Rissi Palmer is the first female African-American in 20 years to make it upon the Billboard country music charts. Just by her looks it is obvious that Rissi Palmer is not your typical country girl.

In fact, her song “Country Girl” from her self-titled album is her first to make it upon the charts. Besides being a country song, “Country Girl” also has a gospel feel about it. Propelled by Yahoo Music, Starbucks and iTunes, Rissi Palmer is a breath of fresh air in the very Caucasian country music industry.

A blonde with big hair, Rissi Palmer is not, as she looks more like a younger Whitney Houston (without all the issues). To her credit, Rissi Palmer has made several appearances already at the Grand Ole Opry. She was also a finalist on “Star Search” in 2003.

Rissi Palmer’s first Christmas single “Grown Up Christmas List” can currently be heard just by going to her website. This same song was also covered by Kelly Clarkson and Amy Grant, but Rissi brings an entirely different feel to it.

Being a black female country singer cannot be easy. The last time an African-American woman made it onto the country charts was in 1987 when Dona Mason was able to get her song “Green Eyes (Cryin’ Those Blue Tears)” to break through the grass ceiling.

But, Rissi Palmer is young at 26-years-old, spirited and talented. We’ll be seeing a lot more of this country girl for years to come.

Filed under: Artists