Karen Staley was born in Weirton, WV and raised in Hookstown, PA , a rural community where most people had worked in the tri-state area’s many steel mills for generations. Karen’s family was no different. After a back injury threatened to hault Karen's career in sports, her high school choir director lent her a guitar and showed her the chords to John Denver's “Annie's Song.” Karen quickly forgot about sports and threw herself into playing the guitar and trying to write songs. As a result, Karen was voted “Most Musical” in her senior yearbook.

Karen then attended West Virginia Wesleyan College as a social work and psychology major (with a minor in AGD sorority!!!). While at Wesleyan, Karen, a devout Christian, began writing and singing Contemporary Christian music and performing at school and area churches. Upon graduation she signed an artist deal with a label in Costa Mesa, CA called Straight Ahead Records. But before moving out to CA to record her first project, the label folded.

Dejected and looking for a way to use her God-given gifts, Karen entered a country talent contest at the Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling, WV at the urging of her very supportive parents. Her spirits soared as she was chosen the winner from over 500 contestants from all across the USA and Canada. The Grand Prize was an opening spot on the now worldfamous Jamboree In The Hills Festival, and a regular spot on the Wheeling Jamboree radio show. There Karen opened for artist such as the Judds and Reba McEntire.

It was after one of those performances that a couple band members asked if she had ever thought about moving to Nashville. They assured her she had the talent to make it and encouraged her to take a chance.

Thankfully, ignorance is bliss and Karen packed up her used Ford Escort station wagon and with $400 and her parents’ blessing, set out for Music City in the fall of 1984.

Things happened quickly. Not knowing a soul, Karen went to ASCAP and had a meeting with a guy named Bob Doyle who immediately saw a star in the making in Karen. (Bob went on to manage another young singer/songwriter named Garth!). Bob hooked Karen up with veteran publisher Karen Conrad who was just starting a new company. Karen Staley became her first signing. It was Conrad that Staley credits with showing her the ropes and being “the wind beneath her wings.”

Karen's first #1 record was “A Face In The Crowd” recorded by Michael Martin Murphy and Holly Dunn. The performance was nominated for a Grammy award.

Within a year, Karen had several more songs recorded, sang background on several albums and became “the one to look for.” After playing a couple of new songs live for Reba at MCA Records one day, Reba asked Karen if she would like to go on the road with her and sing back up and play guitar. The very “green” Staley jumped at the chance. Karen had also been singing with friend and label mate Patty Loveless.

MCA Record execs saw Karen’s potential as an artist and signed her to a record deal. Her debut album “Wildest Dreams” got rave reviews but due to personnel changes at the label the album was never promoted. Karen soon asked to be off the label.

During the next ten years Karen became a successful demo singer, background vocalist, a sought-after live performer and of course a respected and much acclaimed hit song writer.

The following are just a few of the artists who have recorded Karen Staley songs: Faith, Reba, Terri Clark,Dolly Parton, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Kathy Mattea, Tracy Byrd, Lee Ann Rimes, Patty Loveless, Confederate Railroad, Trick Pony, Thyrd Time Out, Jeff & Sherry Easter, Daniel O’Donnell, Ronna Reeves, Michelle Wright and Rick Trevino.

After deciding to get out of town for awhile, Karen took up then fledgling superstar Faith Hill’s offer to go on the road with her as a back-up singer and guitarist. Faith had titled her debut album “ Take Me As I Am” after her mega-hit Karen Staley penned single. While Faith went backstage in the middle of each show for a wardrobe change, Faith showcased Karen singing her then current monster hit “Keeper Of The Stars.” Karen brought down the house each night and also closed the show with a gospel duet she had written that Faith recorded called “Keep Walkin’ On.” During Faith’s Fan Fair Superstars show at the Opry House that year Warner Bros. label heads witnessed the crowd’s reaction to Karen’s performance and asked her to sign an artist deal.

