On CMT: Characters

	John Rich (Judge) Country music star, singer-songwriter and acclaimed producer John Rich has signed on to find the next Nashville star. Rich will be one of the judges and mentors on NBC's music competition series, and his experience on and off the stage is sure to put some heat on the budding artists. The Texas native, most recently known as one half of the multi-platinum Warner Bros. duo, Big & Rich, has been honing his writing skills for years. Originally part of the band Lonestar, Rich scored his first No. 1 record with the song, "Come Cryin' to Me." Since then, he has made a name for himself as an artist in his own right, a producer and an award-winning songwriter. In addition to his accolades as a performer and songwriter, Rich has helped other artists catapult to stardom along the way. Currently named one of People magazine's most powerful people in the music industry, he has managed to create his own musical movement better known as the Muzak Mafia. Several years ago, Rich, Big Kenny and a group of friends began playing out together. What started out as a group of musicians throwing casual jam sessions at a local Nashville haunt evolved into a band of brothers (and sisters) - the Muzak Mafia. Gradually, the movement turned into one of the most exciting scenes in Nashville. Other founding members include multi-platinum selling artist and ACM female vocalist of the year Gretchen Wilson, Warner Bros. artists James Otto, Shannon Brown and Cowboy Troy. Eventually it led to the pairing of John Rich and Big Kenny -- thus creating Big & Rich. While Rich was hard at work on his own artist career, he was simultaneously working to further the careers of all of the members of the Muzak Mafia. He co-produced not only his own Big & Rich record, Horse of a Different Color, but also Gretchen Wilson's first and second records, Cowboy Troy's current record and the upcoming records due out from James Otto and Shannon Brown. Rich's writing credits include the Gretchen Wilson hits, "When I Think About Cheatin'" and "Here for the Party" as well as her ACM Award-winning single of the year, "Redneck Woman." He also produced Faith Hill's hit single, "Mississippi Girl." In addition to his several other cuts on Hill's Fireflies album, Rich co-wrote the majority of the songs on Cowboy Troy and Shannon Brown's latest albums. He's also had past cuts on Martina McBride, Clay Walker and Aaron Tippin. Rich currently lives in Nashville.
	Jewel (Judge) Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy nominee Jewel, who hosted Nashville Star last season, continues her commitment to the show, making time in her busy tour schedule to once again join the search for the next great music artist. With her success as a mainstream rock/folk artist as well as her recent crossover into the country genre, Jewel will provide a unique insight into the music industry and will be an experienced mentor to the competing musicians. Jewel belonged to a musical family, touring with her parents and brothers through the native villages of Alaska, making local records and traveling to remote places via dog sled. At the age of 8, her parents divorced, yet Jewel continued to tour with her father as part of a duet. At 15, she performed solo for the first time and earned a vocal scholarship to Interlochen, a private arts school in Michigan. It was there she learned to play guitar and began writing songs. "Who Will Save Your Soul," which would later become the first single from her first album, was written during a spring break trip to Mexico where Jewel performed on the street to make money. After school, Jewel moved to San Diego where her first regular gig at a coffee house in Pacific Beach earned her a cult following and a record deal. After touring for a year and opening for the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, she recorded her debut record, Pieces of You, which initially sold 3,000 copies and went on to sell over 11 million units. Jewel's debut album along with her subsequent albums, has earned her many accolades such as three Grammy nominations, an American Music award and an MTV Video music award. In 1999, she was presented the prestigious Governors Award from the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy (NARAS). The award, now known as the Recording Academy Honors Award, recognizes those whose creative talents and accomplishments have crossed all musical boundaries and have been recognized as an asset to the music community. From the remote tundra of her Alaskan youth to the triumph of international stardom, Jewel has traveled a singular road as an acclaimed singer, songwriter, poet, actress and painter. The three-time Grammy nominee, hailed by The Times of London as "the most sparkling female singer-songwriter since Joni Mitchell," continues to explore new musical avenues from the simplicity of acoustic-driven folk to the embrace of rock, pop, country, blues, jazz and classical influences. To date, Jewel has sold over 27 million albums worldwide, enjoying career longevity rare among her generation of artists. Jewel's personal odyssey, partly chronicled on her 12-times RIAA platinum debut album, Pieces of You, came to full flower with her last album, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. Her first country album, Perfectly Clear, will be released on June 3, with her current single "Stronger Woman" already climbing the country music charts. In addition to her music and with the wisdom that deeds mean as much as words, Jewel founded Project Clean Water, an organization that organizes teams of scientists and engineers to bring safe, clean drinking water to impoverished communities worldwide -- from Mexico to Africa, India to Tibet. She has remained at the helm of the self-funded project for over 10 years. She currently lives on a ranch in Stephenville, Texas.
