Pam Tillis-Singer, Songwriter, Actress

Pam did not start out in country music. In San Francisco, she joined a jazz rock band called Freelight. She then returned to Nashville as a demo singer.

Pam took another shot at pop stardom with an album for Warner Brother records. "Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey" was released in 1983. She proved to be unsuccessful with the pop music attempt. Tillis was released from her Warner Bros. contract for poor artistic showing on the country music charts and she became a staff songwriter. Like her famous dad, many of her lyrics made it to some famous country music artists. She made regular appearances on The Nashville Network's Nashville Now, a variety show hosted by Ralph Emery. Her focus shifted then toward country music. Pam wrote lyrics that went high on the country music charts. "Those Memories of You" provided top of the chart numbers for Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt. More of her lyrics were in "Five Minutes". This song became Lorrie Morgan's first No 1 hit in 1990. During this time, Tillis was on releasing singles on her own, none of which were successful.

Tillis signed with her second record company in 1989. This time, she signed with a label called Arista Nashville. This is where Tillis gained her biggest success. Her label debut was "Put Yourself in My Place". The lead single was "Don't Tell Me What to Do" raced to the Top Five in the country music charts. She finally got her long awaited breakthrough toward her dreams. The album had five total singles. "Maybe It Was Memphis" and "One of Those Things" made the Top Ten. "Let That Pony Run", and "Shake the Sugar Tree" made Top Five. This country music album was certified Gold by the RIAA that year, and made it to No 69 on the Billboard 200.

In 1992, Tillis released "Homeward Looking Angel" album was her first album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. Two more singles from this album reached the Country top 20, they are "Do You Know Where Your Man Is" and "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial". Tillis went on to record six albums with Arista Records. Of the six country music albums, two were certified Gold, and two were certified Platinum. During this time she was married to songwriter Bob DiPiero, who co-wrote several of her country music singles. Canadian country music artist Michelle Wright recorded a composition that Tillis wrote; "We've Tried Everything Else". Tillis recorded the song and included it on "Homeward Looking Angel"

In 1993, Tillis won her first major award. From the Country Music Association Awards, she won Vocal Event of the Year with country music giant George Jones and Friends for "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair".

Tillis released a fourth country music album called "Sweetheart's Dance". This is to date, her highest charting studio album on both the Top Country music Albums chart and the Billboard chart. This was her second Platinum album. The first single from the album is "Spilled Perfume". The second was "When You Walk in the Room". It was the third single, "Mi Vida Loca-My Crazy Life" that became a Number one single.

Her next studio album, "All of This Love" was certified Gold. This was the first album that Tillis produced by herself, and it gave her Top Tens in "Deep Down" and "The River and the Highway". In 1997, she released her first Greatest Hits album. In this album, "All the Good Ones Are Gone", and "The Land of the Living" reached Top 5. Tillis received a nomination for a Grammy for "All the Good Ones Are Gone". In 1998, country music fans enjoyed another album release in "Every Time". This album reflected her recent divorce from songwriter Bob DiPiero, and gave her another high ranking country music hit with "I Said a Prayer". After this album, her popularity seemed to decline in country music.

Pam Tillis became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2000. On the Opry's 75^th Birthday special on CBS, Tillis performed a song she wrote as a tribute to Minnie Pearl called "Two Dollar Hat". Her next album, "Thunder and Roses" was released in 2001. Only one single was released from the album, that single was "Please". In the meantime, Tillis performed on Broadway in the Leiber & Stoller tribute production. Country music had grown into a more pop sounding music with newcomers like Faith Hill and Shania Twain. For this reason, her career slowed down greatly.

Pam Tillis was named Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year in 1994. In 1999, she won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Pam chose to expand her acting repertoire in 1998. She stated that her interest in acting started in 1989 when she starred in Tennessee Repertory's "Jesus Christ Superstar" as Mary Magdalene. She also appeared on L.A. Law, and hosted "Live at the Ryman". Pam also appeared on Broadway in "Smokey Joe's Café", which ran from 1995 to 2000. Her great acting ability was also obvious in back-to-back crossover episodes of Promised Land and Diagnosis Murder on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). She has been scheduled for some time now to appear with Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Landon to be in a new movie in 2010 called "The Goree Girls.

In 2002, Pam debuted a collection entitled "It's All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis". This was a collection of her father's country music that she embraced on her own terms. Pam started her own record label, called Stellar Cat Records in 2007. The first album from that label was "RhineStoned". The second album with her label was "Just in Time for Christmas." It was released in November of 2007.

In 2002, Tillis was ranked #30 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.

Pamela Yvonne Tillis, from Plant City, Florida, has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard country music charts. She also has ten albums to her credit. Acquiring her own record label was no small feat for a lady in country music. With many awards and honors, Pam still wanted to give more of herself to her devoted fans. Her acting career has also gained her fame and popularity in the film and television industry. The country music fans across America are honored to know this most talented lady. We are even more honored to see her perform with her famous father, and see the love and admiration they have for each other. When they perform, on stage, film, or Broadway, it is obvious they love and admire all their fans as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Tillis