On CMT: Characters  

Tiffany
Age:22
From:San Francisco
Occupation:Dancer

Tiffany is a phenomenal dancer. Dance is her passion as she has been dancing competitively since she was 4 years old. She works as a professional dancer and teaches jazz, tap and ballet to young dancers. Despite being one of the quietest girls in the group, Tiffany cannot be underestimated because she is quite a force. She sang in high school and college musicals, but she sees dancing as her strength. Tiffany is the only girl to turn up to the house on day one in sneakers, not cowboy boots.

Sarah
Age: 26
From: Los Angeles
Occupation: Dancer

A vivacious blonde, Sarah has been a professional dancer for eight years and has been training in dance for 21 years. She loves to perform and says entertaining is what she wants to do with her life. She is mature and driven and has a knack of having the crowd eating out of her hands when she is on the bar. She describes herself as honest, funny, spiritual and accepting, but she can also procrastinate and be too hard on herself. After recently calling off her two-year engagement, Sarah has a renewed determination to win the competition and eventually open a dance studio.

Tanea
Age: 25
From: New York
Occupation: Actress and singer

The diva of all the girls, Tanea is the stand-out singer and has the most professional training among all the girls. She currently works as a waitress for one of New York's largest catering companies. Her father is a Baptist minister in Baltimore and being heavily influenced by her church background, she recently spent a month as a missionary singer in Rome. She describes herself as honest, loyal, spicy, strong and crazy. Yet, she says others might describe her as moody, unwavering and spoiled. Tanea says her goal in life is to make a full-time living from singing and taking care of her parents.

Jocelyn
Age: 30
From: Miami
Occupation: Insurance processor

The only married woman in the house, Jocelyn brings a great deal of maturity to the show. She was co-captain of her cheerleading squad at school and graduated with a B.S. in biological sciences from Florida State University. She currently works as vice president of operations for a title insurance business. Despite her blooming career and college degree, Jocelyn says her biggest goal in life right now is to be a Coyote. Surprising to many, she loves tattoos and piercings, and says she has more than meets the eye.

Ashley
Age: 21
From: Tampa
Occupation: Entrepreneur

A beauty school graduate, Ashley is the boisterous joker of the house. She owns a cigar shop with her own brand of cigars, lighters, cutters and humidors as well as an art gallery where she sells local and international art. She has been singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the National Professional Rodeo Association since she was 10. Even though Ashley is not the best singer or dancer of the group, she does have raw talent to burn.

Lauren
Age: 22
From: Nashville
Occupation: Bartender

Lauren is a down-to-earth, Southern belle and says she doesn't mind hard work. Her friends describe her as reliable, sweet, dorky and fun, but she also admits to being intimidated when she does not know exactly what she is doing or if she's doing it right. She is a former cheerleader and currently works as a server and bartender. She also does promotional work for Red Bull, which she hopes will give her an edge in the bartending challenges. Lauren has a great singing voice, loves country music, has competed in several singing competitions and has worked at Lonnie's Western Room in Nashville.

Jessica
Age: 24
From: Philadelphia
Occupation: Marketing representative

Prior to this Coyote Ugly competition, Jessica states her greatest achievement was advancing to the last round of auditions for the Pussycat Dolls last summer. She does not have any professional vocal training, but she has been singing since she was very young. Also, she's been training in tap, ballet and jazz all of her life. She has a bachelor of science in speech communications and public relations and works as a marketing representative for an apartment complex. Jessica is a hard worker, and her life's dream is to sing professionally.

Taylin
Age: 37
From: Oklahoma
Occupation: Singer

Taylin is the rock chick of the group and the eldest in the house at age 37. She has never worked as a bartender and has only had a little dance training during school, but she still feels confident and finds it to be a challenge. She has been performing since the age of 3 and now plays in several bands and recently did a national tour with a show band. Her hero is her good friend, Johnny Garcia, who plays lead guitar for Garth Brooks and says that he has been her best friend and musical mentor for years. Taylin currently manages a marketing and promotions team.

Kelly
Age: 26
From: Ashland, Ala.
Occupation: Former National Guard

Blonde and brash, Kelly has a great body and is a sexy dancer. Trained in trip hop, hip hop, jazz technical, Latin dance, tribal and swing, Kelly says she polished her bar-top dancing at the Irish pub where she works. She has worked incredibly hard to get the body she has now. She lost 50 pounds over the last two years on the Subway diet. Kelly has also spent time in the military which she credits with her mental toughness.

Liliana Lovell
Coyote Ugly Saloon Founder

It seems like at least three times a week somebody will come up to me and ask, "How did all of this (Coyote Ugly) get started?" The birth and development of Coyote Ugly spans more years than I care to count, but here are the events from Coyote's rough beginnings to where we are today. This is my story.

