Name any good frat house in the SEC and Brandi Thornton has played it. She’s also made three runs for the Miss America crown, performed on the Rosie O’Donnell Show, and she ran the Olympic torch through Georgia.

Country artist Brandi Thornton grew up beneath the watchful eye and sheltering pines of small town America in Folkston, Georgia. She was always “that loud kid.” Eventually people listened closely enough to realize “that loud kid” was also always in tune and attempting a pretty solid preschool harmony.

Many artists credit their musical careers with beginning in the church….Brandi is no different. Her first public performance was the Christmas Pageant at the First Baptist Church. There weren’t enough boys in the preschool class, so she was a shepherd, complete with red and blue bathrobe. A few bars of “Silent Night” and the rest is history.

At age nine, she played her first honky tonk (parents and spelling book in tow); cut her first album; and `was named the youngest member ever selected to tour with Georgia’s nationally acclaimed 4-H performing arts group, Clovers and Co. While in Clovers, Brandi performed alongside Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland and Hillary Lindsay, writer of “Jesus Take the Wheel.” The “baby” of the group got lots of attention. At the beginning of the show it was because she was so small…by the end of the show, the audience knew just how talented she was.

Brandi never once used her youth as a gimmick or something to fall back upon, she was an entertainer from the very beginning. Some of her favorite stories begin, “I warned the sound guy, but he blew two speakers on me anyway.”

Throughout elementary, junior high and high school, she performed wherever a crowd was gathered. The weekend found her family on the road to some contest, fair or festival that would provide Brandi with a stage…by that time she could draw an audience on her own.

Combining her entertainment dreams with everyday life proved to be a balancing act. While prepping for the SAT, she was also learning lines for a regional theater company’s production of the “Wizard of Oz,” and serving as a state officer in the 4-H club. As interesting as her professional life became, her parents strived for normalcy to keep everything in balance.


With academic honors and extra-curricular accolades, Brandi went to the University of Georgia on a full scholarship; but soon missed performing. She sought out a competitive internship with BMG Entertainment in Manhattan. While in New York, Brandi headlined at the “Motown Café,” auditioned for commercials and voice over work, and learned a lot about the “business” side of the music business. Learning the ins and outs of the finance side of music, Brandi was inspired to change her major from journalism to business. On the night she was begrudgingly headed back to begin her sophomore year, Brandi received the chance of a lifetime.

Seems Brandi had caught a producer’s attention at a prior audition while still in high school…. when someone fell out of the production, Brandi was who he wanted to replace her. When offered the opportunity to perform on a nightly basis at The Music Mansion in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Brandi didn’t think twice. After two years there, Brandi transitioned to Dollywood where she was a cast member in two separate shows and had the fortune of working with Dolly Parton herself. All the while Brandi was honing her craft as both studio and stage performer.

Always multi-tasking, she completed her sophomore and junior years via UGA’s independent study program. Brandi had an interesting schedule, performing in 3 to 5 shows a day at the theme park, teaching herself courses like the “Statistical Theory of Applied Microeconomics” during meal breaks, and tracking background vocals for everything from heavy metal to contemporary Christian and gospel recordings. One of her downtime, doodle recordings, “Out of Time” was licensed for use by Levi Strauss Co. in a multi-platform advertising campaign.

In 2002, Brandi returned to the University of Georgia, to complete her degree cum laude. At the urging of her family and friends, she began competing in preliminaries to the Miss America Pageant. In that arena, she redefined the talent competition and brought new energy to the pursuit of the crown.

A chance encounter on a girl’s night led Brandi to the stage where a band of in her own words, “cute boys” were playing. Twelve bars into “God Fearing Women,” Brandi had herself a band. Performing with Dawgtown, took her across the Southeast playing for crowds ranging from 500 to 50,000 and established a very devoted fanbase. She loves and to sing country, but is not limited by genre. Her repertoire spans the spectrum of original and cover material, from classic southern rock and r & b to her own songs which sound like they could be classic southern rock or R & B. A uniting factor to these selections is that each song is made unique and new through subtle nuances and Brandi’s natural bent for showmanship and occasional “hot dogging.”

Brad Paisley, Martina McBride and Dierks Bentley have all experience Brandi’s high energy show firsthand, using her as an opening act. Many more will experience her show in 2007 through extensive touring to support her brand album, “New Place To Start.” Just as comfortable in a tiny honky tonk as in a packed collegiate stadium, one never knows where Brandi Thornton may show up next. It’s a sure bet, she’ll catch your attention.

If you ask the people that know her, not much has changed about Brandi Thornton, but some things have definitely been added. The worn karaoke machine and tapes have now been replaced by a kick ass band. The preschool songs have faded and Brandi now boasts a broad base of solid original and cover material. She’s lost the bathrobe, too and has honed her craft through 17 years of performance experience. And yes, she’s still “that loud kid.”