During my 45 year tenure as a concert-goer, there have been just two
artists that MOVED me with their performances. I felt as if they just could
not have given me any more than they did--they left me in a daze. Those
two acts were RICHIE HAVENS at the TAMPA THEATER and BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN at the LAKELAND CIVIC CENTER. Although both of these
shows were in the ‘70's, almost 40 years ago, I still remember them as
if they were yesterday. Now, as of April 7 th , here in El Paso, Texas, I can
add another artist to that short list of “memorables”--and that would be
Official CMT Artist ASHLEY WINELAND.
Country music is admittedly, not my thing--but after soaking in Ms.
Ashley, I do have a whole different mindset. During the time I spent with
her, I felt I was in the presence of future country royalty. Ashley is the
total package. Besides her obvious girl-next-door good looks and her
undeniable talent that smacks you between the eyes, she’s also down-
to-earth, friendly and approachable. And she has a heart as big as the
state of Texas, too. While researching her in anticipation of covering her
show at SUN CITY FAIR (supporting DIAMOND RIO), I learned that this
young rising star donates untold hours to animal welfare organizations
as well as our military veterans—and it’s endeavors like these that speak
volumes to me about the character of Ms. Ashley Wineland. These things
all contribute to her popularity with her massive fan base—who number
around 170+ across her various social media platforms.
And you can bet her dedicated followers are excitedly looking
forward to catching Ashley’s electrifying live performance, when
she embarks on her national tour, which kicks off in May. This
young lady has made major strides in the tough industry of music.
So you could add “business savvy” to the earlier list of traits that
I attached to Ashley.
As I photographed the show, I was struck by how intimately she
interacted with her audience—moving effortlessly through the
crowd and picking out various people and singing directly to
them—even grabbing a seat next to them as if they came to the
show together! She really has a way of making folks feel special;
like they MATTER to her. And due to her palpable sincerity, they
know that she MEANS it…there’s not a false pretense to
Ashley…like I said, she’s the REAL deal.
Her songs, like “Red, White and Blue” and “No Prince Charming”,
and of course, her most recent single “She’s Gone” (which is
custom-made for this Texas crowd--“Just a ranch bred girl from
the heart of Texas…”--had me in awe of her vocal range, along
with the level of energy she maintained while working the stage
and her audience. She’s a breath of fresh air—even on a dusty
Texas evening.
It was a sheer honor to meet her, her band members, and her
family--who could not have been kinder or more welcoming to
me…all beacons of “southern hospitality. E ven if you're not into
country, you will want to see Ashley. She’s not someone that you’ll
soon forget, for she’ll leaves an impression on you—just like the
one she left with me.