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Terri Clark

WHEN MILLION-SELLING COUNTRY STAR TERRI CLARK WENT IN SEARCH OF ARTISTIC GROWTH, SHE FOUND MUSIC THAT LIFTED HER TO NEW HEIGHTS OF ACCLAIM. HER ONGOING COLLECTION OF MUSIC IS WHAT SHE LIKES TO CONSIDER "CAREER ALBUMS."

LONGTIME FANS OF THE SINGER-SONGWRITER RECOGNIZE HER TRADEMARK WIT AND SASS FROM THE RECORDING STUDIO AND CONCERT STAGE. "YOU CAN'T KEEP REPEATING YOURSELF. I 'M NOT TRYING TO KEEP UP A CERTAIN IMAGE. I JUST SING FROM MY HEART AND MY SOUL, AND AS A RESULT, I FEEL REALLY REJUVENATED AND RECHARGED. CHANGE IS DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE, AND WHEN YOU'VE RECORDED ENORMOUSLY POPULAR ALBUMS IT CAN BE ESPECIALLY HARD TO EXPERIMENT."

CLARK ADMITS SHE WAS NERVOUS ABOUT TINKERING WITH HER SUCCESSFUL STYLE AND FEARFUL OF WHAT PEOPLE WOULD THINK ABOUT MUSICAL CHANGES. TO HER CREDIT, SHE TOOK THE CHANCE. "I DON'T WANT TO BE OUEEN of THEWORLD; I WANT TO BE OUEEN OF MYSELF. I NEED TO REACH MY GOALS WITHIN MYSELF AS AN ARTIST. HAVING PEOPLE SAY, 'SHE IS REALLY A GREAT SINGER AND A GREATWRITER' MEANS MORE TO ME THAN HAVING FIVE TRIPLE-PLATINUM ALBUMSON THE WALL."

TERRI CLARK 1S KNOWN FOR HER UNBRIDLED EXUBERANCE AND BOUNDLESS ENTHUSIASM.FEW IN CONTEMPORARY NASHVILLE EXPRESS AS MUCH PASSION FOR THEIRWORK. IT COMES NATURALLY FOR THIS YOUNG WOMAN HAS BEEN FANTASIZING ABOUT COUNTRY STARDOM HER WHOLE LIFE. HER GRANDPARENTS WERE COUNTRY ENTERTAINERS IN QUEBEC, AND WHILE GROWING UP ON THE PRAIRIESOF ALBERTA, TERRI WAS FIXATED ON BECOMING A COUNTRY SINGER TO THE POINT OF OBSESSION, AS SHE PUTS IT.

EVENTUALLY SHE MOVED TO MUSIC CITY AND BEGAN SINGING IN THE LEGENDARY TOOTSIESORCHID LOUNGE AND OTHER HONKY-TONK DIVES. SHE ALSO SOLD COWBOY BOOTS AND WAITRESSED TO MAKE ENDS MEET. CLARKWAS INITIALLY TURNED DOWN BY EVERY RECORD LABEL ON MUSIC ROW BECAUSE NONE BELIEVED THAT A FEMALE WHO SANG HARDCORE COUNTRY COULD SUCCEED. MERCURY NASHVILLE GAMBLED THAT SHE COULD, AND SIGNED HER IN 1994. A YEAR LATER, "BETTER THINGS TO DO" MADE HER A STAR.

"I WENT FROM BEING A BOOT SALESGIRL TO HAVING A NO. 1 RECORD AND SEEING MY FACE PLASTERED ON MAGAZINES. MY LIFE CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY WITHIN A MONTH. I WAS GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE AT THE SAME TIME THE CELEBRITY THING WAS HAPPENING AND THATWAS REALLY HARD.'' BUT SHE KEPT AT IT AND HER AUDIENCE SWELLED, AS SHE BECAME THE OPENING ACT FOR SUPERSTAR GEORGE STRAIT, AND HIT THE ROAD WITH THE CAREENING ENERGY OF A HOTROD AT FULL THROTTLE.

NO ONE WHO'S EVER SEEN HER LIVE FORGETS THE EXPERIENCE. CLARK LEAPS OVER AMPLIFIES, PRANCES ACROSS STAGES, JUMPS AROUND MERRILY AND GENERALLY TAKES CROWDS ON A JOYRIDE AS SHE BELTS OUT HIT AFTER HIT. IT''S AS If SHE ADOPTS THE PERSONA OF A FRISKY COWGIRL LET LOOSE ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

"I LOVE WHAT I DO WITH A PASSION," SHE SAYS. I'M SUCH A HAM AND I LOVE TO ENTERTAIN. I DRESS UP LIKE A COWGIRL EVERY NIGHT AND G0 OUT AND SING. BUT SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I'M EXPECTED TO BE LIKE I AM ON TV, AIL THE TIME. 1 DON'T LIVE THAT WAY ALL THE TIME. AND THERE ARE OTHER SIDES TO ME THAT I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW. THEY SAY THAT CHANGE IS THE MOST TRAUMATIC THING FOR A HUMAN BEING TO GO THROUGH. DOING THESE ALBUMS ARE LIKE THERAPY FOR ME. I'VE DONE A LOT OF GROWING UP AND I 'VE WANTEDMY MUSIC TO SHOW THAT. EACH ALBUM REFLECTS A LOT OF WHAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH, INSIDE. I TOOK AWAY ALL THOSE WALLS THAT PEOPLE TRY TO PUT AROUND ME. THERE IS A COUNTRY BOX; THERE IS A ROCK BOX; THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE BOX, AND I STEPPED OUT OF ALL OF THEM AND JUST DO THE S0NGS I REALLY LIKE. AND OF COURSE IT 1S COUNTRY. I DON'T THINK WOULD COME OUT SOUNDING LIKE ANYTHING ELSE."

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