HUNTSVILLE, AL. - There's one thing you realize pretty quickly about country singer/songwriter Cristina Lynn of Madison: She’s a good ol' country girl with a good ol' thick Southern drawl to go with it.
"Well, I’ve never been accused of being from up North," Lynn says proudly.
You also learn something else pretty quickly about Christina: Don’t tell her she can't do something, and don’t dare her to do anything.
If you do, well, get outta her way.
"Yeah, pretty much,' Lynn said Monday as she readied for her performance Saturday night at 8 on the Buffalo Rock Stage at Panoply. "People will say, 'you're too old' or 'you're not blonde' or 'you've got kids,' that kind of thing. Well … just watch me."
No doubt Kevin, her husband of almost 20 years, knew what he was doing when he dared her to write a song in 2003.
"When people dare me – as long as it’s not taking me out of my morals – I’ll do it," Lynn, 38, said. "I don’t think you’ve lived enough until you’ve fulfilled your dreams. Everybody who walks around has a dream.
"I'm blessed to get to do what I want to do, and people are embracing it."
There was a time when Lynn didn't need encouragement about her music. She grew up in Athens singing in the church choirs, moved onto the Future Farmers Association Quartet – we said she was country, right? – and also played in the East Limestone marching band.
But then life got in the way – real life, that is.
"Oh yeah, it took a waaay back seat," Lynn said of her music. "I became a businesswoman."
Lynn earned her nursing degree and worked in the emergency room and occupational nursing before moving onto pharmaceutical sales from 1998-2004. She still kept her finger in music as a member of the Sweet Adelines, an a cappella group of women, and also as lead singer of Close Quarters, an a cappella barbershop quartet.
But Lynn’s songwriting remained on hold until her hubby decided to awake – and ultimately unleash – the songwriter inside.
“My husband looked at me one day and said, ‘We’re going to be old and gray and rocking in our chairs and always wonder (about her as a singer/songwriter),’” Lynn recalled. “He’s always believed in me.”
He believed in her enough to tell her to drop everything she was doing – with her job, that is – stay at home, take care of their son and write her music. It’s worked out so far because she released two CDs – “From All Sides” and recently “What’s Next” – and has played at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Diner and around town.
“I’m such a lucky girl,” Lynn said. “I feel like I’ve done something right.”
For more, check out cristinalynnblog.com.