Katrina Elam

Big Daddy’s is proud to introduce the sponsorship of a young and talented singer/entertainer from Bray, Oklahoma named Katrina Elam. The “showbiz bug” bit the tenth grader, when at the age of nine she won a 4-H talent contest.

Katrina Elam may be petite in stature, but her compelling voice and passionate heart could stop an Oklahoma prairie fire. It is her natural talent that has the 16 year old carrying on a tradition in her home state of Oklahoma. Katrina is not only following in the footsteps of such former teenage prodigies as Reba McEntire and Vince Gill, she has also enjoyed the rare opportunity of performing with these legends, and leaving them impressed.
Reba invited Katrina to perform a duet with her during the superstar’s performance with the Tulsa Philharmonic in May 1999. A review in Tulsa World declared that Katrina, “Amazingly held her own with Reba, and was rewarded with a standing ovation from the crowd.” Reba jokingly warned Katrina’s touring partner and long-time supporter, country music icon Leroy Van Dyke, to “Watch out for Katrina. She’ll steal the show.”

Another convert is Vince Gill who in October of 1999 heard Katrina perform with the Byron Berline Band at the Vince Gill Celebrity Auction and joined them on stage, playing mandolin for an impromptu jam session. Katrina so impressed Gill that he asked her to record harmony on a Berline project. “Katrina is star material,” Gill said.

This upcoming young star received the 1998 Female Vocalist honors from both the Oklahoma Country Music Association and the Oklahoma Opry. In 1999 Katrina was voted Female Vocalist of the Year in the category of age 16 and under. She later became the big winner of the evening when she was named the Entertainer of the Year!!! This award which has no age limit has never been awarded to someone in the under 16 category. She not only broke the record, but is also the first female to be awarded this award in the 21 years at the Oklahoma Opry.

Despite performing nearly every weekend and some weekdays, Katrina still maintains a nearly 4.0 grade point average and finds time to play on the school softball team. She credits a strong family influence and supportive parents for keeping her feet set solidly on firm ground. Other strong influences in Katrina’s life, in addition to her family and Leroy Van Dyke are musical powerhouses Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Jo Dee Messina. Katrina proudly states, “I own every record Dolly and Reba ever made. I love Dolly’s songs. I like Reba because she has such a great voice. And Jo Dee is just awesome on stage.” “Besides,” Katrina adds with an impish grin, “Jo Dee and Reba are redheads like me.”

Even at her young age, Katrina realizes that talent alone will not get the job done. She performs live at every opportunity, developing her stage presence. She has also amassed considerable studio experience, which has resulted in her first CD, “What’ll It Take,” which she offers at her performances. “I’m working constantly on all aspects of my music. That way, when something big does happen in my career, I’ll be ready,” she says. And when it does, country fans will certainly be ready for Katrina Elam.

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