So You Want To Be a Star?

In my spare time during my college freshman year in Nashville, I would actually drive around the ritzy neighborhoods hoping to run into Amy Grant. Not kidding. That's how badly I wanted to meet and work with the contemporary Christian/pop superstar.

So imagine the thrill when my BFF, a production coordinator at the time, got me a gig as a production assistant on Grant's video shoot for "Grown-up Christmas List." There I was at 18 years old, standing in the kitchen, chatting and sneaking MnM's with Amy Grant. Imagine my thrill!

Music has always been a life-long passion of mine. I'm drawn to fellow music lovers and have a deep need for regular concert outings with friends.

So when I met record executive Lee Leipsner with my youngest son at a Cowboys game, it was pretty darn cool to hear Lee's personal tales about some of my favorite musical groups.

Last year Leipsner was promoted to Senior Vice President of Promotions at Columbia Records. When my boss at CBS11 was scouring for a cool tie-in to the Grammy Awards this year, Leipsner graciously agreed to tape an interview with us and share some of his insight, especially in regards to what it takes to make it in the music business.

I know there are other music-lovers out there with dreams like mine when I was young, aspiring artists hungry for any nugget of information to move them one step further.

So kids, talented musicians, struggling artists ...this is for you.

As Leipsner's own story proves, dreams really do come true.

My little sister Tiffany and I with Lee Leipsner, Senior Vice President of Promotions at Columbia Records.

Comments

That Little Blonde Girl

The first week of my first tv anchor job, my milk came in ten minutes before the start of the early morning newscast. My newborn daughter was just three months old. I recall standing in my nursing bra and skirt in the tiny station bathroom, frantically blow-drying the massive wet spots from my periwinkle Casual Corner blazer. That little girl turns 25 this Friday. One of my most vivid memories of Nicole Elizabeth’s childhood-- of which there are millions-- was her first day of 7th grade in a massive middle school outside of Dallas, Texas. We had moved mid-year from Phoenix, and her dad, little brother and I were walking Nicole to her new classroom. Her future classmates were sitting on the floor outside, lined up against the hallway, waiting to leave for P.E.. As we approached, one little blonde girl shouted, “New girl, sit here!” Another joined in, “No. Sit here!” And another, “What’s your name, new girl?” I was stunned--flab

That Time I Was Almost a Pop Star

Anri's Circuit of Rainbow music video (That's me on the right!) It was what I'd always imagined life would be like as a big-time singer. The massive, metallic stage opens like Moses parting the Red Sea...the recognizable guitar riff blaring throughout Tokyo's legendary Budokan arena. Five of us dancers on pedestals of varying heights, box-step and bounce...summoning the tens of thousands of screaming Japanese fans to get louder. Anticipation builds with every "Come on!" Let's go! Get it up!" we declare. Finally, the beloved Anri dances on to the stage...and the crowd goes wild... The year was 1988. I had dropped out of college for two semesters after a fighter-pilot-older-brother-of-my-high-school-friend told me he "saw Americans working" at Tokyo Disneyland . "You should go do that, Tracy!" he said, standing in my family's Tampa, Florida kitchen during Christmas break of my sophomore year. I called nearby D

The REAL Botox Diaries with Gina & Tracy: Monday Motivations

From staying sane to to keeping slim, stylish and relatively wrinkle free-- this is the diary of two working TV moms. Here are most of the links we mention in this chat session: Jeff Jamison goes viral Gina Miller's blog Hermes Wallpaper Clothes Mentor.com Cashmere Eye Shadow

Tracy Kornet's Blog

Search This Blog