Americana singer plays Your Roots are Showing this January in Belfast. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
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Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Missouri, in 2007 her debut single Country Girl made her the first Black woman in over twenty years to chart on Billboard's Hot Country Songs.
Her self-titled debut album followed the same year and she has shared stages with Taylor Swift, The Eagles, Chris Young, Charley Crockett and many others. She has also performed at the White House, New York’s Lincoln Center and made multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
In 2020, Rissi launched Color Me Country Radio with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music Country, a show spotlighting black, indigenous and Latinx artists. She also founded the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund to support emerging artists of colour across the Americana, country and roots genre.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
My favourite author is Toni Morrison.
I love to read; I have a pile of books on the side of my bed the height of my six-year-old.
I was born on the same day, in the same hospital, as my (step) mother, 29 years apart.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe my music as "Southern Soul", a mixture of country, soul, and pop.
Who are your musical inspirations?
My musical inspirations include The Judds, Phoebe Snow, Aretha Franklin, and women singer/songwriters in general. This is why I am so excited to share the stage with Amy Grant, Crystal Gayle, and Irish artists like Wallis Bird and David Keenan, and everyone else at the Your Roots Are Showing music conference kick-off concert, Folk In Fusion, in Belfast this coming January in The Waterfront Hall.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
My first concert was Michael Jackson in 1988 in Pittsburgh. I was seven years old and it completely blew my mind.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The first record I ever bought was the Thriller picture LP from Michael Jackson. I bought it when I was six with my birthday money ☺️
What's your favourite song right now?
Testimony by Madeline Edwards from her album, Fruit. It's a really personal and beautiful album and this song captures the tragic and triumphant theme of the album.
Favourite lyric of all time?
My favourite lyric of all time is from Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt: "When did the choices get so hard? So much more at stake. Life gets mighty precious when there's less of it to waste". It's one of those lyrics that you only understand after you live a bit.
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If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, it would be, again, Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt. It's a perfect song. Lyrically, vocally, and musically, it just feels true and satisfying. It's a testimony. It's wisdom. It's a reflection.
Where can people find your music/more information?
You can find more information about my music here. You can learn more about my radio show, Color Me Country Radio, on Apple Music, and my non-profit, Color Me Country Foundation is here. And you can buy tickets for my upcoming Irish Concert at Your Roots Are Showing kick-off show Folk In Fusion on 13 January in Belfast here.
Alan Corr
