Angie’s List of Accomplishments Goes Beyond Singing to Include Titans Cheerleader

Singing is a core part of Angie’s soul, but she listens to her heart on how best to progress towards her musical goals. Therefore, her path does not always take the steps that others expect. So far, the journey that started in her hometown near Bay City, Michigan, has taken Angie to Nashville, aka “Music City,” aka “Nashvegas.” But Angie inserted a twist into a singer’s journey, and added being a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader as an opportunity to combine her performer’s passion with her love of football. Bright and articulate, Angie shared with UltimateCheerleaders her experiences of being a young woman finding her voice in Nashville, how her grandfather’s letters show that leaving home to do what one needs to do runs in her family, her admiration of a Beatle, and her hometown’s connection to a group that was hyped as “the new Beatles.”

The hometowns of this season’s Titans Cheerleaders are from every possible different direction from Nashville, and Angie, along with Yalea, hails from Michigan. “I grew up in a small community in Michigan just outside of Bay City called Kawkawlin,” Angie says. “I lived there throughout my childhood until I moved to Nashville to pursue my singing career at 22 years old.” Bay City seems to be doing its darnedest to become “pro cheerleader capital of the world,” with Angie on the Titans, and three members of the unofficial Detroit Pride Cheerleaders. Angie comments on her home state team and their cheerleaders, “I know (Detroit Pride Cheerleader) Megan, we grew up together. With the season they are having, I’m really, really excited for Detroit in general, and the girls that are part of that. I hope that they can officially be cheerleaders.”

For Angie, her first “spotlights” as a singer were the lights in her own home. “Singing has always been an integral part of my life,” recalls Angie. “At two years old, I began performing for my first audience, my family. My parents and older brother have always been my biggest fans. I walked around the house with my Fisher-Price microphone and hand held speaker, belting out the lyrics to many of Whitney Houston’s top hits. I spent countless hours ‘entertaining’ family and friends with my favorite hits of Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, and anything Classic Hollywood.”

But outside of the home, Angie was a shy girl, but luckily a teacher saw the signs of a future performer. “It was my first grade teacher who gave me my first ‘true’ performance opportunity,” remembers Angie. “I went to a private Catholic school and was involved in the children’s choir. We were rehearsing for an upcoming Christmas program and the choir director decided to give me the role as the soloist. I remember being so tiny that two older children in the choir had to help me onto a milk crate so I could reach the microphone. I was six years old and my solo was ‘Jesus Is Beautiful.’”

And has been seen time and time again, “shy” does not mean a lack of talent and ambition, and Angie found her comfort zone singing in front of audiences. “I knew at a very young age I wanted to be an entertainer,” explains Angie. “When the lights were on and the stage was mine, it was difficult to get me off the stage. The more applause, the more I wanted to continue entertaining. This was very different from my personality when eyes were not on me. I grew up as a very shy girl who usually only spoke when spoken to. My school and singing teachers found it hard to believe that this soft-spoken, shy girl was the same person who stole the show when on any stage.”

Singing has always been important to Angie, but she has also always seen “the big picture” that success in life requires multiple endeavors. “From a young age, being in the ‘spotlight’ was always a part of my life whether it was singing my first solo in kindergarten, participating in musical theater, or competing in many talent pageants across the state,” Angie says. “Throughout my childhood, I performed as much as possible. Singing at church-related events and at community activities was a regular experience for me. I continued to keep this focus into my teenage years, but also knew how important my studies were, being involved in the community through volunteer opportunities, my integral role on the high school cheerleading squad, and my first job as a sales clerk at a department store. Even with this busy schedule, my dedication to music continued to grow.”

Angie showed her instincts to do things her own way after high school. “Upon completing high school I was awarded several educational scholarships to study classical opera both at colleges and universities in Michigan and New York,” recalls Angie. “After much thought, I chose a path no one thought I would travel. I began studying political science at a university near my hometown and even got my cosmetology certification. I always aspired to be a singer or a lawyer. In my mind, both opportunities would allow me to use my ability to perform and challenge myself to achieve a goal all while influencing the lives of others.”

After graduating from college, Angie was able to assess her next steps. “As I matured over these years, I found myself listening more to my heart,” Angie explains. “This lead me to pursue my ‘true’ dream to become a singer and I made my permanent move to Nashville.”

But how did Angie’s singer’s journey land her on the sidelines performing for the Titans? “Since it had been quite a while since my last performance, I thought trying out for the Titans Cheerleaders would give me the opportunity to incorporate two of my favorite things, performance and football plus a lot of fun and a new experience for me,” says Angie, continuing to follow her instincts. “Something in my heart told me to tryout and I did. My personality to work hard and never give up helped me to make it through the challenging tryouts without a heavy background in dance. I was actually very skeptical about trying out and the possibility to make the team because of this. I feel very honored to be selected among the twenty-five incredible women who make up the Titans cheerleading team.”

The feeling is mutual, as Stacie Kinder, Director of the Titans Cheerleaders attests, “Angie is a gorgeous woman, inside and out. It’s always wonderful to have someone on the team who doesn’t seem to know how physically beautiful she is. She comes from great family values, and I’m looking forward to having her on the team for many years to come.”

Angie’s appreciative nature is demonstrated by her reaction to becoming a Titans Cheerleader. “It is very difficult for me to put into words the emotions I felt receiving my uniform, walking into the locker room, and onto the field for the first time,” adds Angie. “It was a very different feeling than the first time I stepped on stage to perform as a young child. I remember the day I received my uniform; I went home, put it on and just looked in the mirror for a few moments as I thought ‘I did it. I am really a Titan Cheerleader.’”

