Today we’d like to introduce you to Billie Jo.
A proud native of Texas, Billie Jo is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist blending traditional country vocals with honest songs. Billie Jo started singing at a young age. Raised by her grandparents, she was raised on gospel music and country by the likes of Patsy Cline and Ray Price. She started to sing at church and anywhere she could and began catching the attention of others around her. She soon became a familiar face at opries and venues across north and east Texas. You could hear her regularly sing at the Cotton Pickin’ Theatre, the Gladewater Opry, the Wylie Opry, and many others for more than a decade. She also sings the National Anthem for many events such as the girl’s state basketball playoffs four years in a row, baseball games, veterans day ceremony’s, the Louisiana Derby, and most recently, The American Rodeo Semi-finals in the Ft Worth Stockyards.
Billie Jo debuted her first album in 2010 with “I Just Can’t Imagine”, a gospel album. Although she falls in the category of country singers, Billie Jo wanted her first album to be inspirational and draw upon her roots. As Billie Jo says, “Although I love all types of music, and most often perform at country music venues, I wanted my debut album to be extra special. God is the most important thing to me so I hope that, through my music, others will come to know Christ.” Billie Jo’s grandparents Richard and Billie have raised her since she was one year old. They are her biggest influences, they are her rocks, her inspiration and her reason for truly pursuing her music career. They have traveled many, many, many miles to take her all over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Los Angeles, Nashville to pursue her career. They are her world. God sure knew what He was doing when He gave them to her.
Although Billie Jo is a singer/songwriter, her most important role is being a mother to her four children. Ali Reese (10), Cole Christian (9), Chandler Crue (6) and Stefan Kane (3). She is married to Justin who is most definitely her biggest fan and helps her pursue her dreams as well by writing radio stations, designing merch, hauling trailers with equipment, setting equipment up and running sound for her at her shows! Her husband has three children Ryken (14), Luke (13) and Royce (6). All together they have seven children! Billie Jo has been striving for many years to make her dreams come true but to mainly show her kids to never give up on their dreams. She wants to provide the best life possible for her family and to share the voice that God gave her. Billie Jo also works full time for a Non-Profit Organization called “Mercy Ships” She is the medical procurement coordinator and orders all of the medical supplies that the ships need. Billie Jo wouldn’t be able to work full time, sing full time and be with her kids as much as she does without the help of her very best friend who has worked for her/lives with her for almost five years now. Jessica is her rock and takes care of her kids/loves her kids almost as much as Billie Jo does. Billie Jo wouldn’t be able to get to do what she loves without her.
Billie Jo is well on her way of establishing herself as one of Texas country’s upcoming artists to watch. She has won numerous singing competitions and continues to make a name for herself. In 2013, she won the John Ritter Tribute Showcase put on by the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Her accomplishments have led her to open for legendary acts such as Gene Watson, Linda Davis, Barbara Fairchild, and The Oakridge Boys. A personal highlight for her was opening for Ray Price, an artist she remembers listening to with her grandparents who is one of her biggest inspirations. Other artists she has opened for include Justin Moore, Wade Bowen, Cody Canada, Barbara Fairchild, Joe Stampley, Chris Colston, Pat Green, Stoney LaRue, Roger Creager, Sam Riggs, Bryan White and many others. Most recently, she was featured on “Real Country” tv show where she filmed for a month in Nashville and was handpicked by Shania Twain to compete on her team. She made the top 14 on that show. She has also been on The Voice and American Idol.
Billie Jo released her first country single back in October of 2018 called “Favorite Place To Be” That song was nominated for Song of the Year in 2019 at the Texas Country Music Awards, where she was also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year! Recently Billie Jo just released a brand new single called “Simpler Way of Life” that she co-wrote with Tammy Marler that Jerry Lembo Entertainment is promoting for her. The song hit the Texas Country Music Charts and is now at number 71 on the charts which she is VERY excited about! In her own words, “Oh yes, I am super busy. I feel like I’m going ninety miles an hour almost every day, but I know I can do this. And, you wanna’ know how? Philippians 4:13 says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ My dream is to be up there on the Grand Ole Opry stage one day, and if it is God’s will, I will be.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My music career has definitely not been a smooth road. I have been pursuing music/playing shows consistently for about five years. I lost my dad four years ago. Although he didn’t raise me, he was still a big part of my music and always told me that I would be a big star one day and that he would be my bus driver. My dad taught me how to play the guitar and would come to pretty much every show I would have. He started sneaking me in bars and getting me up on stage to play at bars when I was 16 years old. I miss my dad so so much but I know he is super proud of how far I have come. It also hasn’t been a smooth road because, honestly, it’s VERY hard for a female to make it in this country music business.
A lot of venues/festivals won’t even let females take the stage and if you listen to the radio, you’ll hear more male country than females. I am determined that one day I will change that. I feel like us females are just as good as the guys and can still put on one heck of a show. Just look at my good friend Bri Bagwell who is killing it in the Texas Country Music Business. Super proud of her for pushing her way through! I want to stick to my traditional country roots and bring that back into the music that I play, kind of like I did with “Simpler Way Of Life” it’s definitely country but I tried to bring a more traditional country feel back into it and I’m determined to do that with any song that I release. I want to definitely stay true to myself and what I love.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have got to experience a lot of really cool things in my career. From singing the National Anthem four years in a row at the Girls State Basketball Play-offs in Austin Texas to opening for Ray Price at the age of 18- to being on The Voice Season 6 in 2013, to winning the John Ritter Showcase in Carthage Texas in 2014 to opening for Justin Moore, Gene Watson, The Oakridge Boys, Stoney LaRue, Pat Green, Wade Bowen, Randall King, Jerrod Niemann, Roger Creager, Sam Riggs and many more. In 2019 Billie Jo was top 14 on the Real Country Tv Show, where she was on Shania Twain’s Team. Recently Billie Jo got to sing “From This Moment On” with THE Bryan White in Tyler Texas, where he then asked her to sing it again with him the next night in Lindale, Tx. After she sang the song with him, he asked her to sing “House that built me” by Miranda Lambert and it just so happened that Miranda’s parents were sitting there in the room watching. It was an incredible experience! Bryan is one of the most humble, talented, down to earth Singer/Songwriters I’ve met.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Never take any day for granted. 2020 has been a crazy year and I have learned to just keep going, live in the moment and don’t worry about anything. God is in control of EVERYTHING, even this crazy virus that is going around. I just remember, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, they are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.”- Jeremiah 29:11 I will never stop pursuing my career and living each day to the fullest with my kids, family, friends and fans. I am extremely blessed to continue to use the voice that God gave me.
Contact Info:
- Email: bookbilliejo@gmail.com
- Website: www.billiejomusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billiejotxmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillieJoTxMusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/billiejomusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYmgM13TNdjBGa4Zdepylw?view_as=subscriber
Image Credits
Laura Hooker Colton Newkirk
