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One of my first assignments as a photographer was to cover the 2006 Trumpet Awards in Atlanta. Until this date, that event was the biggest that I have ever covered as far as celebrities attending goes: Stevie Wonder, Desmond Tutu, Bill Cosby, Usher, Lisa Raye, Chris Tucker, Iman, Vivica Fox, Blair Underwood, Bishop Eddie Long, Jessie Jackson, Dick Gregory, Eric Benet, Richard Roundtree, and Clifton Davis. A star studded night, however meeting Rissi Palmer that night was the best moment for me. (See photo in gallery)
Rissi Palmer made her mark in country music with her hit singles from her 2007 self-titled debut album “Country Girl” and “Hold On To Me,” which climbed the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. This feat made her the first African-American woman since Dona Mason in 1987 to chart a country song.
Palmer followed up with her children’s album Best Day Ever inspired by her daughter Grace. And now she says it is time to pay homage to her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother with fond memories of their life growing up in a small town in Georgia.
She worked with Grammy award winning songwriter/producers Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders on her newest release called The Back Porch Sessions – a compilation of five songs that beautifully and artistically showcase her music she calls Southern Soul.
Palmer fills us in on her musical background, writing and recording of The Back Porch Sessions, progressing from the piano to guitar, juggling motherhood and performing, and a few special highlights from her career.