Angie seeing herself in the actual uniform was something she had envisioned previously as part of her process of achieving her goals. “I am a very visual person, and believe if I can see it, I can achieve it,” Angie recalls. “Through each tryout, I imagined myself putting on the Titan uniform for the first time. I let out a squeal of excitement when my visions became my reality, the day my name and number was called at the final tryout. Our first game, I was filled with so much anticipation and excitement but at the same time nerves were high. My fear of forgetting what motion went with each beat of each routine made me more nervous. However, the moment I stepped onto the field for the first pre-season game and saw all the fans, it all clicked as if I had been a Titan cheerleader for years. That day will be a memory I will cherish for a lifetime.”

Not only did Angie get to be part of the sidelines experience, but she was part of the calendar shoot for the Cheerleader calendar. “We shot our calendar is Seaside, Florida, and if asked to describe this entire experience with one word, I would say ‘amazing,’ says Angie. “The location was absolutely breathtaking and just being a part of the shoot was very humbling. I had done photo shoots before as a singer but nothing quite as extensive as this experience. I was a bit nervous but our glam crew and fabulous photographer made me feel at ease. I enjoyed the entire experience and could not have been more pleased with the final product.”

Though miles from her Michigan home, Angie, who is also a banker, finds Nashville to be a welcoming place, saying, “There is definitely something to be said about Nashville and its southern hospitality. I love living in a community of perfect strangers who always display a friendly smile and pleasant conversation just in passing. I have traveled throughout the United States and abroad. These experiences have given me opportunities to be among many different people and I can honestly say the people of Tennessee are among the friendliest I have ever known.”

But does this attitude translate to the music scene of Music City, in that, does it seem more comprised of competitiveness or camaraderie? “I would say camaraderie prevails over any competition I have witnessed this through my experiences in the Nashville entertainment industry,” replies Angie. “Of course you have to push yourself within the competitive environment that comes with singing in Nashville but with many different backgrounds, interests, personal stories, and styles of music, it helps build camaraderie with the industry. Singing in this community is an experience I would not change. I enjoy the challenge to perform among so many talented individuals. Someone is always saying, ‘I know someone who can help you and likes your music style.’ The networking within the industry is a large part of Nashville. I believe in paying it forward and being a part of the entertainment industry within Nashville is a perfect environment to do so.”

Though loving her current situation, Angie’s family and home state still occupy big spaces of her heart. In fact, Angie’s Titans bio tells that she treasures her grandfather’s letters from World War II. What did Angie learn about him as a young man, and what did she learn about that time in history from his letters? “My grandfather was 18 years old when he was sent to the Philippines,” relates Angie. “He was the youngest child in a family of six children. He was the only one to serve in the US Navy and World War II. My grandfather made a lifelong commitment to serving this country rather than attend college. He communicated by letter while he was away from family and friends. It was through these letters that I learned so much about the person my grandfather was. I never had the opportunity to meet my grandfather so these letters carry much value to me and I feel as if we shared life together as grandfather and granddaughter. Most of the letters he wrote spoke of the general routines of a soldier’s life. Most letters included pictures of the places he had been to, including a quick tutorial of its significance. My grandfather wrote many letters about his love and admiration for his family, how with each day that passed it became more difficult to be away from his loved ones. He struggled with the loss of close friends also serving for their country and communicated that he could not wait to step foot on American soil to be close to those he left at home. It is because of his written words that I have such strong respect and admiration for the young men and woman for fight for our freedom.” Certainly, Angie’s grandfather would be proud of her own desire to find her distinct path, her performing prowess, and that she is a gracious young woman with an easy smile and infectious laugh.

And you can take the girl out of the Great Lake State, but you can’t remove its musical influence. When asked about what singers inspire her, Angie lists, “Growing up in Michigan, Motown had a large influence on me. I grew up inspired by Aretha Frankiln, Gladys Knight, Barry White, Al Green, the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Wings. As I grow as an individual, I became rejuvenated and motivated by Adele, Beyonce, the late Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone.”

So Angie, if tomorrow, you could pick anyone in the entire world to sing a duet single with, who would you choose? Angie answers, “I would say Paul McCartney without a moment of thought. My hero in the music industry has always been Paul McCartney. Even though Paul McCartney has sold more records than I can count, his passion has always been to inspire others with his lyrics and voice. I aspire to do the same thing. I would measure my success as a singer not in records sold but the number of people I truly inspired with my words, voice, and soul whether that is one person or one million.”

And speaking of a Beatle, over the years there have been many groups hyped as “the new Beatles” such as the The Knack, Klaatu, Oasis, and a certain 70’s group that randomly chose Angie’s hometown on a map for its name. Does Angie have a favorite Bay City Rollers’ song? Does she even know who the Bay City Rollers are? Angie laughs, “I’m from Bay City! How can I not know of the group who threw a dart at a map and landed on my hometown! I would have to say it’s a toss-up between ‘Saturday Night’ and ‘I Only Want to Be with You.’” Angie jokes, “If I had to pick one, I would choose ‘Saturday Night.’ Being that it is a great song, it is often played on Friday nights.” Good choice Angie, in that ‘Saturday Night’ is not only catchy, but can teach kids how to spell.

Nashville commonly attracts singers looking to advance their careers, but Angie’s spirit of adventure, her appreciative spirit, her courteous nature, and lovely presence is certainly uncommon, in any city. It’s like she took the message from Aretha’s “Respect” and applied it to her own attitude of treating others with the utmost respect, all the while earning our respect all the more.

We thank Angie for sharing her story with UltimateCheerleaders, and look forward to hearing the next songs in the soundtrack of her life. Keep us up to date on your life Angie, we want to know how your “songs” play out! We also thank Titans Cheerleaders Director Stacie Kinder, and Titans media staff Robbie Bohren and Alex Garmezy for all of their help.