What's Not To Love About Georgia

In March of 74, I was born and raised in the Hills of North East Georgia in a little town called Hiawassee. One of my very first memories was hearing my family pick and sing good ole bluegrass songs. My mom played the upright bass and sang lead and also tenor to my dad on old favorites like... Old Cabin Home on The Hill, Blue Moon of Kentucky, On My Way Back to the Old Home, Fox on the Run and Molly and Tenbrook, just to name a few. At the age of 3 I was clogging on stage as my family played, but clogging was never enough. I always wanted to 'pick'. I will never forget the day my dad brought home my very first 'A' Model Gibson Mandolin. It had a black case with green velvet lining and my own leather strap that read 'Meschell'!! I was way way cool that day at the ripe old age of 8! I took that mandolin to my room and started to play as hard as I could realizing and saying to myself, 'This aint as easy as it looks like it is', which lead to me cryin and beggin my dad to help me play. We started lessons immediately. At the age of 9, i was on stage with my family, picking my heart out, along side of my grandfather on rhythm guitar, cousin on fiddle, dad on banjo, and mom on upright bass, which made up The Berrong Generation. When i turned 10, my family decided to cut our first Album in which I played every mandolin part on it all by myself. I remember the studio had 4 mics set up in a circle in this huge room with GREEN carpet on the floors, walls and ceiling and we all stood in a circle at the mics and sang and picked just like a live show. Ten songs later... we had our first Album. This was just the beginning as we played every bluegrass festival in North East Georgia, making the front page of the Gainesville Times playing my Mandolin..... and doing shows at the Georgia Mountain Fair, where, one year I placed 3rd in a mandolin competition against 15 men!! When I turned 11, we opened our own Music Hall right there in the Hills of Ga called Mountain Home Music, where I played every Saturday night and started singing tenor to my mom on just about every song. By the age 14, I was singing lead and falling head over heals for it!! On this very stage we cut another Album featuring me singing. Saturday Nights came and went over the years, filling me with experience on the stage and getting the privilege to sing and play with Mac Wiseman, Margo Smith, Rex Allen, Jr., Vicki Byrd, and The Whites, to name a few. By age 18, my career grew with many jobs as a 'wedding singer' and starring every year in the United Community Banks rendition of Hee Haw, as Dolly Parton, which I was a part of for 12 years. Now 20 years later, I'm still hard at it. Singing with my amazing husband, Ronald J anytime I can. Recently, I am getting to live out one of my life long dreams by completing a 14 song project with some truly wonderful musicians and friends! I give all the glory to my Savior, Lord Jesus Christ! I pray my voice and talents will above all glorify Him!