	Jeffrey Steele (Judge) Multi-award winning songwriter and hit-making producer Jeffrey Steele rounds out the panel of accredited celebrity judges/mentors for NBC's Nashville Star. If you listen to the radio, you've heard one of his songs. In fact, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) recently awarded the veteran songwriter for over 30 million airplays for his hit songs recorded by artists such as Montgomery Gentry, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, VanZant and many other top names. Steele is a hit songwriter and producer with accolades including two-time BMI songwriter of the year and Nashville Songwriters Association International's (NSAI) writer of the year for three consecutive years. His country and adult contemporary No. 1 song, "What Hurts the Most," recorded by Rascal Flatts, was nominated for a Grammy for the best country song, received a BMI pop award and was the BMI song of the year in 2007. Steele is also credited for producing Montgomery Gentry's albums My Town and Some People Change and most recently the Keith Anderson and John Waite projects. He's also hit the road performing with such artists as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. His publishing company, 3 Ring Circus Music, has also churned out the hits including "My Wish," "Brand New Girlfriend," "Help Somebody," "Everytime I Hear Your Name" and "Everyday You Saved My Life." Steele currently lives in Nashville.
	Alyson Gilbert Age: 28 Hometown: Crookstown, Minn. Current Home: Jackson, Tenn. Stunningly beautiful, Alyson Gilbert has a passion for music and animals. A former Miss St. Paul, her husband quit his job so Alyson could pursue her dream of music. When not performing at local bars and parties, Alyson studies veterinarian science at the University of Tennessee in Martin, Tenn.
	Ashlee Hewitt Age: 20 Hometown: Lancaster, Minn. Current Home: Nashville, Tenn. With her dad currently in Iraq training Iraqis, Ashlee is hoping to stay on the show for a few weeks so her dad can see her perform when he returns to the States for a short leave from overseas. One of 13 children, she grew up on a 2,500 acre horse ranch in Minnesota and is a true country girl -- comfortable driving tractors, catching fish or riding one of her family's 70 horses. Now, Ashlee's left her family and her farm to move to Nashville in pursuit of her dream.
	Melissa Lawson Age: 31 Hometown: Arlington, Texas Current Home: Dalworthington Gardens, Texas At age 31, Melissa is the oldest female contestant this season on Nashville Star. A working mother with five sons, Melissa wants to prove that country music is about the songs and the voice, not about the size jeans you wear. She's the every woman in pursuit of the ultimate dream, and she didn't leave her family to lose the competition.
	Shawn Mayer Age: 21 Hometown: May City, Iowa Current Home: Madison, Tenn. From a town of 45, Shawn skipped lunch at school to avoid finding someone that would sit with her or having to sit alone. Unlike her classmates, Shawn was spending her weekends earning money by performing in bars and not hanging out at the mall. Her parents encouraged her to make her own way, and she rewarded them by hiring them to be part of her team as she pursued her dreams. She's worked on a hog farm, is a mechanic and a volunteer firefighter, but this girl really just wants to be on a stage.
	Coffey Age: 28 Hometown: Bangs, Texas Current Home: Los Angeles According to Coffey, being away from his 5-year-old daughter Savannah is like holding your breath and suffocating. As a single father, Coffey is competing for two -- himself and his daughter. He loves country music, he loves to entertain and he loves to be a Southern gentleman. While most move to Nashville, Coffey left his small town in Texas for Los Angeles where he can often be found performing on the 3rd Street Promenade, trying to sell a CD as people pass by.
