SMU starlet debuts album (Photo by John Schrieber, The Daily Campus)

Sophomore Brittany Wells warmed up Dallas yesterday during her record signing at Virgin Mega Store in Mockingbird Station. Wells performed songs from her debut album, “Loving Every Minute of It” as part of Virgin Records’ “100 Acts of Support – The Concerts for Tsunami Relief.” While her friends and family came to support her, many strangers also found themselves standing in line to purchase copies of her CD.

“I was amazed that so many SMU students came out to cheer for me,” Wells said, “ I was so excited for the students to have a chance to hear the songs that I’ve been working on for so long.”

Wells earned the chance to launch her career as a country singer when she met Nashville producer and songwriter Wyatt Easterling, who produced her debut album “From Harm’s Way.” The slow ballad, “From Harm’s Way,” has garnered the most positive responses. Wells said that she receives emails from soldier’s wives daily telling her that the song gives them hope that their husbands will return safely from Iraq.

The sophomore member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority is not only a talented vocalist, but also has a passion for tennis. Eventually, her love of singing surpassed her love of tennis; however, she did not know where to perform her songs. With the encouragement of her voice teacher, Wells decided to enter the Miss Teen Texas Pageant. As the 2002 Miss Teen Texas she performed, spoke, and gave interviews every weekend for a year.

“Through the experiences I became comfortable in diverse settings and learned to perform in different conditions,” Wells said.

As for the future of her career, Wells plans to continue traveling and promoting her new album. Next week, she will travel to the USS John F. Kennedy to perform a concert for the soldiers before they are deployed to Iraq.