I grew up in a lower middle class family in New Rochelle, N.Y., and attended a very snobby Catholic high school. For the record, YES it is true what they say about Catholic school girls. I think part of my drive came from watching all my friends get into their new BMWs, given to them for birthday presents while I worked two jobs to pay for school and put gas in my '67 VW Bug. Surprising to most I am sure, I really liked the nuns at my school! In fact, they were responsible for making me believe I could accomplish anything. Although I am sure that they had different plans for me instead of dancing on top of a bar and sucking every last dollar out of my customer's wallets. However, for this gift, I will give thanks to God and the nuns of Ursuline High School in New Rochelle, N.Y.

After my high school graduation, I was bound for NYU. Unfortunately, without the nuns, I was a little more distracted in my college years. Instead, the next person who would help shape me was my pool hustling boss of Trevis Italian restaurant, a local joint at which I was thankfully employed. He taught me the ins and outs of pool, and I ended up teaching him how to make money in the bar business. Even though I was only 17 years old and a waitress, it seemed like I had a natural instinct for making money.

My first chance soon came as one of the bartenders went on vacation, and I was asked to fill in. I made several hundred calls to ensure all my friends visited me on my premiere bartending night. It went over pretty well, and I was given three bartending shifts a week after that. (I am sure Danny still wishes he hadn't gone on that vacation.) That is where it all started. When I became more comfortable behind the bar, I would have a few drinks, and I found myself on top of the bar singing to whatever came on the jukebox, hustling drinks for customers (and for myself) while making a lot of money doing it. I did so well that the owner closed down the kitchen and turned his place into a bar that only sold liquor.

As time went on and I found myself working in countless places bartending, waitressing, and I even sold windows over the phone. (I was desperate.) During this time, I was still in college, changing my major every semester. I even considered social work as a career, but when I found out you needed a master's to be successful, I quickly moved on to something else. My parents' mantra "get a real job" kept echoing through my head (much like the sound of a police siren).

So I decided to work on Wall Street, but I found there are two problems with apprenticing to be a stockbroker. The first problem -- YOU MAKE NO MONEY as an apprentice. (Not making money is something I am MORALLY against.) Secondly, being a stockbroker doesn't require you to know anything about the market. You just need to be a good salesman. I am an incredible salesperson, but I still can't pick a stock to save my life. My lack of funds forced me to get a second job bartending to pay the bills. I made $250 a week at the Wall Street firm while I would make $250 a night bartending. Obviously, I opted for early retirement from my stock market career.

I felt comfortable being back behind the bar. My blood pumped whisky. (We won't talk about my liver.) The bar I was working at this time was called Anacondas. This place had a Brazilian theme, and they really pushed their frozen drink specialties. Unless you have ever bartended, you have no idea how much making blended drinks suck. One time, I was making so many of these time-consuming, annoying, fruity drinks from hell that I blew out the fuses in the building! After that, the blenders were broken quite often.

After being in that environment for a little while, I badly needed a change. Just then, it would seem as if champagne had fallen from heavens, velvet ropes parted and the door to the Village Idiot (a local dive bar) opened with Tommy (the owner) standing out front offering me the bartending job that would change my life. Actually, to more accurately describe it, Jim Beam fell from the heavens, the homeless guys out front rolled over to part a path to the door that was propped open by Tommy's foot (he rarely stood). This was my kind of place, and I began to really shine. The Idiot was an old man's bar by day, but when the sun set, the music was loud, I was on the bar, every woman in the place at least one drink in each hand, and I left with no less than $500 in my pocket. Within two months, Tom promoted me to manager, and I worked my butt off. I hired beautiful girls, trained them to sell and most of all, how to appreciate the country music in the jukebox. I logged at least 55 hours a week at the Idiot, and I saved every dime.

I knew this was all too good to be true and that there would soon be trouble in paradise. Yes, trouble in paradise. Word on the street was that the Idiot was going to close. So I kept my ears open and was offered an opportunity to rent the vacant space across the street. Through some weird circumstances, I found myself partnered with a friend's friend, Tony. Good bye Italian restaurant, hello Coyote Ugly.

Tony spent all his money to get the bar opened but had no desire to work there. He was trying to become a full-time writer. I, in turn, let him spend his money while I would operate the new bar venture. On Jan. 27, 1993, the Coyote Ugly Saloon first opened its doors to the public. It was an instant success, and I finally had my own place! Not only did I not have to make frozen drinks, I didn't even buy blenders. I was able to do whatever I wanted to.

Patron: "Lil, can I have a Midori Sour?"
Lil: "No, you can't and for making that asinine request, you are getting a shot of Wild Turkey for you and ME!"

Eureka! I now knew what the nuns were talking about when they said that I could do anything I wanted to, and NOW I WAS! During the night I would dance on the bar, sing to the crowd and insult anyone who wasn't man enough to take me on in a drinking contest. As a consummate salesman, I was very good at this. To this day, the people who were around from the very beginning say that I was the best bartender we ever had.