As a result, Fearless was recorded in 1998. Again, the reviews were overwhelming but the label was in shambles and never promoted the CD. Karen asked to get off of the label, and again her hopes and dreams were dashed by the broken promises and incompetence of the record label. But Karen realized she was the norm and not the exception. It is the rare performer who ever rises above the corporate quagmire of the music business antiquated machine.

But as always, the tenacious and determined Karen Staley prevailed against the countless trials, disappointments and setbacks put in her way.

Karen credits her strong faith in the Lord, the support of her friends and peers and her gratitude for being a vessel for the miraculous gift of music for sustaining her through the many tough times. Her motto is “It’s hard to complain about this life I’ve had and my many blessings.” “ If God hadn’t given me such a precious gift the only experience I would ever have had behind a microphone would be to say ‘Would you like fries with that?’ George Jones actually recorded one of my songs on his last album...I can die happy now!”

Today, Karen continues to be a respected hit songwriter. Her most recent smash was “On A Night Like This” by Trick Pony. Karen is also a sought after live performer who travels North America and Europe playing acoustic venues and festivals.

Karen has recently completed a slew of new custom projects Phoenix Rising, Farther Along, The Story Of My Life, Me & Mahalia and Out Of The Park - Greatest Hits . These projects reflect what an amazingly versatile and eclectic talent Karen Staley is.

Be on the look out for more recordings and live performances from Karen by checking in frequently here at www.karenstaley.com.

Hello friends and fans! welcome to my website! Most of all I want to thank you for your interest and support. Without you none of this would be possible. I appreciate each and every one of you. I mean it now!

I never wanted a fan club. I felt they merely breed mental illness. A healthy person shouldn’t be “ fanatical” about anyone. If you came to see my show once a month I would think you really dug my music. If you drove from Idaho to Nashville once a month to see my show I would think you needed therapy. Most artists are conflicted about this phenomenon. They are thrilled to have such adoration and validation of their music while at the same time being very uncomfortable and creeped out by it.

I’m all for hobbies. I have animals I buy way too many toys for and I have put every possible piece of chrome there is on my Harley, but nothing comes before God, my family and my friends. Anything else is called an idol. (refer to Commandments #1 and #2 …..). I felt no one was worthy of such passionate devotion besides the Lord. Certainly not very human and flawed little ol’ me! I wanted people to be touched by my music. I am very charismatic and funny , but I am merely a vessel that pours out the gifts God has given me. He could have just as easily picked someone else I am no one special, I have just been blessed with the honor of nurturing gifts He gave me. (And I had the guts to put my music out there on the line for everyone to critique!)

So my wish for all of you is that you listen to my music and are not drawn to me, but to the one who made me…and you! I want to remind everyone to cultivate what ever gifts God gave you. And everyone has one, you just have to look for it. I can’t cook, but I sure appreciate people who have that gift. Someone who cooks puts as many smiles on people’s faces as a superstar! and it is such a gesture of love. If only I were a superstar that could cook! See, no matter what level you are on it’s human nature to compare yourself to someone else and want what they have instead of appreciate what you do have.

My music is a gesture of love. First, back to God as an act of worship and thanksgiving and then to you as a way to communicate our vast array of feelings and emotions. I am always honored when someone comes up to me and says “ I’ve felt that way but I could never put it into words. Thank you for writing that song so I could sing how I feel.” There is no greater reward for me as a songwriter than that. My job is to be an empath. To not only convey my own feelings in song but to interpret all around me as well.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for not only all He has given me, but for the opportunity to touch people in such a personal way with the medium of words and music.

Thank you for letting me use my gift...

Now, go buy all of my CDs so I can touch you in a personal way.

Karen

What do you generally write first, the music or the lyrics? I have no real pattern. Sometimes I have a groove or melody and sometimes I have a few words or a title. Most professional songwriters just respond to whatever hits them that day.

