Memarie
Cupit Records
Current album: Memarie (self-titled debut album)

Memarie (pronounced memory) says she started singing at the age of five to a microphone created from a magnolia bud which she plucked from a tree in her grandparents front yard. There is a common thread in the stories of all the gifted artists I meet. It seems that, metaphorically speaking, a large majority of the genuinely talented artists started singing before they could walk or talk and a large percentage of them received immense encouragement from their parents and/or their grandparents. Memarie is one of those artists. And like many of the artists we met during the CMA Fest, not only can she take your breath away with her beautiful voice but she can also take your breath away just by entering the room -- another common trait that successful artists share is charisma, an abundance of it.

When asked what she likes best about performing, "Everything", is her quick reply, "I love everything about this business. I love singing, writing, meeting new people" she continues. And what is the most fun, we ask? "Everything" she replies again, "Everything about this business is so much fun."

Memarie says that she loves performing and when I asked what was the most exciting part of it for her, without hesitation, she replied with her favorite word again, "Everything about it is exciting to me. Every time I do a show it's exciting because you're in front of different people and potential new fans."

When asked about the CMA/Fest she stated, "Of course, fan fair is really great because any time you can personally meet with the people who are buying your CDs, that is really the best part of all this. To be able to talk to these people one-on-one and thank them for their support and encouragement is so gratifying for me."

When asked if there was any song that she wished she had written, she says, "Probably the Patty Loveless song, 'Help Me Say Goodbye.' I just love that song. I think it's a really well written song and, too, there are so many good-byes you have to say in your life; not just to people but to bad habits and things. It's just a really great song."

I have a feeling that Memarie knows all about well written songs and is going to have a lot of great songs of her own. Her single, "I Know You By Heart," that she wrote for her husband, was shipped to radio about a month ago and is creating quite a buzz.

Like most of the successful songwriters, Memarie started writing at a young age. She has had impressive successes with her writing too. George Jones, Ken Mellons, John Anderson and others, have recorded songs she has written. We asked her to tell us how she felt when she received the phone call telling her that George Jones was going to record "He'll Never Be A Lawyer." She says that she was so excited she had to pinch herself to be sure it was real and she still has a hard time believing it sometimes. "He is such a great guy" she said, "and I was really fortunate to go in to the studio when he recorded the song. It was a big thrill for me."

There is another common thread that seems to traverse talented people, her father, Jerry Cupit, is a musician and music publisher, who owns the label that has her under contract, and her mother was a singer. Simple proof that talent begets talent. It's in the genes. Nine out of ten successful musicians come from musical families where one or both parents actually were artists of some kind. Memarie is no exception.

Her first song, "What If He's Right," was released to Christian Country Radio and went straight to number one, where it stayed for eleven weeks. The song was written by her father. Her success not only confirmed his faith in her talent but also proved that they are an award-winning team. Memarie wrote or co-wrote nine of the eleven songs on her debut album. Actually, this is a truly unique, 22-track album. Eleven song tracks by Memarie and eleven bonus tracks, same songs without the vocals, so you can sing along (the lyrics are included in the package along with a tear out poster). A clever concept created by Cupit.

I never cease to be amazed at the number of extraordinarily talented artists that I meet each year on independent labels. The delightful Memarie is certainly one of them and it isn't just her name that makes her unforgettable.

http://www.cupitmusic.com/memarie/memarie.html