Since Critique Records released her first album, "Straight To You", MC Potts has been a very busy lady. In 1996, she won the Internet Hank Award for "Best New Female Newcomer". She has now been nominated for the 1997 TNN’s Music City News "Star of Tomorrow" award.

JL: You’ve had a lot of articles written about you. Are there things that you didn’t get to tell your fans in previous interviews that you would like them to know about?

MCP: My new single is coming out! It’s called "I’m So Sorry". We haven’t even given the new album a title yet, but I’d like to call it "Dang, I’m Happy!". Tonight we’re taping at the Wild Horse Saloon, and the video will debut May 14^th & 15^th.

MCP: Stop that!

JL: I assume you’re talking to one of your many pets! I’ve heard you have a menagerie of them!
MCP: Yes! Carla, she’s one of my cats (with 3 new kittens). We named her after Carla on the sitcom Cheers. We also have Frazier the dog, Norman the pot bellied pig, Woody the kissing horse, Sam the Raccoon, 40 birds, and 3 cows.

JL: "Cheers" to you! With that sense of humor, have you thought of an acting career?
MCP: My first public appearance was in Vaudevillities in Columbus, OH. I shared billing with my actor/director father. So, YES! My dream would be to do Saturday Night Live, or be on a sitcom like Seinfeld, or Friends. A sense of humor is a necessity in life.

JL: You once said that you loved clothes, especially ones that "won’t show spills". Would you care to explain that?
MCP: You can dress me up, but you can’t take me anywhere! I remember one morning, I was on my way to do an interview and I heard my song, playing on the radio for the first time! I was so excited I spilled coffee all over myself!

JL: I thought it may be because you spend so much time on the road traveling, and eating "take out".
MCP: That too! To promote my album, we went on the "bologna tour" to all the radio stations that would let us in! That was over 40,000 miles. Just like Loretta Lynn! (She’s my idol!). But I have to confess I’ve always been a clothes horse! I love shopping for old vintage clothes.

JL: To wear, or just to collect them?
MCP: I wear them! With all the female artists out now, I know I’m not going to show up somewhere wearing the same dress!

JL: That’s a good point, do people ever try to compare you to other female artists?
MCP: All the time! I just think it’s great that women are finally getting noticed! And they say "women won’t buy women’s records"! I think the fans just want to hear good songs. When we put my album together, we made sure we had 10 great songs on it. I feel when the fans go out and spend $10 to $15 for a CD, they should get their money’s worth. The fans are the reason I’m here!

JL: On your album, I noticed you co-wrote several of the songs. Have you written songs that have been recorded by other artists?
MCP: Yes, I was lucky enough to get a staff writing deal at Greenwood Music, where I met John Northrup. He became my favorite co-writer, and my husband! The first cut we had was with Bryan James on Warner Brothers. Then we had a cut with Curtis Day at Asylum Records, and Sawyer Brown’s last single "She’s Getting’ There".

JL: I know your fans are waiting for your new album. You had a heavy tour schedule in ’96, where can your fans catch you in ‘97?
MCP: We’ve been in the studio, so we just started booking! April 27^th, I’ll be at Carl Perkins Youth Center in Jackson. In June, I’ll be at Fan Fair of course! (Hope you all come!) June 15^th in the IFCO Show at the Ryman, and every Monday night, starting at 8PM (EST), I’ll be online in my ‘chat room’, at www.mcpotts.com!

If you would like to vote for MC Potts for "Star of Tomorrow": place your vote by calling 1-900-884-0699, (calls are 99 cents and callers must be 18 years old or have parental consent) Friday, May 9^th from 9AM to Sunday May 11^th at 3AM. And again from Monday May 12^th, 9AM through Thursday May 15^th until 3AM.

Some of the writers in town to show off their tunes are; BR5-49, Johnny Paycheck, Dan Fogelberg, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Jimmy Webb, Hank Cochran, Bob DiPiero, Jon Ims, too many to name! If you’ve never been, make sure you catch it next year!