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With a thriving career, an ever-increasing fan base, and a life full of hardships and faith, Kelly Lang invites listeners into her world to look into the growth of a successful career. The strength she provides for herself and those in the communities she influences daily goes beyond the surface level and delves into mindsets of gratitude, kindness, and embracing the diversity of the human experience.
In this episode:
- Meeting One’s Heroes
- The Legacy of Loretta Lynn and Other Icons
- From Death Sentence to Life Sentence: Kelly’s Breast Cancer Journey
- Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
- TG Shephard: Singer, Songwriter, and Husband
- What’s Kelly Working On Right Now?
Quotations:
“When you’re in the music industry, or any type of celebrity, the way people think they know you more than they do…Every single person…[when someone meets] any celebrity- they don’t say, ‘What did they have on?’ or ‘Did they sing you a song?’ They say, ‘Were they nice?’ Right? Were they nice? And you know what, no matter what somebody does for a living, if you can’t be kind and be nice, what’s the point?” – Kelly Lang
“I don’t let the music business dictate what I write. I just write what I’m experiencing at the time, and if it relates to somebody, that’s great! But it’s more like painting a picture, really. I like to paint scenes just like Loretta did or just like Dolly did; you don’t have to guess what I’m saying or guess what they were saying in their lyrics because sometimes they just get it…If you look back on their songs, they had very simple words. You didn’t have to get a dictionary out to figure out what they were trying to tell you.” – Kelly Lang
“I got on social media, and I just said,‘…Send in pictures of yourself if you’re a breast cancer survivor choosing how you will live positively today. Maybe that will help people.’ Boy, they came out in droves! They sent in these beautiful pictures, and we were able to place them within the video. And it’s very encouraging, although it’s a sad subject matter, it’s empowering.” – Kelly Lang
“I encourage people just to go take a deep breath in. Oh, you breathe! Oh my gosh! You can be thankful for that, you know? So, I would write down like 30 things a day in a gratitude journal, and the more I was finding myself grateful for things, the more I felt like I was given things to be grateful for.” – Kelly Lang
“Give your smiles away. It’s really fun, and it doesn’t cost you anything!” – Kelly Lang
Guest’s Bio:
Singer, songwriter, and producer Kelly Lang has had a stellar career in the music industry with cuts by artists such as Ricky Skaggs, Lorrie Morgan, The Oak Ridge Boys, Crystal Gayle, George Jones, B.J. Thomas, Jimmy Fortune, T.G. Sheppard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Lee, just to name a few.
She has recorded duets with iconic artists Dame Olivia Newton-John, Paul Shaffer, and Lee Greenwood. As an artist, Lang has released several albums, including 11:11, Shades of K, Throwback, Obsession, and Iconic Duets with her husband, TG Sheppard. In the spring of 2020, Lang re-released her classic children’s album Lullaby Country, which was initially sold at Cracker Barrel.
As part of a regional campaign, her voice and writing skills can be heard on television throughout Tennessee and the surrounding areas as the official song for Ascension St. Thomas Hospital’s commercial titled “I’m Not Going Anywhere.”
In 2020 Kelly released a collection of classic songs called Old Soul. The album was so well received that a second volume, Old Soul II, is scheduled for release in late 2022.
- Recipient of The Icon Award from The Southern Women in Film and Television
- Author of the book I’m Not Going Anywhere
- Three-time Star Search winner
- Multiple appearances on the world-famous Grand Ole Opry
- Shared the stage with Loretta Lynn, Sir Barry Gibb, George Strait, Lorrie Morgan, TG Sheppard, Ronnie Milsap, Mickey Gilley, Brenda Lee, George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, and many more
- Songs “I’m Not Going Anywhere” and “How Does It Feel” featured in the movie The Deal with Burt Reynolds
- Member of The Oklahoma Hall of Fame, The North American Country Music Hall of Fame, and soon to be a member of The Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Performed “Islands In The Stream” with Sir Barry Gibb for Kenny Rogers’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame
- An accomplished artist with oil paintings in the homes of Oprah Winfrey, Sir Barry Gibb, Dame Olivia Newton-John, Larry the Cable Guy, and Justin Timberlake’s parents
- Creator of the hilarious comedic character XOXO who performed on the national television show Huckabee
- Former national spokesperson for Cindy Crawford’s skincare line Meaningful Beauty