We were lucky to catch up with Gina Gailey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story behind why I do what I do, or my “mission”-I want to bring my music to the world and touch them the way it has touched me. I want to show all the young ladies out there that have dreams of being on stage or writing and singing their songs; that they can AND be a working mother if they so choose too. So many women only go so far in this industry, where it is already such a struggle to compete against 10 males to every 1 female coming in and dominating the country music industry. They go so far and then it is time for a family and they have to choose. It is something that has been a part of me for so long, that I do feel it is a mission at this point. Music is such an important part of my life and I have seen how it touches people that don’t have the words to express their feelings. From the time I could walk, performing has been in me, from the living room floor entertaining family to taking the stage to entertain thousands-this is my calling. I want to inspire and reach people with my words and music and songs, so they have something to help them through the sad, angry, happy times.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Where did I get started? Oh my goodness, as far back as I can remember, I was putting a show or performance together. Whether it be for my dolls in my bedroom or guests of my parents at the house. I’ve “made up” or “written” songs, again, as far back as I can remember. Home videos of me when I was 3 and 4, making up songs at the moment and singing them. I was one of those rare birds that were a three-sport year-round athlete and a theatre kid at the same time.

My love of competing and performing collided with much of my growing-up years. Give up a piano lesson for a ballgame or give up a lead role because it was track season. That love never wavered though. I majored in broadcast journalism with a minor in performance theatre. I was going ESPN sideline reporter to anchor, NYC here I come!! THEN, I took a trip to Nashville, Tennessee my senior year and the rest is history. That was it, I can’t describe the rapid heartbeat I get crossing over that Cumberland River or the “take my breath away” awe from stepping on some old stage that’s been there for decades.

The people, the history, the town, the music… Music has been my “go-to” always! Have a bad day-find a song and cope. Have a great day-find the right song and celebrate!! Catch my meaning? I want to be there and make my mark in that town and all over with MY songs and give that back to people. What music has given to me? I always knew I would “perform” in some form or fashion, but that week in Nashville changed my entire life!!!!

Now when someone asks what I see myself doing in fifty years, I simply say, “I want to be a female Willie Nelson, singing and performing and entertaining people, sharing my songs with the world and pushing 90!!!! So many other stories are thrown in between those sentences of how and why.
Like anything in life worth doing or pursuing, obstacles will come along the way. A wise old Legendary Nashville musician once told me, I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, but I’m telling you it will be worth it.

For every heartbreak, setback, detour to the original plan, there have been so many more glorious moments and opportunities. I could go on about the hardships but choose instead, to pick myself up and keep walking toward my goal. If I were to pick an “issue”, that’s been ongoing though, it would be doing a “man’s thing” in a “man’s world”.

Women have to work SO much harder and have to struggle to be heard and seen to prove they can “do it too!”

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have a band. I am currently working on getting signed with a record label out of Nashville. I write and perform all of my own music. In the last album, I was privileged enough to have worked with the number one songwriters in the town. I am a working mother of three and hold down multiple jobs while pursuing my music career.

You can have it all, you can do it all! I wrote and directed and starred in my first music video. That was pretty cool! Because of my background, I have been able to meet a lot of amazing people along the way. I am able to deal with the press, be a spokesperson and perform/ entertain. A lot of singers have to be taught other sides of this career.

I’m kind of a rare breed, I am doing the outlaw thing as a female in a man’s territory, I have had to go about it differently than most. That would be what sets me apart from the rest. No one is doing what I’m doing. What am I most proud of? Yes, there have been awards. Yes, there have been prestigious people in the business who give positive compliments.

But, I’m one of those that don’t celebrate until the job is finished. I keep my head down and work, I guess I’m most proud that I keep going!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Since COvid, the industry has changed, much like a lot of things. We were rolling straight ahead and on the verge of signing, when the whole world stopped. Booking, keeping members and rehearsals were a difficult task. When you cannot do what you are meant to do, when you are forced to sit and not go sing to people LIVE, when you can’t go into studios to record your new songs and travel was basically non existent-you have to adjust. They band and I took some steps and breaths, a lot of them, and then decided to be grateful for whatever “normalness” we get back to, our first show back on stage was so emotional. I think it is still very much something we as an industry are trying to come back from or adjust to, it is not the same and may never be again. But again, we never stopped singing or writing, even if it was via Zoom for months!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ginagailey.com/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gina_gailey
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ginagaileymusic
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GinaGailey
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/ginagailey
• Other: http://www.reverbnation.com/ginagailey

Image Credits
DJ Galbiati Blalock and Farrah Nicole Photography