If there is one quality most Southerners have in common, it’s the ability to charm. That’s a strength country music star Julie Roberts holds both onstage and off. The South Carolina native is one of three headliners for Bulldog Bash this year, and she said she anticipates her visit to Mississippi.
“We haven’t played Mississippi that often, I can’t wait to come down and perform,” Roberts said. “I’ve never done something like this. I love college football and so do my guys, so we’re all really excited about coming.”
Roberts said she plans to entertain a diverse crowd. The Rolling Stones fan said she plans to do some rock covers, as well as covers from some of her country favorites.
“We’ll do most of my record, some rockin’ covers of the ‘Stones and Bonnie Raitt,” she said. “We’ll feed off the crowd; we change things up for the different crowds we play for.”
Roberts is making a name for herself in the realm of country music herself. Her self-titled debut album has already reached gold status and her single “Break Down Here” has topped country charts over the past year. She is also the voice of Good Morning America’s theme song.
Roberts said she has a love for music, especially country, because it has always been a major part of her lifestyle. Influences from Dolly Parton to Elvis Presley and Otis Redding, she said, have impacted her music and her life.
“My mom always listened to country, and I always sang along to it, and I developed a love for country music,” Roberts said. “I really enjoy Elvis and Otis Redding because they’re such soulful musicians, and that’s essential to me and my music.”
Her country roots have allowed Roberts to climb to country stardom, but the way up for her was sometimes difficult, and even a bit stealthy.
Roberts said her music career started seven years ago when she moved to Nashville.
“I moved to Nashville to finish school at Belmont University,” Roberts said. “I got an internship through the university at Mercury Records, and after my internship they offered me a job as a receptionist.”
Roberts was promoted on the corporate side of the music industry nearly a year after obtaining her job as a receptionist.
“After I worked as a receptionist for close to a year, they gave me a full-time position in the A&R department,” she said. “Then, I became the assistant to [then] Mercury Records president Luke Lewis.”
Though she left an impression amongst her co-workers, by day, Roberts lived somewhat of a double life. By night, she would strap on her boots and play gigs in small venues across Music City. She kept her music a secret to avoid unemployment with Mercury, but said she didn’t worry too much about being caught.
“I never hoped anyone would not see me, because I knew they never would,” Roberts said. “I played coffee houses, laundromats, places like that. No one from work ever saw me because no one ever went to these places.”
Roberts recorded her first demo as well, using borrowed equipment and the help of band mates to complete the task of recording.
“My first demo was recorded at Belmont; a member of my band produced it,” Roberts said.
She enlisted the help of a professional producer, Brent Rowan, to help her chords reach the ears of top music executives, including her boss’s.
“Brent Rowan was my first producer,” Roberts said. “We would record at night after I was off work. After recording with Brent, he took [the recording] to Lewis and said, ‘I got this girl I want you to hear. Lewis loved it and said, ‘Who is this girl? I want to meet her,’ and Rowan said, ‘Well, she’s right down the hall; it’s your assistant.'”
Roberts’ cover was blown, but there were no repercussions, unless you count immediate signing and a fan base in the thousands.
Roberts was on her way to the top, and she is still on that journey. However, Roberts said it’s not the fame or the money that keeps her happy.
“The thing I love most about my experiences is something you can’t buy,” Roberts said. “I love hearing stories about how a song touches someone, or how my music has changed their life. That’s what I love. That’s what I live for.”
Bulldog Bash co-coordinator Tyler Wolfe said Roberts was an ideal choice for the music festival.
“We knew we needed a country artist this year, and we decided Julie Roberts would be our best bet,” Wolfe said. “Country fans will love her, and she’ll appeal to others too because she puts on a great live show.”
“We’ve been stepping up with big names [in the music industry], and it’ll lead to us becoming better known and more credible. I think it’s helped give us a lot of credibility, especially as a student-run festival,” co-coordinator Lauren Burns said.