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Sunday, 30 May, 2010 5:23 PM

New country star Bridgette Tatum to perform at the Swartz Creek Hometown Days on June 5

SWARTZ CREEK, Mich. -- Bridgette Tatum is a brand new artist on the country music scene. She wrote the song "She's Country," which got picked up by Jason Aldean. The singer-songwriter released her debut album Sex, Church and Chicken to digital retailers. Tatum is currently signed to Root Forty-Nine Records. Look for her to perform on June 5 at the B95 Country Music Festival at the Swartz Creek Hometown Days. Joining her will be Steve Azar, TellURide, Thompson Square, Frankie Ballard and Ash Bowers.

"I started singing actually when I was about six," Tatum explains how she got started in the music business. "I had some jobs here and there and one was working in a motel. Unfortunately, had a really bad accident. A girl came in jumped the counter and slit my face open with a razor blade. It was over some change. It was a racist thing, which everyone needs to be aware, that still exists. It still pretty much alive still in the south. It was the moment that got me to Nashville because I went to recuperate on an island for six months. I thought, you know what, I could have died, I could not be here today. I'm going to get to Nashville because the music was in me."

The new country artist says her musical influences include Garth Brooks, Buck Owens, Elvis Presley, Jerry Reed, Aerosmith and Wynona Judd.

Even though her last name is Tatum, she said she has no relationship to Hollywood actor Channing Tatum. "No, I wish," the country singer laughed. "Actually, its better that I'm not related to him so if I run into him we could date. No, I'm not related to him."

Jason Aldean picked up the song that Tatum co-wrote called "She's Country."

"Well, it was surreal because the phone call came in and it was like this, 'He's going to record the song,'" she recalls. "'He's going to put it on the album, it goes for download the night of the CMA's, he's going to perform it on the CMA's and it goes to radio the next day.' So that's not a real call that you get in Nashville. It was a very surreal moment. I just sat there for 30 seconds in silence and felt really blessed to be able to have that happen. Then you're also going, I really hope all that comes true. It all did."

She was the first country singer to record her new album inside the studio at the Palms Casino.

"It was equally as exciting because you wait your whole life to finally make your album," Tatum explained. "You work towards it and you want to make the music the right way. You want to make sure it has the right home. I feel like Vegas for us was the right home for the music. I took the band that plays with me from Nashville to Vegas. We were away from all of the distractions, the family and the kids and running here and running there. So we were really able to focus on the song. Those people were just unbelievable. When we go back to do the second album, we'll be back to do it in the same place."

Can you give me some highlights of your new album, Sex, Church and Chicken.

"There's some songs on there like 'Funky on the Country,'" the new country singer said. "The first single off of there was 'I Like My Cowboys Dirty' and I think every woman would agree we like hard workin' men. There's things on there that are rooted on there from my gospel roots. A song called 'Hold Out To Me.' I always said when I cut record an album, I would include something from my roots on there. I'm really proud that I got that song."

What's the story behind your new single "That's Love Y'all"?

"I got engaged and never thought I would end up getting married," Tatum recalled. "I got engaged and it's probably one of the best feelings in the world. In the process of that whole thing and the beauty of it kind of came out as a song for me. So 'That's Love Y'all' got written because I got engaged. Then, I got married and I thought, what did I do? and then I got divorced. I got to keep the song and keep the ring. It came from my engagement, it all didn't work out, but at least I did get a good song."

She is one of the performers at the B95 Country Music Festival at the Swartz Creek Hometown Days.

"We'll definitely be doing the new single, 'That's Love Y'all,' 'Cowboys Dirty' and we throw in some surprises," the new country singer said. "Danny Myrick's going to be with me, he's the one who co-wrote 'She's Country' with me. So I'm always excited when he can come along on the road. You never know, we might pop out some stuff he's written like 'International Harvester.' We try to keep the show fresh, we try to have a lot of fun. Hope everybody brings their a-game to have a lot of fun."

Since you are a newer artist, where would you like to be in the next five years?

"Hopefully talking to you again," Tatum answered. "Of course, I still want to be playing music. That's what I wake up everyday and want to be doing. Hopefully at that point in time, we've gained some really solid fans/friends. It really hard for me to call everybody fans and that they got a clear understand of the music. They understand that I reason I go in and do what I do is to bring emotion to them and hopefully they relate to it. Hopefully, I'm writing with the people I'm writing with and still making great music five years from now."

For more information on the Swartz Creek Hometown Days, visit www.hometowndays.org.

For more information on the B95 Country Music Festival, visit www.b95.fm.