Terri Clark In Las Vegas

Never before have I seen Wranglers and a t-shirt look so elegant. Terri Clark is a class act and seemed right at home onstage at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada. But then, it is obvious that she would be right at home on any stage.

Ms Clark has been quoted as saying, "The Whole thing about country music is simplicity, 'Less is More.' You just have to be honest." With in seconds of meeting her for the first time, it is obvious that Terri Clark lives by these words. She is as refreshing as a breath of spring air after a rain. Her music, like her attitude, is as uncomplicated as her wardrobe.

As we line up for a breif meet and great before her show, she playfully trades quips and one liners with some of her management staff. We had been told taht she was "Feeling a bit under the weather". But she shows no signs of it. She is upbeat and friendly and it is easy to see why her fans, and the media, use adjectives like candid, humorous, casual and down-to-earth to describe her.

Clark's debut album went platinum in Canada and the United States and her first single "Better Things to do" became a No.1 country hit. She was crowned star of tomorrow at the fan-voted TNN/Music City News Awards and the CMA nominated her for its prestigious Horizon Award. Billboard magazine named her the Top New Female Country Artist of 1995. The CCMA honored her with three awards -- Album of the YEar, Song of the Year and its Visto Award for Rising Star of 1996 and Terri Clark will be the first to tell you that this is just the beginning. She has no intentions of slowing down, she is just getting started.

Her revival of the country-rock classic "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" is the personificaton of the feisty charm that has become her trademark and is the perfect platform for her robust energy. During this song she dances back and forth across teh stage several times and then finally bolts out into the audience and works her way to the back of the room - sharing high fives , hugs, and encouraging everyone to sing along. Terri Clark professes to "love real country music" and it is apparent that she also loves the fans. It is clearly a mutual admiration.

In late 1995, "Better Things to do" soared to number on on the charts. Three more self-penned hits followed -- "When Boy Meets Girl", "If I Were You", and "Suddenly Single". She went on the road as the opening act for superstar George Strait adn attracted a lot of positive attention with her playful, energetic, boot-scootin' stage antics. She wrote or co wrote all but three of the tunes on her second album. "Just the Same" and her longtime concert crowd pleaser, "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" was a huge success as the advance single.

Despite all the acclaim and awards, she has retained her down-to-earth attitude. "I just want to keep doing this and doing this, and getting better over time. This isn't about being a 'phenomenon.' It's about having longevity. I look at people like Reba and Dolly and George Strait and think, 'That's what I want, a career.'" Says Terri Clark. "I am completely walking on air. This is just like Cinderella going to the ball. Except I don't wear a dress."

In a simple t-shirt, wranglers, cowboy hat and boots - Terri Clark IS the most beautiful of Cinderella's. She doesn't need an elegant dress. Her beauty and talent eminates from deep within her sould and radiates outward with a breathtaking aura as pure as her voice. Natural beauty, charimsa and talent. Terri clark's success isn't a fairy tale = and it will endure long beyond the stroke of midnight.