Well, hello there. Let me introduce myself. My name is Leslie, …Leslie Christian Barnett.
I was born on July 14th in a little town called Boiling Springs, located in North Carolina. As small child I lived in Shelby until the 3rd grade and then my family moved to Newton, North Carolina where I attended middle school and high school.
As a little girl growin’ up in a small town, I had the opportunity to listen to a lot of country music. My grandmother and I used to sit out in the yard listening to the radio, and she would be singin’ right along. I’d ask her, “Who is that grandma?” and she’d say, “oh that’s Dolly Parton singin’, or “that’s Charlie Pride”. We’d listen for hours. Before I knew it, I found myself singin’ right along with her, and I was lovin’ it. Didn’t really know why I loved that music so much, but I did then and I do now. I guess that’s why I spend most of my time now writing and singing country music.
Actually, I grew up in a musical family. My siblings all love to sing and write songs. As a matter of fact, my parents, my uncles and my aunt use to be in a corporate band. I remember one night my Aunt Janice took my sisters, my brother and me on the road with her. Well, I was sittin’ back stage, minding my own business, just listenin’ to the music, when all of a sudden I hear some music, but it wasn’t R&B. My aunt had her band to learn my favorite song, Acky Breaky Heart. I couldn’t believe it! She invited me to come on stage to sing, and every since then I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I wanted to sing country music and only country music. That’s why every since that day, I have been diligently pursuing a career as a country singer and songwriter. I hope that someday, real soon, that people will have the opportunity to hear my music. It comes straight from my heart because that’s where God placed it, in my heart. And now, I want to share it with the world.
You know, I’ve had some great opportunities to travel across the US and abroad as a background singer for my sister, Lauren. Together, she and I have worked with Murlyn Music (affiliates: Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez); R. Kelly; Ralph Stacey (co-writer of Sleepin’ in my bed by Dru Hill); SoulShock and Karlin (affiliates: Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton). This experience has given me the opportunity to understand and appreciate my own dream. But I’ve also had some even greater opportunities regardin’ my own dream. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Nashvilles own Kenny Greenburg, musician and producer (affiliates: Pam Tillis, Gretchen Wilson); Matt Rollings (affiliates: Faith Hill, Keith Urban); and Gordon Mote (affiliates: Rascals Flatts, Martina McBride).
The bottom line is that, I’ve had R&B record deals presented to me, but that’s not where my hearts desire is. I won’t settle for less than what I truly want. “I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC, SO HERE I AM...JUST AS I AM.”
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