Sarah Darling   -  Biography

Sarah Darling was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and raised in a small Iowa town as an only child. Her earliest exposure to country music came on Sunday mornings when her grandfather would listen to the radio while driving her to church. She grew up writing poetry and eventually gravitated toward writing songs. On her 14th birthday, she received a small sound system and began singing locally at weddings, birthdays, talent shows, pageants and the Iowa State Fair. In 2002, a year after graduating from high school, Darling saved $5,000 and packed up everything she owned in a horse trailer to head to Nashville to pursue her music career. In 2003, she auditioned for The Entertainer, an E! Entertainment Television reality series hosted by Wayne Newton. After spending eight weeks living at the Las Vegas Hilton while competing for a performing contract, she finished in the Top 3. Newton took her aside one day to say she was his favorite singer on the show -- but added that she didn't belong in Las Vegas. He suggested returning to Nashville to concentrate on country music. She spent the next three years writing songs and performing in local clubs. While supporting herself with a job as a waitress, Darling also found work as a model and appeared in several music videos, including Kellie Pickler's "Red High Heels," Joe Nichols' "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" and Big & Rich's "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)." After hearing her original song, "Stop the Bleeding," on her MySpace page, producer and session keyboardist Jimmy Nichols signed her as the first artist on his label, Black River Records. Her debut album, Every Monday Morning, was released in 2009. It includes the single, "Jack of Hearts."