by Rachel Hauck
AJ: We’d been at odds before the tour started. While I valued her immensely, and honestly felt she deserved some of what she was asking for, her attitude was one of “You owe me.” No matter what we offered, she felt it wasn’t good enough. We argued a lot last year. It got very tense and heated between us. In fact, right before we started rehearsal for the tour, I wasn’t sure if she would be on board as my musical director. She didn’t return our calls, and we heard rumors she was bad-mouthing me on Music Row. Then one day she showed up, guitars in hand, as if nothing had ever happened. She was warm, fun, pleasant, eager to get to work.
Scott: Didn’t you think that was odd?
AJ: For a musician, no. [grinning] Scott: I see. What were her reasons for disappearing?
AJ: She said she needed to get her head together. She had taken time to hike the Appalachian Trail with her brother and then visited family in Florida.
Scott: She seemed like the old Melanie to you?
AJ: Yes. Sometimes she seemed subdued and distracted. Her temper was short, but it never crossed my mind she was making mental notes for a future blog or planning to diss me in the international press.
Scott: She blogged, “Aubrey James is only about herself. Our drummer was having personal issues, but Aubrey would not even listen to her story. She sucks the life right out of a person. No matter how long the road, how hard we worked, she demanded that much more and never gave in return.”
AJ: I guess I did drive the band hard. First of all, we were an all-new, all-female band and had our share of Music Row skeptics. Second, we’d forged a huge deal with FRESH!, a young company trying to build an image. I believed we should be beyond excellent. For ourselves, our sponsor, the music industry, and really for women in our industry.
Scott: [smiling] Pretty big burden for one female band to carry.
AJ: [laughing] Are you kidding me? Between my bassist, Vickie, and Melanie I had two of the best musicians in town. Besides, I didn’t ask anything of them I didn’t ask of myself. I worked hard knowing what we could achieve. And we did it.
Scott: You wore yourself out.
AJ: True, but looking back, it was worth it.
Scott: Besides keeping a blog of the FRESH! tour, Melanie sold her story about you to Star and to a British tabloid. Tell me about your response to this and why you think she took such a drastic step?
AJ: My response? Hum . . . Hurt. Blindsided. Very surprised. Since the beginning of my career, I made it a point to stay out of the public eye as much as possible, which made me a huge curiosity for the media, especially the tabloids. She knew how much my privacy meant to me.
Scott: Why’d you work so hard to stay out of the public eye?
AJ: [shrugging] Mainly to keep some perspective on my life. Not mix up the private Aubrey James with the public one. She can be a demanding diva. Aubrey James the private person can’t.
But in my innocence-of-youth, I became involved with characters like Jack Mills and Derek Crammer, and found myself the target of tabloids. Embarrassed, I hid. But the more I hid, the more they printed. Most of it lies and speculation with just enough truth to make it annoying. But to answer your questions as to why Melanie took such a drastic step? Fifty thousand dollars.
Scott: You think she did it for the money? Fifty thousand isn’t a lot, really.
AJ: To me it is. The price of my privacy. But money matters a lot to Mel, and to her boyfriend, Bo. She grew up really poor and worked hard to get through college. Looking back, a lot of our arguments were over money and how she felt it all came so easily for me. In reality, she’s a way better musician and singer. She’s trained and educated. But I was the one with my name in lights. Scott: Have you talked to her since the Star interview?
AJ: No, but I’d like to eventually. She was a friend and I’m angry about what she did, but I’d like to hear her side. I know all stories have two sides. All relationships have two points of view.
Scott: This was what? Your tenth tour?
AJ: Eleventh.
Scott: With your first album you toured with Garth Brooks. What was that like?
AJ: [smiling] Amazing. I mean, Garth Brooks. [laughing] Holy cow.
He’s an incredible entertainer, a generous heart, and he taught me so much about performing. He’s a natural. I, on the other hand, preferred to just get up onstage, stand like a statue in the spotlight, and belt out a song. I had to learn how to engage the crowd, move around, perform, entertain. No matter how talented an artist is vocally or musically, being a performer is what separates the men from the boys, women from the girls.
