Though she's only 20 years old, Jaelee Roberts already has well over a decade of experience as a performing artist. She started taking fiddle lessons at age four (guitar, mandolin and piano soon followed) and, as a teen, began recording with Daughters of Bluegrass, a collective of female-led bluegrass artists.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Today, in addition to being a member of the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association)-winning all-female supergroup Sister Sadie, Roberts is a fast-rising solo artist with a gift for rich, expressive vocals, as evidenced on "You Can't Stop Me From Staying."
The bouyant tune, written by Jon Weisberger and IBMA's reigning Guitar Player of the Year Molly Tuttle, is about the tenacity of love.
"It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I always gravitate toward sad songs," Roberts tells Wide Open Country. "However, when I heard 'You Can't Stop Me From Staying,' it made me smile and I immediately fell in love with the song! The lyrics are about not giving up on someone even if they are trying to push you away because they don't feel like they're deserving of you to stay with them: 'You can't stop me from staying/ These hard times ain't gonna get me down/ Nothin' in this world is gonna break me/ You can count on my heart to stick around.' That is just a good story and I'm sure thankful to have the opportunity to share something that is encouraging - to not give up on a relationship if you believe in it."
Listen to "You Can't Stop Me From Staying" below.
Produced by Tim Surrett (Balsam Range), the song features Roberts' labelmate Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Surrett on bass, Tony Wray on guitar, Alan Bibey on mandolin, Jimmy Mattingly on fiddle and bluegrass couple Kenny and Amanda Smith on harmony vocals.
Last summer, Roberts released "Think Again," which was featured on CMT.
