Country Gals Program #6
Friday, September 25th - 6:00 pm
She Sang
Directed By Dona Nichols
Synopsis: Women in country music have historically been treated like second-class citizens. They have been referred to as the “tomatoes in a salad.” Gender inequity is prevalent in all music genres, but more so in country music. In the Country Music Hall of Fame the men outnumber the women 10 to 1. The same holds true for musicians inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
How do women feel being described as the “tomatoes on the salad?” More importantly, what are they doing to change things? These questions were posed to women in the dynamic new documentary “She Sang.”
Dona Nichols is a working journalist, filmmaker, photographer and journalism professor at San Jose State University. She’s also a stand-up comedian and former columnist known as the Silicon Mom. She’s written three screenplays, two sitcom pilots and has completed a short documentary titled, “From Athlete to Addict,” which was a student project.
Nichols has worked in TV as the talent for “It’s a Kid Thing,” a Bay Area show that ran for several years in the 90s. She worked as a news editor for NBC Bay Area and as an editor for Bay Area Parent magazine.
Nichols has had a lifelong love affair with rock ‘n’ roll, country, bluegrass, R & B, blues and jazz. Directing this documentary is a passion project for Nichols, who proposed it as a creative endeavor for a sabbatical. The deliverable for this sabbatical was a documentary on women musicians who have made a positive difference in society with their music.
The screening will be preceded by a live performance of the song “She Sang” from the film featuring:
Robin Ruddy (Music Director) Grammy winner Robin Ruddy has built a thriving career in Nashville as a musician and entrepreneur, working as a songwriter, touring musician, session musician, recording studio owner and music producer. RobinRuddy has toured with Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Ray nStevens and many others. She owns and operates The Parlor, a recording studio located in the heart of Music Row, which has been an integral part of the Nashville recording community since 2000. Robin is the film’s Music Director.
Ariel Jade is an electrifying country-Americana singer/songwriter based in Nashville. Studio X Nash is her indie studio in the legendary RCA Studio A building. Her latest album, “Down in the Delta,” was produced by Nashville legends, Mike Loudermilk and Wood Newton. She’s performed at the iconic Bluebird Cafe and was recently featured in Billboard Magazine.
Destinie Lynn is a multi-talented singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles. Her music is a unique blend of Delta Blues, Indie, Folk and Americana. She’s performed as an independent and as part of the Black Opry.
Lexington Sport is a singer/ songwriter and classical vocalist from Muscle Shoals Alabama making her move to Nashville Tennessee as she finishes her degree in musical technology. Lexington has begun booking her first singer/ songwriter shows and working on her debut project as an artist. She is excited to share her unique sound, inspired by Jazz, Indie, and Classical influences.
Wood Newton (Producer) As a Grammy award-winning songwriter, Wood Newton has written some of country music’s biggest hits. Among them are “Bobbie Sue” for the Oak Ridge Boys, “Twenty Years Ago” for Kenny Rogers, “What I Didn’t Do” for Steve Wariner and “Riding with Private Malone,” which he produced for David Ball. All four of these songs have received BMI awards for being played over a million times. He still maintains a studio in the historic RCA Studio A building on Music Row, where he continues to write, record and produce hits and the songs of others.
Karen Waldrup is a BMI songwriter known for her Country Soul music with over 1.3 Million Social Media Followers and over half a billion online video views. She is a proud member of The Recording Academy, the Country Music Association, and a partner with Mission of Hope: Haiti and Hope for Haiti. As a Top 5 Finalist on Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice, Waldrup has captivated national audiences and earned widespread recognition in Rolling Stone, People Magazine, Netflix, The Hallmark Channel, Bravo TV, CMT, Fox, Military.com, and more. Her performances include Super Bowl XLVII’s NFL Experience, named Facebook Artist of the Day and spent 21 weeks at #1 for Taste of Country's Top Music Videos 2025 with Blue Cowboy Boots- the most weeks any artist has ever spent at #1 on the platform.
Elyse Jewel makes angsty melodic pop that turns late-night overthinking into songs that are both personal and communal. Raised in Dallas, but now based in Nashville, her debut single “Thinking About You” won Pop Song of the Year at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She has performed at the State Fair of Texas, the House of Blues, and earned Best Pop Vocalist at the 2024 Dallas Entertainment Awards.
ALL in-person screenings are at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills at 8556 Wilshire Blvd from September 24th - September 27th.
In-Person Tickets & Passes must be purchased online in advanced on Film Freeway below.
**Tickets are higher at the door. Please be prepared to have your ticket scanned on your phone or printed out.
Tickets are Will Call. VIP Passes will be handed out before screenings and parties.
Please arrive up to an hour prior to the screening to ensure you get into the screening before the film starts, especially if you want concessions.
We reserve the right to not allow late admissions into the theatre once a film has started. Please arrive early.
Please be kind and patient with our festival and theatre staff. Everyone is working hard to provide a great festival experience.
Please exit the theatre promptly and take all items and trash with you when exiting the theatre to ensure plenty of time for the theatre to sanitize between screenings.
Free Parking:
Beverly Hills City Garage - 321 S La Cienega Blvd
Monday thru Friday before 4pm (2 hours free)
Monday thru Friday entering after 4pm
All day Saturday and Sunday
Parking at meters:
After 6pm (7pm on Wilshire)
All day on Sun
Metro Stop:
Located at the North-East Corner of Wilshire and La Cienega Blvds, Beverly Hills