Apr 11, 2008

Miss makes West Coast more country

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

The Bay Area isn't renowned as a country music hotbed. But one Peninsula singer-songwriter is doing her best to change that.

Billed as "Miss Charlotte," Charlotte Epperson is garnering attention through her dynamic voice, lively performances and an album titled, "West Coast Country Girl."

She returns to the Little Fox Theatre on Thursday night. She packed the house the first time she played the venue. A lifelong Redwood City resident, 23-year-old Epperson can expect to see a lot of familiar faces again, including her supportive parents Brenda and Danny Epperson, as well as her siblings.

She was born to be a performer. "It comes naturally for me. It's a God-given talent," Epperson said. "I'm definitely not a reclusive person. You know what I think, what I feel and how I feel it, whether it's in a conversation or in a song."

As a toddler, she was already singing in the church choir. Her first public solo performance came at age 8, singing the national anthem at a Little League baseball opener. She also twirled baton and sang in Redwood City's Fourth of July parades.

Later, Epperson was inspired by the voice of Reba McEntire and the songwriting of Diane Warren. At age 10, she wrote an original song, "Silly Willy," about puppy love, which she'll perform at the Little Fox.

"All through high school, journals and writing were a huge part of my life," she said. "That was a really good outlet.

At Woodside High, Epperson landed major roles in musicals. But her true musical passion didn't match that of her classmates. She was enthralled by her mother and grandfather's country records, admiring the songs of Patsy Cline, Tanya Tucker, Tammy Wynette and Hank Williams.

Explaining her fascination, Epperson said, "I love the storytelling. I love the honesty. It's very honest music."

She has performed country music recently at Bogart's Lounge in Sunnyvale and Woodside's Pioneer Saloon. Her shows include some covers.

"Usually, it's something that's upbeat, a song that everybody knows, they can sing along with, they can dance to," she said. "I do a lot of the classics and that brings me back to being 8 years old, sitting around the fireplace, singing. But I also love singing the songs of the Carrie Underwoods and the Gretchen Wilsons."

Her album (available at misscharlottesweb.com, iTunes or CDBaby.com) also features engaging original songs. "Inspiration comes from anything and everything," she said.

She's taking music business courses from Boston's Berklee College of Music online. "Knowing what you're getting into is so important - knowing what the contract should say, knowing how to talk to music industry people - and realizing that you are a product," she said. "You have to know how to market, how to handle that business entity."

Marketing country music can be challenging in Northern California. Of the scene, Epperson said, "It can be good for national acts. It can be a little rough, if you don't have a well-known reputation. But you have the Wolf (95.7 FM) that just started in the (Bay Area) and things have really picked up in the last year."

Nonetheless, she may be moving to Nashville this summer. "My entire family is in California. I've lived on the same street in the same town all my life, so trucking across country, not knowing anyone, that part's a little scary," she said.

The country music capital has never been known for greeting California country artists with open arms. "Nashville is a close-knit town. It's hard to break in, if you're an outsider," she said. "They're skeptical about the intentions of outsiders coming to their town, wondering if the music is real. It takes a lot to prove yourself there. But I'm a fighter, so competition doesn't deter me."

She wrote a song about making the bold move to Music City. It's called "She's Going To Make It." It's on her album.

The appellation "West Coast Country Girl" will travel with her to Tennessee. "That's something that I can use to set me apart from every other blonde, blue-eyed Nashville sweetheart," she said.

In the music business, perseverance is almost as important as talent. "You have to have tough skin. You have to be able to push through anything."

The toughest thing Epperson has endured so far? "Probably everybody saying, 'I'm going to make you a star.' You have to weed through who's real and who's not," she said. "It's easy to become discouraged when night after night, after performing, you meet people who say, 'You're amazing! You're going to make it. I know somebody ...' And it turns out they're drunk or out of their minds or they just want to feel important. You just be polite and keep going. Move on."

Epperson maintains optimism and determination. "It's part of my nature. It's something I've been taught by my parents, that you can't let anybody get in the way of your dream."