Coming Home to Petersburg

Petersburg is never far from country singer Julia Burton's mind. When she needs a safe haven, she returns to her Potomac Highland roots.

Written by Nikki Bowman / Photography by Piccadilly Posh Photography

Julia Burton knows what a woman wants. And with her first album being released this summer by Emerald River Entertainment, she’s one step closer to getting it. But she also knows if it weren’t for her rural upbringing in the picturesque town of Petersburg, she wouldn’t be where she is today.

“Petersburg is a safe haven for me,” Julia says. “My anxiety level goes down as soon as I come home. Every little place and spot is important—from the river to the South Side Depot.”

Petersburg, the county seat of Grant County, is a quintessential small town nestled in one of the most geographically unique areas of the nation. Settled in 1785, it is situated on the South Branch of the Potomac River and is surrounded by scenic attractions. The ethereal Smoke Hole Canyon is considered to be one of the state’s natural wonders, and the caverns contains the world’s largest ribbon stalactite. Dolly Sods is a nature-lover’s paradise, and Fort Mulligan is one of the best preserved Civil War fortifications in the state. The river that tumbles over jagged rocks and twists its way through Petersburg lends a postcard-perfect quality to the town, but not without some angst. In 1985, the river left its banks, in what was called a 1000-year flood, nearly destroying the town.

But Julia loves the river. After her parents divorced when she was young, she and her mother moved to her grandparents’ home on the banks of the South Branch. “I can’t think of a better place to grow up,” says Julia. “I had such a blessed childhood. I was surrounded by incredible beauty and small town values—and I was raised by very strong women.”

As is the case with many small towns, it is the people who truly give Petersburg its personality. “There are many colorful characters here,” laughs Julia. “And my grandmother was one of them. She was the epitome of the perfect lady. She would always say, ‘When life has got you down and things aren’t going your way, you’ve got to put on your red lipstick and have a red lipstick day.’  Even when she was in the hospital, she had red lipstick on.”

Despite living in a single parent household with her grandmother, Julia had a normal childhood. “I didn’t have a typical childhood, but I had a normal one. I played basketball, sang in the school choir, and was in 4-H. I had all the same issues that girls go through,” she says. “But I got the music bug early. I’ve always wanted to be a singer. When I was performing, nothing else seemed to matter.”

Julia’s first audience consisted of baby dolls and stuffed animals. She would climb on top of a coffee table and use a candlestick as a makeshift microphone. “As a small child—much to my mother’s dismay—I would hide in my room and listen to music on my clock radio. I could barely talk, but I knew all the words to Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends.”

Julia cut her teeth performing at fairs and festivals around the state. Her mother, known to many as Momma Julia, supported her daughter by making bread and butter pickles. “They were truly our bread and butter,” laughs Momma Julia. “Momma would work late into the night canning pickles, and I would sit at the table cutting twine to wrap around them,” recalls Julia. The mother-daughter duo would travel to fairs and festivals together and sell the home-canned products during the day, and then in the evenings Julia would often get the opportunity to sing.

Julia won her first talent show at eight years old when she performed Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” She came by her talent naturally. Her mother was a Hee Haw Honey, had a small role in the movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and was a radio co-host of the Midnight Radio Show in Wheeling. “As I child, I wanted to be just like Mommy. I’d sing to anyone who’d listen,” she says. “But Momma made it clear that she’d support every dream I had as long as I got a college education first.”

In 2001, she started entering beauty pageants in hopes of winning a college scholarship. It took her three years to win the Miss West Virginia title. “I learned my biggest lessons through my losses,” she recalls. “We spent many a day on my Momma’s porch. Every disappointment and every accomplishment was celebrated on that porch. I had to learn to pick myself up and keep marching towards my goal. It was always about striving for personal excellence.”

Julia wasn’t your typical beauty queen. “I wore hand-me-down gowns and swimsuits when I first started competing,” she says. “I wore my prom dress as my talent gown.” She spent her summers working at the Wal-mart in Moorefield and four-day, 10-hour shifts with the West Virginia Department of Highways. “People ask me, “Did you model?’ And I say, ‘No, I was too busy working on the state roads,” she laughs. “I worked as a flagger on Turkey Mountain in Hardy County. And when I was crowned Miss Poultry, all the state road workers came out and supported me. That was special.”

In 2004, when Julia won the title of Miss West Virginia, she became a national spokesperson for Boys and Girls Clubs of America. She says, “When I chose my platform, I wanted something that I could talk about passionately. I related to children who benefited from the Boys and Girls Clubs. Like me, they didn’t come from the best financial situation, and typically they didn’t have ‘normal’ two-parent families. When I brought new basketballs, hoops, and equipment to the clubs, it was just a wonderful feeling—to be a part of creating a safe haven for the children.”

Julia looks back fondly on her experience with the Miss America organization. “The Miss America organization offers over $40 million of scholarship to women like me, whose mothers couldn’t afford to pay for a college education,” she says. “For me, it was a great stepping stone, and it helped build my self confidence. I learned incredible time management skills, leadership qualities, and the importance of making a difference.”

Those skills have come in handy. Immediately after graduating from West Virginia University in 2005, Julia packed her bags and headed to Nashville. Julia recalls, “I got an apartment and then walked into the world famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville. I told them that I wanted to sing there. The owner, John Taylor, said, ‘Well, little girl, you have to audition.’ So, I sang Patsy Cline and Trisha Yearwood. He said, ‘Be here on Saturday.’”

Julia played for tips at Tootsie’s for nine months, and the audiences helped her hone her skills. “The folks at Tootsie’s at 11 o’clock at night aren’t going to lie to you about the songs they like or don’t like,” she laughs. Julia’s stint at the lounge opened doors for her and brought her to the attention of Nashville music executives. Bob Saporiti, former senior vice president and general manager of Warner Bros. Records, who has represented Faith Hill and Randy Travis, was immediately taken with Julia. “What makes Julia special are the qualities she shares with other superstars: desire, drive, passion and an innate love of music. She has the ability to pour everything out of herself during her performance and will make no compromises to ensure that her audience is entertained. She is absolutely unstoppable,” Bob says. “What makes her unique? She credits her success in music to her mother’s homemade bread and butter pickles!”

At six feet tall, Julia definitely stands head and shoulders above the rest. Her deep, melodic voice has been called a cross between Faith Hill and Gretchen Wilson, with a little Shania Twain thrown in. And she has shared the stage with music greats Jo Dee Messina, John Michael Montgomery, and Wynona Judd. “When I get up on stage, I feed off the energy of the crowds. That’s my favorite place to be.” With her first album being released this summer, she’ll be spending more time on stage. “Nashville is a great town, but it is tough,” she says. “I get overwhelmed and disappointed everyday. But I just say, ‘Okay, God—here I go. This is bigger than me—you take it from here.’”

Julia credits her Petersburg upbringing, her mother and grandmother, her mentors, and her strong belief in the power of prayer for her success. “I make no decisions without asking God and my Momma!” she says, smiling. “No matter where I travel or perform, I carry West Virginia with me.”

“When Julia is on stage, she is electrifying,” says Petersburg resident Suenette Hardy. “She is an ambassador for West Virginia and for her hometown of Petersburg. We are all so proud of what she’s accomplished and who she’s become. She is beautiful on the inside and out.”

Julia takes her ambassador role seriously. “I want people to know West Virginia like I know West Virginia,” she says. “But I’m just a pretty simple person. I worked at Wal-mart. I like peanut butter. And I’m chasing after my dream of being a singer. But when I think of home, I think of Petersburg.”

For more information on Julia Burton and her newly released album, visit www.juliaburton.com.

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