Nashville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Crystal Sands Official Website) - Crystal Marie Sands says that she knew at the ripe old age of three that she was going to be a singer; even at that age, she says, a Karaoke microphone was always in her hand and singing was her favorite pastime. Her future became even more apparent the first time she put on a cowboy hat; at that moment, she knew that country music was her calling. No one can accuse her of not being focused; fast forward fifteen years to 2006.
She was the only graduate (male or female) of her public high school in the state of Maryland to have their graduation photo taken in a cowboy hat and when the rest of her classmates headed off to nearby beaches with their friends for summer vacation, she headed straight to Nashville, with her father, to see just what her chances might be of making it in 'music city.' If you ask if she was nervous, she just smiles and says, 'Nope!' Her confident, quick answer is reflective of all those years she says she spent practicing her singing in her room in front of a mirror, 'dreaming and pretending to sing to thousands of people' she says with a smile.
After graduating she dedicated herself to fine tuning her music skills, cranked up her schedule to include yoga lessons, guitar lessons, and performed as often as possible around her Baltimore neighborhood and at nearby festivals. It didn't take long for reality to catch up to her dreams. Her debut album for the newly launched Ah-Ha Music label is now finished.
The album features some great songs by some well-known writers, in addition to a few tunes penned by Sands herself. She says that one of several highlights on this album was recording a beautiful duet with Ron Williams; son of the celebrated singer/songwriter, Leona Williams. That duet eventually led to an introduction between Leona Williams and Sands and the two immediately hit it off.
Encouraged by the opportunities in Texas, where Williams and several other artists that Sands admires perform on a regular basis, the decision was made to move there. Her new single, 'Hank You', is being aired on a number of Texas Stations, XM Satellite Radio's 'Willie's Place' and ' Open Road ' channels.
'Hank You' will be mailed to 2000 Country Radio Stations in July and she has completed a music video on the song. She recently opened concerts for Ray Price, Gene Watson, Johnny Rodriguez and Eddy Raven. Crystal will tour 6 cities with Comedian Willie P. Richardson later this year.
She will also perform on 'Texas County Line', a new television program featuring Texas artists.
'I've done my homework,' she says, 'and I am fully aware of how difficult it is to break into this business. I also know that the number of artists who make it to radio is very small. But, although I will always keep working towards that superstar dream, I will be quite content if I am able to make a living with my music. Fame would be nice, but I'll settle for longevity.'
For additional information on Crystal Sands, or to order CDs visit www.AhHaMusic.com, www.CrystalSandsCountry.com or www.myspace.com/CrystalSandsCountry.
