VIP one minute, nobody the next....

It's funny how I can be on stage rehearsing with the biggest performers in country music and an hour later just be another spectator at the show sitting in the nosebleed seats.  That's how it is though. Once rehearsals end and those credentials are no longer valid, you're "one of the crowd again". I'm not complaining, I'm used to it after 15 yrs in the entertainment business and 11 years as a professional rehearsal actor. It's just funny when some security guard is making me go through the weapons scanner twice and I'm thinking, I was just on stage with Reba McEntire an hour ago!.....but nobody would really believe that, so I just have to laugh it off..... 

I remember standing in for Anastacia for Vh-1 Divas several years ago. She was walking from her dressing room to the stage to rehearse with Celine Dion, in full dress, all glammed up, and a security guard stops her and asks for her "badge" and won't let her go any further. She's like "I'm ONE of THE DIVAS", I don't have a "badge"! We were all laughing, including her. A crew member walking by saved the day. On another note, I always felt a little bad for Anastacia because her  career was just taking off big with her hit, "One Day in Your Life" and she got breast cancer. She recovered but lost a lot of ground in the music business.

So for yesterday's Academy of Country Music rehearsals I presented an award for "ACM Song of the Year" as Nancy O'Dell, presented an award as one of The Judds for "ACM Top Vocal Duo", introduced Carrie Underwood and a few other bits and pieces, the highlight was accepting the award for "Entertainer of the Year". But then I gave the award back, because it was just rehearsal, of course.

Me and my sister and fellow stand in Karen Wendt

I was thinking again yesterday that I wonder if most people realize how hard famous entertainers work. They really do, the majority of them, work harder than most imagine. Free time is not something they have much if any of. For awards weekends like this, it's every hour scheduled for interviews, rehearsals, photo ops, fan events, sponsor events, photo shoots, it goes on and on. Anyone who thinks you can be a world class famous performer and just "show up" after you've "made it" is SO wrong! Having a bad day or lazy day, or God forbid a hangover which destroys your singing voice for a whole day, when there are things planned that affect your record label, your endorsements, your band, etc. is just not an option.  There's too much money and credibility at stake. I see this up closer than most people so I know what I'm talking about. Hey, I don't feel sorry for them, don't get me wrong! They have amazing careers and are getting to do what all artists and performers dream of, make their living on their art...a very very rare and small group of people in this world can do this. But it is a daily commitment and that I respect.

Today I'm off to work in a few minutes to head to rehearsals for "Girls Night Out"....it's a tribute to the female superstars of country. The performers themselves will be there and so us rehearsal actors will probably just be presenting, accepting awards and introducing the acts. I always enjoy doing this in dress rehearsal as it's like a free private concert. What a  t r e a t !  Among others, Vince Gill is performing, with his beautiful tenor harmonies, which all of us ladies l-o-v-e! And The Judds are fittingly, performing their song, "Girls Night Out"...can't believe that song was released 25 years ago! Hard to get my mind around that....time flies....just a reminder not to take any worries too seriously, they'll just be a memory before you know it.

"guitar central".....backstage