Jessica Lynn to perform at RiverFest on July 4
BY JONATHAN KANE
Jessica Lynn, known as “the country girl from New York” and currently being hailed as the “new woman in country,” is coming to Hailey for a 3:30 p.m. performance at RiverFest on Independence Day.
Currently seen nationwide in her two full-length PBS television specials, “Jessica Lynn–This Much Fun” and “Jessica Lynn–Takin’ Over–Live At The Paramount,” the 26-year-old former New York City mathematics teacher traded the blackboard and textbooks for cowboy boots and the road.
With two successful national tours behind her and her third national and first international tour this year, Lynn has shared stages with Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Montgomery Gentry, Hank Williams, Jr., Jo Dee Messina and Phil Vassar. This summer she will be performing with Shenandoah and the country music icon Loretta Lynn.
As part of her summer gig, Jessica Lynn told The Weekly Sun in an interview that she is “excited to be coming to Sun Valley and seeing everyone in Idaho.”
Jessica Lynn, a young girl from Westchester County, just outside of New York City, has come a long way in a short time to achieve country music stardom.
“I’ve always loved country music,” she told The Sun. “My dad, who is a musician, always played it in the house and my earliest memory was of being 2 or 3 three years old and dancing around the house to ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ by Glen Campbell.”
Both her parents are also songwriters, as well as being musicians, and are in her band.
“My dad is the bass player and my mom is a backup singer, and the lead guitarist is my fiancé, which is certainly different, but makes things a lot of fun,” she said.
Lynn started singing at the age of 2, started writing songs soon thereafter and learned the piano at age 10. She then taught herself guitar and drums.
“Music is what I wanted to do and what I was meant to do,” she said.
“At 13 I had a rock and roll band. My parents would drive me all over Manhattan to perform at clubs. Of course I wasn’t old enough to get into any of them.
“My influences were pretty varied. I loved Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow and then I fell in love with No Doubt that pushed me to form a rock group.
“Then I was into Shania Twain and Phil Vassar, who I got to play with last year, which was a dream come true,” Lynn said. “My dad liked the old-school artists like George Strait. This summer I’m getting the unbelievable opportunity to open for Loretta Lynn. When I got the email inviting me, it was such an honor that it blew my mind.
“Being a musician is such a gift,” she said. “I love the arts and what music can do for people and make them feel good. I get to travel the world and tell my stories that in turn affect people and bring them to tears. That’s what music and life is all about – bringing something to people that they need in their lives.”