Scott: How’d you get hooked up with Garth Brooks?
AJ: Luck. God. The brilliant mind of Connie Godwin, my adopted mom, who managed me when I first started with Mountain Music in ’95. She decided I should tour with Garth and sent him my first CD, asking him to consider me for a touring partner. He did.
Scott: You opened for him?
AJ: No, actually, he opened for me. [laughing] Of course I opened for him. But, toward the end of the show, he always invited me back out to sing a few cover numbers with him.
Scott: Glad to see your sense of humor surface.
AJ: Contrary to popular belief.
Scott: All righty, then, moving on. Your parents were cutting-edge gospel singers for their day. What did you learn from them about music and performing?
AJ: [drawing a deep breath] More hard questions. I haven’t talked about them in a long time. [eyes glistening] Yes, my parents were cutting edge for their day. My father was a prolific songwriter. Growing up, we had all kinds of music in the house— old-time gospel, Motown, ’60s rock and roll, ’70s pop, country, classical. I loved Daddy’s Bread album because they had a song called “Aubrey.”
Scott: I know the song. Did it inspire your name?
AJ: My heart says yes. I always meant to ask them about it, but . . . [her voice trailing off] Anyway, Daddy hung out with guys like Keith Green and Michael W. Smith. They were very passionate about their message, but doing it with musical excellence. He wanted to incorporate different sounds and rhythms into his songs.
Scott: Was he a performer?
AJ: A little, but Christian audiences are very different from, say, a rock audience or a country audience, especially in the ’80s. They attend concerts to be lifted up or touched by God in some way.
To worship. Entertainment was secondary.
From my parents . . . [hesitating, pressing her hand over her eyes for a second] From my parents, I learned how to give my all for every concert. No matter how big or small, the audience deserves my whole heart.
I remember one summer when my brother, Peter, and I traveled with them, we got to this one dinky, tiny church in the middle of Texas. Our booking agent told us it was a big Baptist church, but it turned out to be an old Baptist congregation and, like, five people showed up. But we gave them our best show.
[pausing, smiling softly, then shifting her glassy gaze] Daddy used to say we’re all only playing for an audience of One anyway.
Scott: Jesus?
AJ: You’ve heard the saying?
Scott: Yes, from a friend of mine, Shawn Bolz, pastor at Faith Community Church. AJ: I know Shawn. He was my pastor, too, years ago.
Scott: Tell us about the FRESH! sponsorship. How’d you pair with a bottled water company?
AJ: [pointing to Zach] My genius manager. It was his idea. He called my lawyer, Skyler Banks, and my business manager, Eli Davenport, and pitched the idea of finding a sponsor.
More and more artists are partnering with corporate sponsors. We wanted something different. Not typical country products like trucks or beer, boots or hats. Zach suggested FRESH!. We kept a cooler of FRESH! on stage for every concert. Gave away bottles before and after the show. It was a great partnership. Still is.
Scott: Then it was your idea to pull together an all-girl band.
AJ: Yes, my genius contribution to the project. [laughing] After a bunch of years on the road with guys, I wanted to e
liminate the hassle of groupies. I mean, how do you look a guy’s wife in the face when you know he’s shagged a girl or two along the way?”
Scott: Can’t be easy.
AJ: It’s horrible. Touring has a way of lulling a person to sleep. Week after week, traveling from city to city, it’s easy to find yourself in this surreal world of sleeping by day and performing by night. Makes a person feel disconnected from real life. Sociologists should study the social ramifications of a touring band. They’d get all kinds of goodies. It comes with its own set of rules and moral code, and if you’re not careful, it can be as if home and hearth never existed. All your values and standards get suspended in this I’m-on-the-road mentality.
The girl band was my dream team. Vickie and Melanie were already with me, so we added a female drummer, Keeta, and keyboarder slash fiddler and steel guitar player Laura. Keeta introduced us to Alexa, who added so much to the percussion sound we love.
In my insane, warped little mind, I imagined a bunch of women on tour would be like a rolling slumber party.
