Brittnee Edmonds

My name is Brittnee Lee Edmonds.  I was born on November 16, 1990 in Garland, Texas to John and Deena Edmonds.  I have a younger sister, Kaylee, who is 12 years old.

It may sound cliché, but my parents say that I have been singing since I was a baby in my crib.  My mom used to always tell me that I hardly ever cried when I woke up in the morning; instead, I would hum and sing songs.  It wasn’t until the third grade that I finally became brave enough to sing in front of an audience other than my family.  I decided that my stage name would be Brittnee Lee.  My big debut was at Rowlett, Texas’ Herfurth Elementary School Talent Show, and I sang “On the Side of Angels” by LeAnn Rimes.

In the sixth grade I found out about the FOX television show, American Juniors.  The producers of the hit show, American Idol, decided to make show for young singers to compete for stardom.  I auditioned for American Juniors in Chattanooga, TN.  I wound up making it all the way to the semi-finals.

American Juniors gave me the confidence to begin performing at local country music venues.  I started performing at the Garland Opry, Wylie Opry, Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue, etc.  I also performed in the corners of local restaurants with my boom box and a microphone – hey, I was willing to do whatever I needed to in order to get my name known and voice heard.  Before I knew it, I had met a group of amazing musicians that were looking for a lead singer.  Soon, we had formed a set list and were opening for Josh Gracin at the “world’s largest honky tonk,” Billy Bob’s Texas!  A few months later, “Brittnee Lee” was named one of the most demanded artists in Texas.  I loved every minute of it.

I was 14 when I began writing songs.  I released a demo CD with songs that I had written and sent it to anyone that would listen.  In 2006, my song, “He Said, She Said,” got air time on small radio stations around the nation, and was the second most requested song on a radio station in Oregon!

Soon, I was introduced to Lyle Walker and Max Archer.  Lyle had managed LeAnn Rimes for the first 8 years of her career, and was managing Steve Holy at the time.  Max had produced both of the artists. In 2007, at a restaurant on South Lamar in Dallas, I was signing my first management contract with them.

That same year, my mom was diagnosed with Adrenocortical Carcinoma, a very rare form of cancer that only strikes 1-2 people per million population each year.  The cancer is known for spreading very rapidly.  The only known way to successfully treat this type of cancer is by surgically removing the tumors, and the overall 5-year survival rate is just 20-35%.  When my mom was diagnosed, her tumor was in her torso and already the size of a football.  She had the tumor removed, along with her left kidney, adrenal gland, and part of her diaphragm.  That summer, I spent practically every day with her in the hospital.

I was visiting my mom in the hospital I heard about Richland Collegiate High School (RCHS), a charter school out of Richland College in Dallas.  The program allowed for high school juniors to enter the college environment and jump-start their college careers.  I immediately applied, and was soon accepted into the school.  While I was at RCHS I realized my love for Journalism.  I served as Editor-in-Chief of the RCHS Yearbook and did work for the Richland newspaper, The Richland Chronicle.

During my two years at RCHS I continued to sing and write, but dealing with my mom’s illness, going to college, and running my family’s dog boarding business took up a lot of time.

In early 2009, my family realized that we could not handle all of the hardships on our own, and formed a relationship with Jesus Christ. We had always believed in God, but we never really had a strong relationship with Him.   We continued to go to church as my mom’s health became worse and worse and the cancer continued to spread.  My mom never let the cancer get her down and always had a positive attitude.  This made it easier on my family and friends.

On May 8^th, 2009, I graduated from Richland Collegiate High School with my High School Diploma and Associate’s Degree.

My mom said that when my sister and I were ready, she would love to see us baptized together.  On May 17, 2009 we did just that.

Nine days later, on May 26, 2009, my mom peacefully went to sleep and passed away with family and close friends by her side.

I decided to spend the next Fall semester out of school to be with my dad and sister as we all adjusted to living without my mom at home.  I worked as a substitute teacher for Royse City ISD and Mesquite ISD.

Now, I am adjusting to life as a University of North Texas student studying Journalism and Marketing.  I also plan to start working on “Brittnee Lee’s” music career again!