Davemac Records Recording Artist * Seminole County * Coming to Area School for Special Performance Selma, NC. * On March 31, 2006, Selma Middle School will get a rare treat. New Davemac Records recording artist, Seminole County, will drop by for a short performance and a "meet and greet" with the students of this Johnston County school. Seminole County hails from central Florida where it gets its namesake. Lead vocalist and lyricist, Jj, is also the former student of a new Selma Middle fifth grade teacher, Lisa Sullivan. Mrs. Sullivan has kept in touch with the young phenom over the years and when she heard the band would be coming through the area during their short tour through the Carolinas, she asked if there would be an opportunity for the band to stop by to perform or talk to her students. Both Jj and her mother/manager, Jill Sturdivant, were more than happy to oblige. "I am absolutely thrilled to learn that Jj and her band will be able to spend some time with my students," said Mrs. Sullivan, "She is an excellent role model for these kids and it's rare when an opportunity like this comes along for them." Back in the 1999-2000 academic year, Mrs. Sullivan taught at a small private school in central Florida. Jj was one of her students during that year. "When I first met Jj, I didn't know what to think of her. She was a child with a little bit of rebellion but a heart of gold. She was sassy and clever but undoubtedly smart. As I watched her grow academically and personally throughout the year, she amazed me. By year's end, I was writing a recommendation for her to skip eighth grade in favor of going directly into high school," remarked Mrs. Sullivan. Jj spent her high school career excelling in everything that she encountered. Academically, she sported a 4.2 GPA by graduation. Athletically, she played for her high school football team right up until her senior year when she began to concentrate on her other talent * music. It was while she was playing football that she was discovered by world renowned producer, Byron J (aka Bo). Bo was working on a special version of a charity song for the English charity, Small Faces Children's Charity Fund, headed by Kenney Jones, former drummer for The Who and The Faces (Rod Stewart's band). When Byron J heard Jj perform a short riff to match the music he was creating, a new sound emerged. For the past four years, Jj and Byron J have built a unique sound all their own. Fresh off a tour with The Backstreet Boys this past summer and early fall, Seminole County has been working on video releases to their self-titled debut as well as opening the Orlando Citrus Parade on New Year's Day and the Beach Bash at the Orange Bowl on January 4 of this year. Their new video for the first release, Simple Dark, is scheduled to roll out on MTV later this month. Early in 2005, Seminole County signed with Dave McPherson of Davemac Records. McPherson is responsible for helping to launch The Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, and many other artists.