Scott: [laughing] Sounds good.
AJ: Not so much. It started out fun, then PMS hit and we had it for six months. Good grief. I felt sorry for the few men on the tour— my tour manager, my bodyguard, and the roadies. There were days my rolling slumber party was more like a rolling petri dish spawning hormonal, emotional breakdowns.
Scott: Care to share specifics?
AJ: Well, there’s the story Melanie referenced about our drummer. And I just want to add that the band has backed me with this Melanie thing, and I’m grateful.
Anyway, our drummer, Keeta, was having personal issues. We were about to go on at the sold-out St. Petersburg Forum when the production manager whispered, ‘Keeta is in the bathroom, crying into her cell, breaking up with her boyfriend.’ Keeta is a fabulous musician and performer, but her love life is a train wreck.
The house lights were going down, and the crowd was gearing up, getting loud with excitement. But still no Keeta. I whispered a “blue” word to the production manager. “Tell her to get her [bleep] out here before she’s fired.”
Meanwhile, the sound engineer was looping a prerecorded intro over and over, and the fans got ansty, stomping their feet, whistling, hooting. I don’t know if you’ve ever faced an angry mob, but it’s very scary.
Then, all of a sudden, the music kicked. My heart flew out of my chest. I bet I lurched forward a good two or three feet. Keeta had found her way to the stage, and she took out her heartache on the drums. She gave her best performance all tour.
Scott: What’s your take away from this tour? I, Aubrey James, learned . . .
AJ: [laughing] Too many lessons to name. [thinking] Here you go.
A lesson for the ages: I, Aubrey James, learned women communicate on seventeen different levels, and for the first time in my thirty years, I feel genuine compassion for the male species. We put you guys through some crap, but all I can say is I’m sorry, there’s no cure in sight, just love us.
Scott: [chuckling] Rafe, did you get the apology? It has to make the cut.
AJ: Please air it. It’s true. It’s downright frightening how women communicate.
Scott: So the tour wasn’t a big sisterly, woman-rule-men-drool slumber party?
AJ: No. Women are amazing creatures, but I’m certainly glad God created men.
Scott: Makes two of us.
Glancing at the script, I try to find the next set of questions, realizing we left the planned conversation after page one. Peeking around the room, Olivia gives me the thumbs-up. Let’s see . . .
Scott: You’re one of the most successful country artists of the past decade, and one of the most photographed women in the world. US, People, National Inquirer, The Globe, Country Weekly, Hello, Daily Mirror, newspapers, magazines, tabloids across Europe, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Japan . . . I could go on.
AJ: Are you telling me or asking me?
Scott: Recounting a fact. How does this sort of stat impact you?
AJ: I can’t win a CMA, but the Most Photographed Woman honors, I win. [laughing] When I go into Harris Teeter, which isn’t all that often, I autograph the tabloids by the checkout counter. I’m usually on two or three covers.
Scott: Good for you. So you see this as a necessary evil and have fun with it.
AJ: Is any evil necessary? [looks down and brushes an imaginary piece of lint from her jeans] I certainly don’t take the tabloids seriously. Except when my so-called friends dish on me.
Frankly, I’m astounded by this whole paparazzi thing. I’m a country singer, Aubrey James, born and raised on the other side of town. How can I be one of the most photographed women in the world?
Scott: You’re beautiful and mysterious. Your European fan club is the second largest fan club in the world, behind Bono and U2.
AJ: Now that’s incredible. [glancing at Piper] Did you know this? I love my fans. They are the reason I tour every year. But the rest of this is a mystery. Right up there with who shot JFK, you know? I have no idea why the press follows me. Actually, I think whenever my neighbors need beer money, they camp outside my house and wait for me to come out.
Scott: Well, beer money is important.
AJ: Naturally. My privacy is worth the price of a six pack.
Scott: [smiling] Okay, next fact. Five times you’ve made People’s Most Beautiful list. Twice on the cover. Do you look at your reflection in the mirror and think, “I’m People magazine’s Most Beautiful?”
