Real Life with Rachel Proctor
Rachel's Biography
Rachel Proctor has been singing since the second grade. No, really. After her teacher noticed that she wouldn’t sing along with the other children in class, Rachel’s grandmother got involved. “My grandma came down and said, ‘Honey, why aren’t you singing? You’ve got to sing. This is a part of your grade.’” I went, “No, I’m not singing because my voice wiggles when it comes out. I had a vibrato even then. And, that sounded different from everybody else, so I wouldn’t sing. That’s how I figured out that I could.”
Rachel soon fought back her fear, and by the time she was in junior high school had signed with the same New York-based management company that handled New Kids on the Block. Those New York connections led to her competing on the television show Star Search, where she performed in the style of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. After failing to break through, Rachel returned home to concentrate on finishing her education.
At the age of 17, she joined a country band and went on to perform in the many clubs, fairs and festivals of West Virginia. She started to write her own music, and by the time high school had come to a close, was making frequent trips to and from Nashville. Warner-Chappell signed Rachel to her first song publishing deal at the age of 19, making her the youngest songwriter ever signed to the company. So, she packed her bags and moved to the city where dreams come true.
Five years later, Rachel had been married and divorced, played in a band with her good friend Blake Shelton, and heard numerous record labels say “thanks, but no thanks.” It was Martina McBride who breathed life back into her solo career. When it came time to release her first greatest hits album, McBride included one of Rachel’s original songs, “Where Would You Be.” With its soaring vocal aerobatics and impassioned lyrics, “Where Would You Be” became an instant hit and fan favorite.
In a twist, which a certain 90’s-era pop star might have termed “ironic,” Rachel finally signed with
BNA Records (sister label to McBride’s home, RCA) in 2002, after being turned down twice before. Her debut album,
Where I Belong, debuted in the number eight position on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and yielded
multiple top twenty radio hits including “Days Like This” and “Me & Emily”. In the winter of 2004, Rachel and BNA Records
split amicably, citing creative differences.
So, what’s Rachel up to these days? Keeping busy, that’s for sure. She’s just released her first independent EP, Only Lonely Girl, which features six brand new songs, including the stunning “Stronger Hearts”. “It means so much to me, because it’s the story of my life.”
When she’s not writing, on the road, or in the studio working up future hits, Rachel can usually be found at home with her husband John Lancaster, who you may recognize as the keyboard player for artists such as Jake Owen, Radney Foster, and Sons of William. Her original compositions continue to be “cut&rdquo&l by artists including Martina McBride and Nashville Star winner Erika Jo.
Not content to rest on her laurels, Rachel is also back on the lookout for a record deal. This time though,
it will have to be a perfect fit. “I’m not just an artist. I’m also a songwriter, so I want to make records
that I feel represent who I am. This business is too hard not to love your music.”
Click on the banner to visit Rachel's official MySpace page.
From that site you can purchase her brand new EP!
| More from Rachel Proctor |
| Read Rachel's Current Blog Entry |
| Rachel's Blog Entry Archive |
| Read our review of Where I Belong |
Listen To Rachel's Songs
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| Visit Rachel's Official MySpace Page |