Danielle Peck: From Fan To Star

By Wendy Newcomer

Danielle Peck Photo Courtesy of Big Machine Records

Danielle Peck Photo Courtesy of Big Machine Records

June 16, 2006--What a difference a year makes! Last year no one knew who "Findin' A Good Man" singer Danielle Peck was--but that wasn't the case this year at the CMA Music Festival. GACTV.com spent 24 hours with Danielle during the Music Fest and she described how her life has changed since she went from being a country fan to being one of its rising stars.

"Every year before this, any time I could come to Fan Fair--now the CMA Music Fest--I would," she says. "I'd go to the shows. No backstage passes, no nothing. This year I'm definitely on the flip side--not in the crowd but on the stage. It's a thrilling place to be."

So what's the biggest difference between being a fan and a star? "I've got backstage passes now!" she laughs. "When you're on stage and you look out into the crowd and see people holding up signs or wearing a shirt that says your name, it's so cool. They came to this festival wearing my shirt to come see me--and that really feels great. This year, there have been a lot of fans who have brought pictures of me performing to sign for them. And that's special, because they came here with the picture, to meet me. That's really incredible. I love this!"

Danielle not only experienced her first CMA Music Fest as a performer, she also celebrated the release of her self-titled debut album on June 6. She co-wrote 8 of the 11 songs on the CD. "I'm an open book," she says. "The way I write my songs, I write from my life, where I've been and what I'm going through. It's emotions written on paper and put to music. Being able to do that really helps me. So I hope that somewhere down the line, somebody will say, 'You wrote that song, but I went through the same thing.' I'd like to capture moments in my life and be able to relate them to other people. I would love for people to get to know who I am through my music."

To get to know even more, click on the link below to see a photo gallery of 24 hours in the life of Danielle Peck!