Do you write for specific projects or artists if they are looking for something in particular? Once in awhile. But usually, we just try and write a great song and then try and find a home for it. Unfortunately, when an artist or record label puts out the word they are looking for example, “ an edgy up tempo with meaty lyrics,” nine times out of ten they end up picking a ballad or something the exact opposite of what they said they were looking for! So we tend to ignore them and try and write great songs!

Do you write on piano or guitar? Usually guitar because it’s so portable, but I write different and generally better melodies on the piano because it is the basis of all chords. I am trying to write more on piano. I'm limited on both instruments so I often write accapella in the car. If a melody is strong enough to sing without accompaniment you know it’s a keeper.

When did you start writing songs? I toyed with it my senior year in high school and then a little in college. Actually, some of those college songs stand up today. So many times when we come to Nashville and start co-writing and trying to write hits that the songs become watered down. I love a lot of the songs I’ve co-written over the years and often “two hearts are better than one” when writing. There is a magic when you are in sync with someone. But generally speaking, when I look back over my catalog I end up liking the ones I wrote myself more. I guess because they are so real and usually came easy.

What was your first cut? “Tennessee”, a song I wrote by myself about how an singer starts out as just a simple country person, becomes famous, has a hectic life and sometimes wishes he/she could go back to when times were simple like they were in the beginning.

Who cut it? I wrote it with the Judds in mind but Paul Worley cut it on The (Nitty Gritty) Dirt Band.

How was it pitched? This was back when you had access to people and could pitch a guitar demo. I was on the road with Reba at the time and was going out of town that afternoon. Paul Worley needed the demo before I left. My publisher, Karen Conrad and I went into the bathroom at what is now Javalina Studios on 18th Ave so we could get some reverb ambiance. It was so new I didn't know the words so Karen held the lyrics. The only problem was when the lights were on in the bathroom so was the exhaust fan. So Karen tried turning off the lights and holding a bic lighter in front of the lyrics while I sang. The hilarious part was that the lighter would get hot and before I could finish the song it would be burning Karen's fingers and she would yell. We laughed our butts off and must have done it ten times! Somehow we finally got all the way through and no one was permanently injured!

Where were you when you first heard it? I'd rather go on from here about the second song I had recorded " Lonely Days, Lonely Nights" , which was Patty Loveless's first single on MCA. I sat in Sound Stage studio with her, her producers Tony Brown and Emory Gordy (now her husband), and was just grinning ear to ear!

What kind of feelings did you have when you heard it? I was thrilled because at that time Patty and I were pretty good friends and we likened our friendship to Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. Patty is still one of my all time favorite singers on the planet and I felt that way back then too.

Did you hear it on the radio? I heard it on the radio and knew I had finally "made it". I try and go back to those special innocent moments of appreciation when I start to get jaded after so many disappointments over the years. Most people would die happy to hear a song they wrote on the radio just once. I get the blessing of hearing them all the time. (Although not as much as I would like to!)

What made that cut so special? What I dug most at the time was that it was on a 45 RPM and there was this cool pink colorized black & white cover sleeve they did with Patty in a flowery pink cowgirl type dress and a pair of pink cowboy boots that I had given her as a birthday gift. It meant a lot that she wore them for the shoot.

What professional awards have you received? I have the title of "Patron Saint Of Mediocrity" ... just kidding ... but I could have! My career has just enough successes to keep me from quitting! I have several BMI Millionaire Awards (given when a song has surpassed one million spins on radio), an ASCAP Award, Grammy, CMA and Dove nominations, and ACM Song Of The Year for 1996 for Keeper Of The Stars.

What were your biggest songs? My first #1 was a duet with Michael Martin Murphy & Holly Dunn called "A Face In The Crowd". "Keeper Of The Stars" by Tracy Byrd has been the gift that keeps on giving. He has put it on several CDs and it is still a big wedding song. " Take Me As I Am" still gets played a lot as well. I had " Let's Go To Vegas" with Faith too and I still get a chuckle out of the video because I'm in it with the band in what I call my " Josie & The Pussycats" outfit! Then I've had " Everytime I Cry" by Terri Clark and " On A Night Like This" by Trick Pony. Hopefully my biggest songs are yet to come!!

