Stephanie, you've found a way to bring your Hispanic - American heritage into a mix of your own wonderfully styled original Country flavored Texicana.
Growing up in San Antone, Who were some of the artists that influenced your music in your writing and vocal style?
Well, obviously the Texas Tornados, and Freddy Fender, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Cash , Santana and Carole King. I have always loved artists that were original and that created their own style from their life experiences. I love singer/ songwriters that are poets with their guitars and that can cleverly carve out a song in a new way. It is an amazing thing to me when an artist can express themselves in their own unique way that is universal to the listeners. Each of the ones I have mentioned,do that. They are GREAT American singer/songwriters.
When did you start performing?
I started writing when I was 12 or 13. I needed to get what I was feeling out of me. At first they were just poems and then they came with melodies. I wrote my first real song at 19 or so. It was pretty bad but they got pretty good pretty quick, it was natural and easy for me. It was always about trying to make sense of my own life or expressing what was going on in me,very organic, very pure and I didn't realize you could make a living doing it until I moved to Nashville to work in management for the Texas Tornados.
You were a staff writer in Nashville for a time and had success with getting cuts. What was that experience like?
Pretty awesome! I was working in management in Nashville for the Texas Tornados and the songwriter for the year Mark Alan Springer wrote in the same building. I pitched him an idea and we wrote it. He told me then that I had "it" and should pursue becoming a professional writer. Within three years I had an amazing writing deal for the largest publisher in the world, SONY. I was brought there and signed by Jim McBride who that year was the songwriter of the year for "Chattahootchie." He was riding high and wanted to sign one writer and discovered me. I wrote for him and Sony during a great time. I wrote probably 30-40 songs a year and was able to do a full recording demo in the big Sony studio once a month with 7 top notch musicians. I really cut my teeth in writing and recording and got a great salary. Because it all came so easy, I had no idea how lucky I was. Times like those have come and gone and I realize now how blessed I was to learn so much. I had cuts by Lori Morgan ( title track"Shakin Things Up") Shannon Brown title track "Tour of My Heart" and Jon Randall "She Reminds Me of Texas." It was wonderful to get the cuts but before long the heart of an artist started pumping in me and I needed to put my focus on making my own records. I left my deal after 4 wonderful years and started my own company Texicana Entertainment with my own publishing division. It was important to me to own my own recordings and copyrights. I signed a writer Mark Marchetti and love being a publisher as well. I love to nurture and grow talent and intend to produce and publish more in the coming years.
You were the first female Hispanic American Artist to hit the Texas Music Chart as well as the first Woman to reach #1 on the Texas Music Chart. What did that mean to you?
It seriously meant the world to me. I mortgaged everything I had including my marriage at the time to pursue this life and my great -grandfather Manuel Anaya Urbina was my primary source of inspiration. He had crossed the border in 1901 with nothing and became the first Mexican Babtist Minister in South Texas. I did not come to know my hispanic heritage until I was 18. Once I discovered it I became passionate to live it and celebrate this beautiful culture with the world. Music is such a powerful bridge and my intent then and now was to celebrate that which i love so much. Of course as you know, most folks will say it is harder for a woman in the music industry. Maybe so in some cases, but I say if you got the goods the people will respond. It was an HONOR to be the first female to go #1 in a male dominated category. I am always moved when women especially respond to my music. I am a woman's woman. I don't believe in being catty, snipey, talkin about other women. I believe in finding the good and celebrating it! My hope to bring women together to celebrate our power and beauty inside and out...old and young...we ROCK!!
You have a wonderful series called Texicana Sundays at Luckenbach, Texas - and is it also true you are extending this to other cities as well?
Well, Yes. The series has been going so well with Arriba! Salsa, Tecate Light and Shiner on board in SA as sponsors we are in negotiations with venues in Austin, Fredericksburg, Dallas as well as the one we have in San Antonio. My goal is to have it in 5 locations once a month through the summer. I love this event. It is so great to provide free festive fun for the whole family and each month more and more people discover it and bring their whole families form kids to old folks. It is a blessing!
Your music radiates a feminine strength, a sense of humor as well as a wisdom that can't have arrived without some heart-evolving experiences. Care to share a bit of where that wisdom came from?
HEHEHE...you know what they say Maureen if you spot it ..you got it!! You must have some too. I love the word heart-evolving.
Anyway, I can see now that my childhood wasn't all that bad in comparison to many but my feeling at the time was one of loneliness as an only child growing up in the Hill Country until I was 12 and with some strong feelings of loss as I did not see my father until I was 18. I was also invited not to share my hispanic heritage with my friends because my mother thought kids would judge me. For many years I felt a huge sense of shame. Of course that has changed and now I am a LOUD and PROUD WHITINA!!
I have now been in recovery for 15 years. Sprinkle in a devastating divorce, life and a few deaths of people I love and you got some life experience to laugh cry and write about and many nights humbly down on my knees praying. In the end it is all a spiritual experience for me...life, death, writing all of it. Th songs only come through me and I catch them. Often times they are my answered prayers. I am so grateful to be able to find my way through my own life in my music. Sometimes it is like my soul sends out an SOS in a song to give me hope till I can get to where I am going!
Where can folks buy your music?
Right now at my shows and online at my website www.stephanieurbinajones.com
Who are some of your favorite Texas Women in Music?
Marsha Ball, Tish Hinojosa, Toni Price
STEPHANIE PERFORMING IN LUCKENBACH TEXAS
For more information on Stephanie,
Official Website
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Watch her videos on her Youtube Channel
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