Waiting to Sing

Pam Daley's past has played out like the gloomy lyrics of a country music song--filled with broken marriages, too much booze and years of trying to make ends meet as a single mom.

See also: Straight from the heart.

For awhile she was on welfare and had to rely on food stamps to keep her family afloat. But working as a waitress at a small pancake house in Nashville, she never lost sight of her lifelong dream: cutting her own country music album.

For years she inched closer to her goal. When she finally saved up enough tip money, she headed to the studio to record her songs. Now, after years of hard work, perseverance and sheer grit, Pam's first country music album is ready for release. "I'm just so happy for her," says Pam's new husband. "I love to hear her sing. It's one of my greatest joys in life. Now other people will get to enjoy that too and that's what she always wanted."

My Generation's Andrea McCarren was in Nashville for the formal debut of this much anticipated first record.