High when I was 16 and 17. It was awful. I had never been around real kids before and you know how clique-y they can be. But I would be gone so much on the road, so I was never a part of any crowd. I felt out of place; and I'd barely scrape by on my tests. Then I'd go on the road again. I finally just dropped out of high school. I wanted to come back to Nashville and pursue singing on my own."

Back in Tennessee, her spectacular voice attracted attention at once and she was soon singing songwriter "demos" for Nashville's song publishing companies. But this sojourn ended prematurely when a visit to her mother in Australia turned into an extended stay.

Australian pop star Kylie Minogue hired Jamie as a backup vocalist and she toured internationally with her for two years. Then a friend suggested that Jamie write some songs of her own, and she did.

Jamie vowed to create something good enough to bring her back to Nashville. Her mother suggested changing her name to differentiate herself from The Murphy Family. "O'Neal" sounded right to both of them. Julie Murphy did something else for her daughter during that visit Down Under. Jamie didn’t think either her songs or her demo tapes were good enough to send to Nashville, but Mama knew best. She overruled her daughter and mailed a tape to an old acquaintance in the country capital.

That tape reached the ears of producer Harold Shedd, who called offering plane fare and a song-publishing contract. Jamie didn't think twice; she jumped at the opportunity, arriving in Nashville for keeps in 1996.

Jamie O'Neal quickly developed a reputation as a formidable vocalist, singing backup on records by Mindy McCready, Clay Davidson, Jason Sellers, Chely Wright, Ronnie Milsap, Sonya Isaacs and others. Lee Ann Rimes recorded her song "Surrender." Soon thereafter, Jamie had her own recording deal with Mercury Records and released her first album.

The robust male harmony voice on many of the album's tracks belongs to songwriter Rodney Good from East Tennessee. And if romantic tracks on the CD ring with a certain authenticity, it's because Rodney proposed to Jamie during the making of of the album. They were married in Florida a few weeks after completing the CD.

"This is what I have always wanted. A lot of people go, 'Why didn't you go for a pop deal?' But I have always wanted to do country music. I love the faithfulness of the country fans. I love the fairs. And I especially love how the audience relates to your songs. What you are saying means much more to them than it does to pop fans. Nashville is where I belong."

Daryl Mark Williams (Wills) was born on August 8, 1973, in Cleveland, Tennessee. His hair is black, his eyes brown, and he stands five feet-ten inches tall. And, after five years of chart-topping hit singles and achieving platinum status, Mark Wills is just getting started.

Despite the twinkle in his eye and his sunny nature, Mark Wills has always guided his career with wisdom and care. After winning local talent contests, at age 17 Mark announced to his parents that he was moving to the big city of Atlanta to follow his dream.

"Imagine that you've got a 17-year-old kid who's starting to make his own decisions and one of the first is that he's going to start singing in a bar," commented Wills. "My dad wasn't real happy about it. But I wasn't worried. I've never been a drinker. I'm not a weak person; I don't fall under people's peer pressure. And at the same time, I'm headstrong enough to say, 'I see my chance, here, and I'm taking it.'"

Mark Wills found both personal and professional success in Georgia's capital city. He met his wife Kelly there. They married in 1996, the same year that "Jacob's Ladder" jump-started his country career on Mercury Records. That single was followed by a string of top-10 smashes.

Again in 1998, career success dovetailed with personal happiness for Mark. He garnered nominations from the Country Music Association for Single, Song and Video of the Year. That also was the year that Mark and Kelly's daughter Mally was born, bringing a deeper joy and depth to the words of the songs he sings as an artist.

Mark's journey to become a platinum-selling recording artist and a happy husband and father has brought to life the very words of his hit song "Loving Every Minute." "It's been a wild ride," Mark comments.

Jamie O'Neal, Mark Wills, and Brett James gave WXBQ fans a great evening of country music at Fun Fest 2002 in Kingsport. For more country fun with the Rabbit, stay tuned to 96.9 WXBQ.