A’Lise Holliday, 16, started recording music at the age of 13 but said in a recent interview she has always been a singer and a songwriter.
“I’m always writing songs, starting with thoughts and rhymes,” Holliday said. “I try to tell a story with songs.”
Currently writing and recording songs for her debut album, one of the songs, “You Can Change The World,” caught the attention of people involved with the 2010 Gospel Choice Awards and led to Holliday becoming a performer at this year’s event, which was held last month at the Georgia World Congress Center.
“It was so beautiful,” Holliday said. She met recording artists Canton Jones and Regina Belle, walked the red carpet, had a big dressing room, wore a long gown and took part in a VIP reception. “I think I was smiling the whole night.”
Holliday added that she wasn’t too nervous at all. That might be because she has been performing in front of crowds for a long time. She has performed at festivals, schools, churches, restaurants and more. Locally, she has played at Georgia Shrimp Company and will also start singing at A’Meritage in Tyrone soon and has even had some local television exposure with performances on Atlanta Live. Prior to the Gospel Choice Awards, her biggest event may have been the Peach Drop.
Holliday is one of those teens who stays very busy. A junior at Whitewater, Holliday is a member of the advanced choir and also cheers for varsity basketball games. At church, Harvest Rain International in Fairburn, she is part of the praise team. When she isn’t training, writing, recording, doing homework or after school activities, she does things to help groups that help children or battered women.
Holliday is already starting to think about college and is hoping to end up in New York City, majoring, of course, in music. There have been some offers that may have fast-tracked her album or her career but it is important to her and her family to just be a regular 16 year-old-girl as much as possible. For Holliday, that means a busy schedule and constantly writing, rehearsing recording and performing.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/aliseholliday or find her Group on Facebook.
