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American Morning

Showbiz Today Reports: Billy Gilman Gets Grammy Nomination at 13

Aired June 07, 2001 - 10:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: We'll take you for some showbiz news.

CNN's Michael Okwu is in New York with our Showbiz Today Report.

Hi Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Donna.

I don't know whether to say this story is cute or incredible. Not many singers can say they've sold more than 1 million copies of their debut album, or that they've been nominated for a Grammy for their first record ever recorded. Billy Gilman can, and he's only 13. Try to hate him; you can't.

As he told Laura Nalta (ph), he's still just a kid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

LAURA NALTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's so great about you is that you are no different from the first time I met you, before you had sold over 1 million albums. And this is your third album?

BILLY GILMAN, MUSICIAN: My third album; it's called "Dare to Dream," and it just was released May 8, so we're really proud of it. And making this album was so much easier, because I knew what to do, I knew what to say, and if I wanted to change something, I'd ask.

One weekend before we were going to do the album, like every songwriter in Nashville got together in my producer's house (UNINTELLIGIBLE) oh my God (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And they all together in the living room and they just wrote song after song after song, and we picked like 12 of them which would fit the album best.

(MUSIC)

GILMAN: "She's My Girl" is really fun because it's not like an acting concert, like "One Voice" video was and "Oklahoma" video was. I mean, I'm not staring. I don't have to concentrate as much. It's a concert. And so I'm just having fun and being my witty old self, just having fun with the audience.

(MUSIC)

NALTA: So you were nominated for a Grammy this year...

GILMAN: Yes.

NALTA: ... which people wait an entire lifetime for.

GILMAN: It was incredible, because to be nominated for a Grammy is the pinnacle, you know. I mean, it's just overwhelming. And like I said, I'm so privileged at such a young age to do what I love to do. I', just going to love every minute of it in case it ends.

(MUSIC)

GILMAN: There's nothing in the world like singing on stage; just having the audience smiling and listening to you. It's -- it gives you the most uplifting feeling you can even imagine.

NALTA: So when you're not singing and you're not studying, what kinds of things do you like to do?

GILMAN: I just do every normal kid thing. I like to fish, Rollerblade, ski, watch -- I'm a big spectator of sports. I just do normal kid stuff. I ride my four-wheeler, I flip it over, I don't wear a helmet, but, again, that...

(INTERRUPTED BY CNN COVERAGE OF A LIVE EVENT)

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