Knockouts Champion Mickie James recently sat down with Northern Virginia Magazine to talk about struggling to make it in the wrestling business, practicing songwriting while on the road and how Somebody’s Gonna Pay is more authentic than her first album.
Sacrificing to try to get to the WWE: “I would drive 20 hours to a WWE tryout. If there was a chance that I could be there, I would make it a point to come, and if that meant living off of tuna fish for a week in order to be able to afford the trip, that’s what I did.”
Turning down other opportunities for the WWE: “I called [WWE talent relations] and said ‘Hey, I turned down Japan. What’s up?’ and they said, ‘Let us think about it, kid.’ They called back a month later and said, ‘We want to hire you, but would you be willing to go to Louisville (home of Ohio Valley Wrestling, the WWE’s former developmental facility, a finishing school for future stars) for six months, tops?”
Writing songs while on the road: “When I was on the road full time with the WWE, I’d always [write] short stories and poetry. I started writing songs, and I would just write to the melodies that were on the radio, and from that I realized that I’ve always wanted to sing. I’ve always had a passion for this, but I’ve always been so scared because I don’t know the first thing about how to even do it.”
Being devastated following her WWE release: “I think that there was a probably a solid month of devastation because I was completely in love with what I was doing. I realize now that I was exhausted. I had forgotten to take those moments for myself … to just sit back and breathe and just take it all in.”
How ‘Somebody’s Gonna Pay’ is more authentic: “The first album I was trying to fit into this female country music artist mold, but this new sound is more me—it’s that Southern rockin’, kick-ass female empowerment which is who I am … not just in the ring, but on stage in the lights. I realized that I may not be everybody’s cup of tea, and that’s OK. … I’m really excited because it’s something that’s totally, totally different and it’s something that I feel like no one else is doing. … it’s different, it’s unique and it’s genuine.”
Read the full interview on NorthernVirginiaMag.com.
Which do you prefer: Stranger and Angels or Somebody’s Gonna Pay?