AJ: Good grief, Scott. No. And if I did I wouldn’t confess it to you. Scott: Hey, just trying to get the Inside story.
AJ: To be honest—and this is from right here [patting her stom-ach]— I get up in the morning and wonder why I can’t find the dental floss.
Scott: [laughing] Now that would be annoying.
AJ: Priorities are so skewed in this world. Two-thirds of the population wakes up hungry on a daily basis, and People magazine is worried about who’s the Most Beautiful. It’s ridiculous. There’s probably women in the mountains of Peru who blow me away in terms of beauty, but we’ll never know them.
Scott: Then you’re not honored.
AJ: Of course, I’m honored. I’m not stupid. Who wouldn’t be? However, it’s not a part of my résumé.
For me, I can’t help but notice a Grand Canyon-sized chasm between People and people. Impoverished citizens around the world sell their children into slavery for the equivalent of three hundred American dollars. Where’s that story? Or all of the human rights abuse around the world. People in prison and tortured for their faith. Where’s that story? We only like to wave our social justice flag when the issue is comfortable.
Scott: Is the poor your passion? The tortured?
AJ: Justice is my passion. It’s a stupid passion, but there you go.
Scott: Why is it a stupid passion?
AJ: By whose scale is justice being doled out? Mine, yours, the liberals, the conservatives? It’s not an exact science. So, mostly I am passionate about the hypocrisy of the elite in our country who tell the middle class and the poor they aren’t doing enough and to depend more and more on the government to take care of everything. It frightens me.
Scott: You’ve obviously thought a lot about this.
AJ: Touring does that to me. We see so many people, hear so many stories.
Scott: Do I hear a future political candidate?
AJ: No. Absolutely not. I can do more as a celebrity than as a politician because I don’t have to play the games.
Scott: You had another surprise, besides fainting, during CMA Fest. You became engaged.
AJ: I did.
Scott: Engaged to Brown “Car” Carmichael. Congratulations. Set a date yet?
AJ: Not yet. But probably in the spring. He’s busy with the SoBro development project downtown, and I’m tied up with this annoying interview thingy.
Scott: [smiling] Right. It’s all my fault. So, how’d you two meet?
AJ: Right here in our little Belle
Meade community. My assistant Piper and I were in Bread & Co. for lunch, and my order got mixed up with Car’s. Really weird. We talked for few seconds, and I kept waiting for him to ask for my autograph, but he never did.
Piper and I left, came home to find my new furniture being delivered, and while we were watching the movers, Car drove by in his Humvee. He came back ten minutes later with an invitation to a barbecue with his parents. One year ago this month. He was very charming, yet down to earth. Which for me and my romantic past was refreshing.
Scott: And the rest, as they say, is history?
AJ: And the rest, as they say, is history.
9
“I wish Melanie Daniels all the best in her endeavors.”
—Aubrey James, press release response to Melanie Daniels’ article
Aubrey
As Zach drives east down West End Avenue toward Music Row and the SongTunes offices, he peeks at me from the corner of his eye.
“Looks to me like somebody had a good time today.” Zach brakes as a green light switches to yellow.
I smile, watching a woman with five little dogs on leashes cross in front of us. “I loved it.” A trill escapes me. I slap my hand over my mouth.
Zach laughs. “What did you love about it?”
“Weird . . . everything. Even that boorish Scott Vaughn. He was professional, funny, sincere. It was exhilarating.” I laugh. “What a diva thing to say, right? ‘Loved talking about me.’ ”
“It’s been a private goal of mine to get you sitting for an in-depth interview.”
“Congratulations. You can die a happy man. You know, just expressing my heart over Melanie made me feel a gazillion times better. I’ll go ahead and forgive her. What the heck.” I flick my hand in the air.
“How magnanimous of you. Very Christian too.” The light flashes to green.
“I didn’t forget everything my parents taught me.” Resting my elbow on the car door, I watch Nashville go by. “I am looking forward to tomorrow, and Thursday, talking with Scott.”
“Good, good. Better than spending several days a week with someone you hate.”
“I never said I hated him.”