Mary Jo Burden

Name: Mary Jo Burden - Born Mary Jo Zitta in Petersburg, VA. I'm very proud of my Czech heritage. Both of my grandparents were full blooded Czechs. My grandmother was born in America, whereas my Grandfather was an immigrant at around the age of 10. Due to their pride for America and for being American citizens, I was raised by my parents and family to always uphold the flag and be very grateful for the freedoms we have in our country. Family: Married, 3 children, 2 grandchildren Spiritual...

Name: Mary Jo Burden - Born Mary Jo Zitta in Petersburg, VA. I'm very proud of my Czech heritage. Both of my grandparents were full blooded Czechs. My grandmother was born in America, whereas my Grandfather was an immigrant at around the age of 10. Due to their pride for America and for being American citizens, I was raised by my parents and family to always uphold the flag and be very grateful for the freedoms we have in our country. Family: Married, 3 children, 2 grandchildren Spirituality: I believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost Bio: When I turned 6 years old my father decided to take on the family tradition of Farming. So I grew up on a farm along with my 6 sisters (no brothers)...poor dad LOL. Being the "Middle" Child, the tallest and most "Tom Boyish" of all my sisters, I was in the FFA during school and earned my Associates Degree in Horticulture/Floriculture. Took shop and welding...There were no boys in our family, and I was determined to show my dad that I could do what was needed. (I'm kinda stubborn too, I like to call it driven). I was into everything from Tractors to Mud Bogs to Keg Parties to whatever there was to do growing up back in the boonies (wouldn't trade it for the world). There is a background of music that started at birth. My family has always been involved in music. Started with Southern Gospel....My mom even dressed us in matching outfits to sing at churches and Nursing Homes etc. All of us girls took some sort of music classes or participated in band at some point. (I cheated.....I played Trumpet, Bellaliar, and piano and even electric guitar classes at one point). Problem was I played by ear and memory (too hyper for an instrument), so I can't read a note and never studied any instrument long enough to even know what I was doing. I can still play piano or keyboards with some success. Being that we sang so often together as a group, I never shared my desire to be an independent vocalist as a young girl. Straight out of High School, I got a job, got married, and had babies. (luv my children). It would be several years later before I began singing again. My first marriage didn't last and soon I was a single mom with two small children. We got by and eventually I even decided to take the plunge again. So, in my second marriage and with baby #3 on the way (my unexpected angel), singing was still my strongest desire. Though being a "Career Florist" for close to 20 years. I decided, along with a friend of mine I had met through "Karaoke" to start a karaoke show on the side. We got some great gigs immediately, and I am proud to say it was and is because we don't just do "Karaoke", we put on a show. It was really the only way that I could support my singing addiction. I got to sing, perform and got paid for it too, even without the band I yearned for. I had a small child at home, my other two practically grown, and I couldn't make a move to sing on a full time basis at this point. Mouths to feed and responsibilities to take care of. Then when the opportunity presented itself, I took the plunge and quit my day job at the florist to follow my dreams in the music industry, at whatever level I could take it. While singing karaoke one night at one of our shows, I was approached by a man who said he was a songwriter, with a #1 country song, and that he had been songwriter of the year from that hit. His name was Slugger Morrisette, writer of "It's a Little Too Late" as recorded by Mark Chesnutt. Slugger just said to me,"Girl..you've got it", you need to get your butt to Nashville. Flattering as it was, I just couldn't see it happening. I asked Slugger if I could listen to some of his songs. Well he gave me about 140 to listen to, and I loved them all. My craving for original uncut songs began. I wanted to be an Artist. I was then working gigs on Fort Lee Army Base also. I had met a young Marine, Jeffrey Scott Cornish, his voice and his personality stole my heart. I basically adopted him as another child. His clear and soul reaching vocals were a raw talent, the best I had heard in the 8 years of karaoke work and of listening to local bands. This young Marine, expressed to me his desires to be in the music business. Well, I began my education wholeheartedly, determined to help this young man on his way. In order to help him, I had to experience the process. I took the first of several, 10-plus hour drives to Nashville. The beginning of a song search, and insight into the business of music. After this first trip, I came home and took a job with the Fort Lee FMWR, recording and trips aren't cheap. Had to pick up the income somehow. Two jobs bring in more than one. :-) I started receiving songs from publishers for review. I met Rich Fagan on my first trip to Nashville, shortly before his whole life and world turned upside down. So proud of how he has come out stronger and is really blessing and touching lives, because of his testimony and his music. He gave me some great songs to review. I fell in love with several of the songs and asked Rich if I could record them. He agreed and that started the search for the songs that I would record for my CD. I had already decided on the song written by Slugger, "Watch Me Fade", and when I heard "We Don't Talk About The War"......no words.....it was what needed to be sung and needed to be shared. It was for me. In the meantime, the young Marine, Jeff, got a deal with an Indie Label to do one CD with them. I offered the song "We Don't Talk About The War" as one for his album, mainly because I thought it would be phenomenal sung by an Active Duty Marine. They initially turned it down, but later after hearing my version, they decided to include it on his album. So there is actually a Male and Female version of this song. (Pretty Cool I think). So I recorded 4 of Rich's songs: "We Don't Talk About The War" (co written with Matt Kennon) "It's True" (Gorgeous ballad, that is so personal and heartfelt) "How I Wanna Live" (cuz it fit's me to a tee) "Think Outside The Box" (because I believe I do, I believe anything is possible and that we should never give up. Find a way."Think Outside The Box") Then I chatted with Charlie Craig on MySpace and got some demo's from him. I fell in love with "Walk On Water" and knew I had to sing it. Then there is the beautiful song by Lorna Flowers and Travis Woodruff, "Like I Know The Rain", originally demoed as a song for a male artist. I just wanted to "create" this song because I "heard" it differently. So with their blessings, I was able to record it and have it arranged my way. Lastly, Mike Sikorsky. Mike is an International Square Dance Caller. I met him through my oldest sister. She knew that I was recording and creating, and she had heard a few songs that Mike had written, and as Mike himself put it, "I sing like Kermit The Frog", but the lyrics and the melodies were pretty catchy. I offered to demo some of his songs for him, just because he was nice, not for money. Well, once I started working on "Close Enough To Touch", and working with an Army Sergeant that I had met through Karaoke (and who eventually became, and still is, my business partner), we reworked and recreated the tracks and it rocked. It just felt good and funky, with a hillbilly Motown feel, so I asked Mike if I could include it on my album. I hope I didn't bore you too much. Oh I forgot, this year I got to add Master of Ceremonies for our outdoor summer concert series on base as my third job! I love this because I get to talk to the crowd about our troops and how proud I am of them and it is just an amazing wonderful chance to support them....sigh...so proud of them all. My life has been full already and I have many a story to tell, and many a song to sing.