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www.southernsenior.info 5 From Poplarville to Nashville The Angela Easley Story “The ones that don’t make it to the top, are the ones that quit.” Born in South Mississippi, Poplarville to be precise, Angela Easley moved to Nashville when she was twenty-four years old. Angela has always been a performer. She started performing when she was eight years old and hasn’t looked back. She was writing and creating music at twelve years old. Born and raised in the backwoods of Poplarville, An- gela has always lived the country life – until she moved to Nashville, that is. Throughout her school years she performed on the stage, rodeoed in high school and professional rodeo, and she played bas- ketball and softball. “I’ve always been a real busy person. I can’t sit still”, stated Angela. At the age of 12 years old, she was the lead singer in a gospel quartet. As a 15-year-old teenager she was the lead singer in Bayou Lagniappe – a band that performed in New Orleans and the southeast re- gion. “To be a lead singer in a band such as this, while being a teenager, was a big deal. It offered me a great opportunity to get more experience perform- ing on a professional level at a young age.” But the music artists’ life is not an easy life, as An- gela would come to find out. As a matter of fact, it can be downright grueling - mentally, physically, and financially. In her early 20’s Angela formed her New Orleans based band Angela Easley Band and hit the road playing casinos full time. After moving to Nashville, at the ripe age of 24, An- gela regrouped and the Nashville version of The An- gela Easley Band was born. Angela’s band still plays at and is on the regular schedule at Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar in Nashville in the fa- mous Printer’s Alley in Nashville, TN. She has opened for George Jones, Marc Chestnut, and wrote & recoded a National Jingle for Oreck Vacuum’s. Angela also hosts a radio show called Angela EASLEY’s Rock and Blues Roots Review on Radio Free Nashville. After years of hard work Angela has finally made it to #1 on Billboard Charts. This year in 2022, she has scored bigtime. Angela’s album RISE has six number ones - #1 Blues Album Billboard Charts; # 1 Blues Album Soundscan Charts Debut; #1 Album from all genres in TN; Sir- iusXM Bluesville Rack of Blues; and Two #1 Singles on Roots Music Reports Charts. Just recently An- gela has started up her own record label and pub- lishing company - Class A Records and Class A Publishing. While conversing with Angela about her years of hard work and final success, she stated, “My dad al- ways told me that ‘the ones that don’t make it to the top, are the ones that quit’”. I think we can all agree that Angela Easley is not a quitter. Hard work and dedication always persevere. By: Carolyn Nelson S