Naomi Cooke Johnson knows a thing or two about perseverance. The former lead vocalist of Runaway June, who made her solo debut with "Girls of Summer" earlier this year, Cooke Johnson grew up as one of 11 children in rural Virginia. To help make ends meet, she helped support her family by waiting tables before leaving to work on a fishing boat to save up enough money to move to Nashville. In Music City, the talented young singer made a name for herself performing as a staff musician at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
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So it's no surprise that the first time she heard Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors," she heard her own story in Parton's words.
"I grew up a very poor kid -- one of 11 kids, I'm the middle child," Cooke Johnson tells Wide Open Country. "I rarely, if ever, got new clothes. I really didn't have a new pair of shoes until I was 17 and bought them myself. So I had lots of hand-me-downs and handmade stuff. The first time I heard this Dolly Parton song, I was really young. The song resonated deeply and it's one of my favorites of all time. And Dolly is the reason I got into country music in the first place."
The singer-songwriter, who penned many of Runaway June's songs, including the top 5 hit "Buy My Own Drinks," followed up her solo debut "Girls of Summer" with current single "Livin' Ain't Killed Me Yet."