What hit is your favorite? Of the songs I’ve had recorded I would have to say I’m most proud of “Take Me As I Am”. I like the message , it has a strong melody that people respond to right away. It has stood the test of time also.
But then I also like" Every time I Cry" because it is almost exactly like the demo I did and I love the video.

What's your favorite song you've ever written? That's always an almost impossible question because it's "Sophie's Choice". It's like asking which one of your children do you love the most? But a couple come to mind . Ones that everyone has said for years and years should be standards. One called " Somebody's Child" that I recorded on my "Fearless" CD and had Vince & Patty sing the backgrounds. I also had the privilege of having Dan Dugmore play steel on it. My hero. He played on all the classic 70's stuff by Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Brown and James Taylor. He defined so much of the sound I wanted to emulate. And to get him on such a personal song was just a blessing. I want someone to cut it because I think it's an important topic but I honestly think it couldn't be more pretty and moving than the way we cut it. It was a blessed magical day in the studio.

For some reason most hit songwriters have lots of better songs in their catalogs that most people will never hear. I am constantly amazed at the songs I hear at clubs that just blow me away that don’t get recorded. I guess they were for God and a few other people’s enjoyment only!

Another favorite song is a newer one and yet another ode to the state I have grown to love so much...it's called " I'll Leave My Heart In Tennessee". It's about how scenic and awesome it is here and how progress/development is quickly eclipsing everything that's special about it. It resonates with a lot of people who live here. Native sons and not so native sons like me!

What songs do you like to sing the most? Without a doubt I love to sing
“With You”, “ Somebody’s Child”, “ Take Me As I Am”, and “ Still A Dog”. I can nail those every time. I guess they were tailor made for me by me! There are a lot of my favorite songs that I don’t sing well and it’s very frustrating! As far as songs I didn’t write I think I do big hymns like “ How Great Thou Art” justice. Soul songs like "Natural Woman" by Carol King and Aretha Franklin and anything by Linda Ronstadt I pull off pretty good.

What advice do you have for aspiring songwriters? You absolutely MUST do it for the love of the process. If you don't get satisfaction from just having "the gift" it will be a long and frustrating road. This business is not worth it any other way. The chances of anyone having a hit (no matter how awesomely talented they are) is probably bigger odds than the lottery. You have to accept that sometimes the most special songs you write will only be heard by you , a few friends and family and God. Not everyone is meant to be on the radio. You can touch people with your music in so many ways. If you forget that and place all of your validation on industry success you will have missed the whole point. If you are lucky enough to have one song recorded you have done more than 99.9% of people on the planet, let alone the industry. Writing a great song is a miracle unto itself. I go through my catalog and wonder why certain songs will never be heard when I think they are a million times better than the ones I've gotten cut. I have no idea why. But it was a gift to me to write it, so maybe that's all that song was meant to accomplish. We won't know until we're in Heaven and can look back over the big picture to see who was touched by our songs that we didn't even realize.

Which of your recordings mean the most to you? Again, that’s like asking which of your babies you like more……. But I would have to say “Me & Mahalia” and “ Farther Along”. Gospel is in my core. “Me & Mahalia” came about by accident (or I should day divine providence). I was going to do a gospel compelation CD of all kinds of styles. We did two Mahalia songs and I said “this is turning out so cool, I think I want to do a whole CD of these”! So, because I had some hymns already recorded I had to fill out that CD with more hymns. I ended up doing 45 tracks in 3 days. I sang all of the leads and 90% of all the backgrounds as well in only a few days. It was a total miracle because I have my good days and bad days as far as the strength of my voice goes. With allergies and such a fragile instrument you never know if you’re going to be on or not. But God gave me miraculous stamina to do it all in a very short period of time and I was almost always dead on. I doubt that will ever happen again and I am sooooo thankful for such a gift. I must have a little African in me somewhere in my family tree because I LOVE soul. Traditional black gospel has always spoken to me on a deep level. The hymns on “Farther Along” are part of what made me who I am. I choke up every time I sing them. I think I’m most proud of my arrangement of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. It’s really unusual and moving. And Johnny Reid’s reading of the Psalm with that thick Scottish brogue just gives me chills every time I hear it. I actually listen to both of those albums often. I rarely listen to any of my other CDs just for pleasure.

