LiveWorld Transcripts

Boxtop presents

Country star Lari White
Chatting about her new baby and new album, "Stepping Stones"

August 12, 1998

Country star Lari White has spent her entire life dreaming of being an entertainer, so it does not bother her if you stop her in a mall to say hello. Find out what else makes her happy – hint: it involves taking care of a precious little thing that cries a lot when it wants its bottle. Lari discusses her album Stepping Stones and let’s us in on how the album was made while she was nine-months pregnant.

Page 1 of 6

CCCMyst: Talk City Presents, in association with iXL Live, welcomes you to tonight’s feature presentation. And now without further ado please welcome Lari White to Talk City!

Lari White: Well, thank you, it's very cool to be here! I don't have a television in my house and I haven't for two years, so my connection to the rest of the planet is my computer.

Mysterygirl: Lari, welcome to Talk City! Tell us about your new album!

Lari White: OK! I'd love to! This is my first album in over two years and it's been a very emotional process putting it together because I left my old record label and went through a health crisis with my family and had my first child, my daughter all through this time span. It's been a very interesting roller coaster, and I think this whole journey ended up on the album.

Reboklover: When did you know you were going to make it in country?

Lari White: Oh boy - I got a big break early on from Rodney Crowl, I had been in Nashville about 2 1/2 years when Rodney came out and saw me playing in all things a jazz trio gig here in Nashville and asked me to come out on the road with him and sing background vocals on his tour. He heard me play some of the songs I had written, and he had me come out in the All Star Band and play some of my material. The very first shows I played with Rodney where he had me take the stage were some of the most thrilling performances I had had. I knew then that I had found a place and a friend who would help me to go where I wanted to go. I was playing "lead me not" which turned out to be the title track to my first album. I was playing that before I had signed a record deal, and was getting standing ovations much to my surprise, and that's when I knew that this was going to happen.

Nightowl: Growing up, who were your favorite country singers?

Lari White: Oh wow! Too many! Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowel just to name a few were probably the most influential, and Ray Charles, although not Country, has a great country/western album and influenced me more than any other country/western album.

Twotall322: Who inspired your music career?

Lari White: Boy, ultimately I would have to say God. God placed me in a family that treasured me, and loved music every day. My mom and dad and my siblings are all musical, and we grew and performed together as a family in music and church festivals .There was never any question from the age of 4, that I would make music and try to make people feel good and forget their troubles

Caeb: Are there any singers you admire outside of country music?

Lari White: Lots! In fact I never have understood listening to only one kind of music. I listen to everything. Growing up, Judy Garland, who I loved and still love to this day. Barbra Streisand, Kenny Loggins of Loggins and Messina, I have all their albums. The most recent albums I've gotten have even been Sly and The Family Stone. I regularly listen to all kinds of music.

Page 1 of 6