Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wicker releases single

Anita Wicker, a graduate of Prescott High School, has released a new single that she hopes is going to be the first of many. The song is called, Do You Want Me? It was written by Wickers fianci Johnny Harp, and was recorded by Sound Control Studio in Nashville, Tenn.

Wicker said the opportunity to record has been a long time coming.

Wicker has roots in the area. Her parents are Margie and Jimmy Wicker and she has three children, Holly, 20, Jessica, 16 and Jasmine, 12. She said she has always loved music but started to sing gospel in public locally in 1994.

Thats what most people remember me doing, Wicker said. Gospel.

She said that gospel music stood her in good stead when she went to Nashville in September for an audition with music promoter Don Reed.

I went up there with some music I had written, Wicker said.

But when she was preparing to sing, Reed told her he didnt want her to sing anything with a music accompaniment that would cover up her voice. Wicker said she quickly searched her mind for anything she could sing without music and something that she knew the words to. The only song that came to mind was Amazing Grace.

I didnt get too far in the song, she said. Mr. Reed stopped me.

She said his first question was whether shed ever had voice lessons, and said her immediate reaction was disappointment. She said she expected him to tell her to take some lessons and call him back when shed completed that task. Instead, he told her that she shouldnt take lessons and that he was ready to promote her music career.

She began working on music of her own to take back to Nashville to record. She said she had some options, including another song written by Harp called, I Miss You.

Its a touching song, she said.

But she said she wanted the first song to be one that demonstrated her passion for music. She said she thinks shes found that in the current release. She described the situation of the song as being a young woman, awakened from sleep to find the man she had an on-again off-again relationship with on the porch.

The whole question is do you want me, do you need me or did you just come back to hurt me one more time, Wicker said.

There are plans for a video, though no date has been set. Wicker said she hopes to be very involved with the process and that shes also working on additional songs for an album that might be called, Do You Want Me? She could even do some traveling to promote her current release.

Wicker said she wants to keep the music career going. One of her goals is to do a gospel album.

Ill never forget gospel, she said. Thats my passion and Ill never give it up.

Asked if she was ready for the success that could come from this step in her career, Wicker said shes more than ready.

I have been waiting my whole life for this, she said. I always said that after my kids got older, I wanted to pursue my dream.

She said her own life experiences are playing heavily into her writing and said she sings what she feels. With that behind her, she said shes ready to follow this dream.

If you have a dream, no matter what it is, dont put it on the back burner too long, she said. You dont want to wake up and regret not trying.