Who were and are your musical inspirations? I truly love almost all kinds of music. The only stuff I don’t like are techno, hardcore jazz, showtunes,death metal, political folk and gangster rap. I love everything from classical to bluegrass to heavy metal to hip hop to salsa to Celtic, etc. I mean I grew up watching Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw on the same night and I loved it. Even when I was young I could look through the bad hairstyles and leisure suits and understand those guys could all swing! but on the flip side I would have to say my favorite band of all time has to be Aerosmith. Racy lyrics aside, no one has the combination of stellar musicianship, great production, unique ideas,showmanship and downright raw soul that these guys have had for over 30 years. I just saw them last year and they are better than they were in the 70's. Amazing.

I think artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and Eminem are artistic geniuses. Unfortunately, they have chosen the path of "evil geniuses" which is so sad. They have so much talent they could use to better society instead of cheapen it.
The first albums I bought were “ Here Come The Monkees”, “The Carpenters” and
“ Tapestry” by Carol King. My grandmother was the one that was into country and I wore out “Charlie Pride’s Greatest Hits” and several Loretta Lynn albums.
Then I got into funk bands like Average White Band and Parliament Funkadelic. I love to dance and that stuff always gets me up!

But I found my home when I came across the Southern California sound of Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, James Taylor , Jackson Brown & Bonnie Raitt. Like so many people my age, that’s how we eventually morphed into country music. Those guys led the way.We wouldn't admit country was cool until they did it. What ever music I listen to I just like it to be authentic. I listen to some pretty hardcore bluegrass and tejano AM stations in my car. But nothing makes me turn up the volume like a good polka! I'm totally not kidding! If a polka doesn’t automatically make you smile and tap your toe then you have the heart of a serial killer!

Who are your influences as a songwriter? Seriously, I would say it had to start with Martin Luther and the great hymn writers. I would pour through the hymnals while I had to sit still and be quiet in church all those years! No one writes that good anymore. All the people I mentioned above in the Southern Cal sound, then Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Jimmy Webb, Randy Newman, Bill Anderson, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Andrew Gold,and JD Souther.

Sadly, I honestly have to say I haven't heard any new writer under the age of 30 that has blown me away lyrically. They don't seem to have mastered the craft or don't care to. So much of what's on the radio is great production and not a great song. I think they are just a product of this age of microwave gratification. They can't sit still long enough to really get to the deeper places. Hopefully, a few of them will emerge when they learn it takes more than cleverness and cute ideas to really move people. I don't think people 20 years from now are going to remember much of what is being created by this generation. If you're a young writer and you're reading this I challenge you to go for what's lasting instead of what's hip this week. Greatness requires heart, soul and mind...not just mind.

Now days I think Sheryl Crowe is amazing, and of course a ton of my contemporaries like Mike Reid, Craig Wiseman, Jeffery Steele, Gary Burr, Rivers Rutheford, Austin Cunningham,Tom Douglas, Jim Photoglo, Don Henry, Stephony Smith, Rodney Crowell,Marcus Hummon, Bob Dipiero, etc. These guys blow me away on a weekly basis. I could easily list a hundred great writers right here in Nashville. And there are a bunch of awesomely talented writers that no one outside of town have heart yet. It is a humbling place to be a writer, but also a wonderful blessing to be around such gifted people.

For info on most of Nashville's finest writers check out www.tinpansouth.com.