I developed my business plan here, and that has propelled me to where I am today: beautiful girls + booze = money. I began training my girls to perform my shtick. Some were good dancers, some were good singers and others could yell at the crowd and entice them to drink. Very few had all three qualities, so I had to improvise. I would pair up the dancer with the comic yeller. Maybe the singer can be trained to dance a little better, and it all began to work.

A few years later, I had perfected my bar, and Coyote Ugly Saloon quickly established itself in the hearts of New Yorkers as their pre-eminent drinking establishment. It gained national attention in early 1997 when a story called "The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon" written by former Coyote bartender Elizabeth Gilbert for GQ magazine shined a spotlight on the little bar in the East Village.

Shortly after that, Hollywood came knocking and the movie rights to Lil's story were sold. Coyote Ugly opened in August 2000, starring Piper Perabo and Maria Bello. It has grossed over $100 million, and a worldwide audience quickly learned what the phrase "We don't serve water here!" meant.

Las Vegas was the location for the first outpost in the Coyote Ugly Saloon franchise, opening in late 2001 in the New York, New York Casino. In early 2002, I opened another Coyote Ugly Saloon, this time in New Orleans. It took the city by storm and is now one of the most popular spots in the French Quarter. Since then, 11 more Coyote Ugly locations have opened: Atlanta (August 2002), Dallas (January 2003), Chicago (March 2003), Tampa, Fla. (April 2003), Austin, Texas (January 2004), Washington, D.C. (February 2004), Panama City Beach, Fla. (April 2004), San Antonio (July 2004), Charlotte, N.C. (August 2004), Nashville (December 2004) and Denver (March 2005). I'm opening two new bars soon -- Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (January 2006) and Miami (TBA).

Fire breathing, bartending with boa constrictors and just doing whatever the hell I wanted is what makes the Coyote great. Even though things have changed in my life (I now have a beautiful 4-year-old son, and I live in New Orleans), my Coyote Ugly Saloons are still run with the same mission statement. It is funny to me that to this day my parents are still asking when I am going to put my college education to use. I say it is my education that I got off the streets of New York that has spawned a successful business and a movie about my bar. Twelve years and a million bar antics later, Coyote Ugly is now a household name. Thanks, Sister Jean Baptiste! (I wonder if she ever saw the movie.)

Jacqui Squatriglia
"OK, so here's my story. A long time ago, in a land far, far away I learned to dance. Frankly, the study of dance has been a lifelong pursuit. I can't remember a time when I wasn't dancing. I took lessons as a child and have been teaching dance since the age of 9. I studied dance and obtained my bachelor's degree in fine arts with a concentration in dance from Roger Williams University. During college,e I started bartending to finance my dance habit. While dancing abroad, I received a scholarship to study dance in New York City. The day after graduation, I packed my bags and off I went. So there I was, dancing day after day and bartending night after night. In need of a new gig, a friend brought me into an East Village bar. The manager looked at me and I looked at her. We did a shot, and Lil and I have been friends ever since. A couple of years later, Lil founded the first Coyote Ugly, and I became an original Coyote. Working there from the start, I honed my fire blowing, scotch drinking, wisecracking persona. In a haze of cigarette smoke, Johnny Black and Wild Turkey, it was settled. I would create a Coyote Ugly dance, and so I did. This was the point where my two worlds collide. And the rest, as they say, is history."

Jacqui's dances have been featured on CMT, MTV, VH1, the WB11 and various television programs such as WWF's Tough Enough, The Fifth Wheel, TLC's Faking It, Elimidate, Naked NY, E!'s Wild On and Fox's Reality Remix. Her dances have also been performed nationally at NBA games, NASCAR events, the Steel Pony Bike Show in New Orleans, the International Bar Show in New York City, the Nightclub and Bar Convention in Las Vegas and the International Bar Show in Italy. She has taught Master Classes in dance in the tri-state area and is available for teaching classes on request.

Keith Bailey
Physical Trainer
From: Netherlands, Uden Holland
Now: Denver

Personal trainer Keith Bailey is taking charge of the Coyote girls' fitness regime on the CMT series. Bailey has been working full time in the PT industry for four years and qualified for an International Sports Science Association Certification (ISSAC). He was in the military for eight years. Bailey uses a passive aggressive style of training, which he learned from his time in the military. He modifies and adjusts things to suit the person to achieve the desired results. His nutrition advice to the girls is to just cut out junk food. All the physical exercise they're doing will do the rest.

Mauli Bonner
Vocal Trainer
From: Las Vegas
Now: Los Angeles

Coyote Ugly voice coach and Grammy winner Mauli Bonner says he inherited his passion for music from his mother who taught singing every day. Growing up surrounded by music, Bonner started his career by writing songs and vocal producing. He worked with some of the American Idol contestants, doing voice coaching and producing record albums. The L.A.-based vocal trainer says he's worked with a lot of great artists, but he gets the most satisfaction out of teaching people who are tone deaf to sing.