Expect some "explosive" moments and an inside look at what it's like to be a country star's better half on the new TNT series
Courtesy Billboard.com
By Chuck Dauphin
It's a big night for six of Music City's most interesting women – as TNT debuts the new series "Private Lives Of Nashville Wives" at 10 p.m. EST, following the season premiere of "Dallas." Though the new show has been compared somewhat to its' legendary lead-in, its' cast members say the show is very reality-based.
"The show is based around a strong and opinionated group of women who each have their own individual stories that I feel that people will really identity with," says Sarah Davidson, wife of successful songwriter Dallas Davidson. "Each storyline is a little bit deeper than your normal 'Housewives' show. It's a glimpse of what it's like to be in the business behind the curtain."
That life isn't always as glamorous as one might think, states Betty Malo – wife of Mavericks lead singer Raul Malo. "I did the show because everybody thinks that life like this is fun and games. It is the total opposite," she admits. "It's hard work. People need to see that it's not such a glamorous world. It's almost like being a single mom with him always on the road."
Adding to the intrigue of six beautiful women sharing their lives with each other – and the public is the fact that one of those women is Betty's sister, Ana Margarita Fernandez, who told Billboard that there are some intense moments between the two.
"Betty and I have a very explosive relationship," she says. "She can take me from 0 to 60 in about a second and a half. But, she can lift me to a place that nobody else can. She empowers me. I've seen her after twenty-plus years of being married where she has the strength to keep her marriage together. To see a woman in the entertainment business go through the ups and downs she has gone through and to be the glue of the family is what I think most women need to learn. She has demonstrated that her entire adult life."
How to be that "glue" and still find personal happiness within is the motivation behind Erika Page White's participation in the series. The wife of singer Bryan White, the one-time soap opera star says she is trying to find her place in life with her children growing up.
"It's my own personal journey, because I've been trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. I was always a very driven person who was in full force with my acting career. I had a couple of wake-up calls back in 2000 that made me realize I needed to be with Bryan and my family in Nashville. This show has given me an opportunity to look and reflect."
For Cassie Chapman – whose husband is Christian singer Gary Chapman, the show was an eye-opening experience, one that provides up close documentation of life in her household.
"Gary has three children from a previous marriage, and they have flown the roost. He's 23 years older than me, and we just adopted a baby girl. So, you will get to see that journey unfold on national television. Day one of filming is when we brought her home. Being a new mother, and not knowing what I'm doing, being on a brand new show not knowing what I'm doing – my husband is just a saint," she says with a smile.
Cast member Jenny Terrell admits there was a little bit of hesitation on her part. "I'm a career woman, and have a high profile position with my company, and have a lot of people who work on my team. So, I need to maintain a certain credibility with those people if I want to be successful with my career. My husband and I talked a lot about the fact that the people who work with me see who I am on a daily basis. As opposed to them saying 'Oh, my gosh. Why is she acting like that on television? But, I think it's actually going to be awesome. I think people will say 'Oh, my God. I've seen her look at me before like that Betty. She's about to break it down.' I hope that's how it all play out, but it is nerve wracking putting your life out there and sharing things with millions of viewers that that you wouldn't share with your co-workers unprompted."
Music is a huge part of the show, and that's one aspect that makes Davidson happy. "I've got the title track of the show, and I'm releasing a single the same day as the show airs, and an EP on March 25," she exclaims. "They recorded me writing and performing at the shows this summer, and that will be on the EP." The EP will be available on iTunes and can be picked up at Walmart with a bonus track, "Bright Lights Big City."