	Charley Jenkins Age: 29 Hometown: Roosevelt, Utah Current Home: Murray, Utah Everybody has been affected by cancer, but for Charley Jenkins it partly defines who he is. Five years ago, Charley moved away from home to pursue his music career, but when his dad was terminally ill with cancer, Charley returned home to Utah. A year later, his dad passed away and now Charley includes a song he wrote about his father in every set he performs to have his dad still be close to him. With a 2-year-old daughter and a wife at home, this true good-old-boy from Utah wants to make his family proud and his dad smile from above.
	Gabe Garcia Age: 28 Hometown: Lyle, Texas Current Home: Dickson, Tenn. Gabe Garcia is proud of his roots and wants to inspire other Hispanics to pursue a career in country music, just as Rick Trevino inspired him. After his father passed away last October, this ultimate Tex-Mex cowboy left San Antonio and his job of 10 years to follow his dream, and he's not turning back. With his family's support, Gabe wants to be the next Nashville Star with his mother cheering him on from the audience.
	Justin Gaston Age: 19 Hometown: Pineville, La. Current Home: Los Angeles Originally from Louisiana, Justin left home at age 17 to pursue a career in music, while supporting himself as a model. Only after suffering heartbreak from breaking up with his long-distance girlfriend did he realize how isolating living on your own can be at a young age. With his good looks and great voice, Justin is the ultimate teenage country heartthrob.
	Tommy Stanley Age: 23 Hometown: Cushing, Okla. Current Home: USS Kittyhawk Tommy Stanley was working as an engineer on the USS Kittyhawk and stationed in Japan when he filmed his video audition for Nashville Star. After finding out he'd made it to the Norfolk military audition, Tommy flew from Japan to Virginia with the hopes of taking a leave from duty to pursue his music. He hasn't seen his father in a year or his mom in three years, but he hopes to perform before them on the show.
	Laura and Sophie - Laura Fedor and Sophie Zalokar Age: Laura (18), Sophie (16) Hometown: Willoughby, Ohio Current Home: Willoughby, Ohio To look at Laura and Sophie is to see two high school teenagers who should be enjoying their summer vacation from school. Instead, Laura is missing her high school graduation and spent her last three weeks at home fighting with her parents who forbade her from doing Nashville Star. The 18-year-old chose to go against her parents' wishes to spend the summer with her best friend Sophie as they try to pursue their dreams at a young age. With Laura still wearing braces and Sophie barely legal to drive, these teens are unlike anything else in country music.
	Pearl Heart - Amy, Angela and Courtney Krechel Age: Amy and Angela (20), Courtney (17) Hometown: Florissant, Mo. Current Home: Thompson's Station, Tenn. The female trio Pearl Heart is a family affair with twin sisters Amy and Angela singing alongside their little sister Courtney. After watching their daughters perform together for years, Pearl Heart's parents packed up their bags and moved their family to Tennessee for their daughters to more seriously pursue their music career. By making the Top 12 of Nashville Star, the Krechel sisters are hoping to prove to their parents that the move paid off.
	Third Town - Jeffrey Fairchild, James A. Kouns (aka Little Tony) and Tony Mosti Age: Jeffrey (37), James (29) and Tony (35) Hometown: San Antonio, Texas Current Home: Las Vegas, Nevada First, Jeffrey, Little Tony and Tony tried to make it in San Antonio, then Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and third, they went to Las Vegas where they found their name -- Third Town. After their tryout for Nashville Star, the three were told that they didn't make the show's Top 12, and they returned to Las Vegas and resumed their lives of pounding the pavement in pursuit of their dreams. Then, the day before the first show taping, they got the call that will forever change their lives. They've made the Top 12. Each performing in a separate show in Vegas, James, Tony and Little Tony dropped everything and headed to Nashville.