Country songster Meredith Edwards, at the tender age of 16, made many in Nashville's music business sit up and take notice with the release of her first single "A Rose Is a Rose." The love story video, poor girl meets rich boy, caused even more of a stir. It was the perfect vehicle to showcase her powerful and beautiful voice. Edwards, a native of Clinton, MS, began singing for family -- and impressing family friends -- when she wasn't even old enough for school. By the time she was five, she was a member of an impressive traveling choir called the Mississippi Showstoppers. One of her friends in the children's choir was none other than the future 'N Sync heartthrob Lance Bass, who just happened to also be from Clinton. A few years later the pair would be fellow members in another choir, Attaché. After Bass hit the big time with 'N Sync, Edwards toured with the group and opened for them. When Bass started his own management company, it was little surprise that he picked the talented Edwards to be his debut artist. In 2001, Edwards finished working on her debut full-length album Reach. It was released under the major record label Mercury. "Places in Your Heart," "You Get to Me," and "In Any Given Moment" are some of the songs on the album. The music is country, but some of the numbers are what some call new country or today country, the kind that feels a little like pop/rock, but keeps its country flavoring. ~ Charlotte Dillon