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Fan-friendly country star Jo Dee Messina kicks off the second
leg of her highly successful Music Room Series tour this
weekend. (Photo: Campbell Entertainment Group)
The fictional "Jenny" that Tommy Tutone sang to the top of the charts was available via 867-5309, as most recall. But the real-life Jo Dee, as in the country star who's surname is Messina, recently handed out her digits so fans could reach truly out and touch, as the old adage goes
Thanks to today's technology with ease, Messina--whose fans have considered her to be one of the day's more accessible celebs--took her relationship with fans to a new level over the weekend by giving out her cell phone number, 615-866-1681, and inviting her followers on Twitter and SayNow to give her a call. Moreover, per her publicist, Messina logged about 90 minutes on the phone with callers, chit-chatting away.
"I have always loved talking with fans," says the Tim McGraw-discovered Messina, "and Twitter and SayNow make it really easy to communicate. This is something I will do periodically, and it's another way of staying in touch with the fans. We had some interesting conversations Friday night. Some people didn't believe they were actually talking to me. It was cute."
First-time mom Messina is no stranger to Twitter, as it turns out. During this year's CMA Music Festival, the flame-tressed vocalist hid tickets to her fan club party at various Nashville landmarks, then tweeted clues to their locations. Subsequently, she's reportedly planning to implement a similar contest in many of her upcoming tour markets, wherein concert tickets will be given away using Twitter.
And speaking of tour plans, Messina--along with three of her musicians--will embark on the second leg of her Music Room Series outing this weekend, with Oct. 23-24 shows in Florida. On this particular tour, Messina opted to perform in intimate venues, with a stage set-up that resembles the music room in her home. In turn, with her trio of players, Jo Dee offers fans a unique chance to hear her perform "stripped-down versions" of her numerous No. 1 singles, favorite covers and songs she's written but not yet recorded.
The first leg of the highly successful venture kicked off last April in New York, with the singer delivering not only her hits, but the stories behind them, including fan favorites by Messina such as “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” “I'm Alright” and “Bye Bye,” not to mention "Bring On the Rain" and and the Kostas-penned “Because You Love Me," to name a sampling.
Adding to he appeal of the Music Room Series is the fact that each particular performance is driven in large part by audience requests, and Jo Dee also answers audience questions during the concerts. Additionally, on her forthcoming outing, she plans to host live Internet broadcasts following her performances, where the technology is available. And during these webcasts, she'll be backstage with her SayNow and Twitter fans who win the opportunity to be a part of the "hang."
For more info on Messina's upcoming tour dates, including ticket and concert details, as well as how to access her via Twitter, MySpace and Facebook pages, please visit her official Web site at www.JoDeeMessina.com.
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