People often dream of growing up to be a famous singer, and it takes an unbelievable amount of talent to even begin the journey to make it big, and Jazz Palmer (as Jazz Davis) has the talent. Many of the students at the OHS have seen her talent first hand, at a home basketball game singing the national anthem, at an art splash in a local coffee shop or most recently during academic support.

Palmer is well on her way to becoming the newest Owatonna star as she is already releasing a professionally produced single on April 13, and will be performing her first major production concert on April 17. She is going to be opening for Kris Allen – the winner of the eighth season of American Idol in 2009. Palmer’s new single will be available on all major music mediums like iTunes and Spotify. Over spring break, Palmer continued to work on her album by traveling to Nashville where she  had the ability to write two more songs and produced one more.

The next big step for Palmer is opening for a big-time artist. Opening for Chris Allen and performing her newest song on a stage for a paying crowd is a major milestone for her dream of performing music coming to fruition. When asked what about her thoughts on the upcoming concert, Palmer said, “I am really excited to see Kris Allen and his band, because he is a professional and he is probably going to have really good players.” This concert is an exciting and new event for the Owatonna community, and it is not every day a famous singer performs for a rural community of 25,000 in southern Minnesota. She also said, “It’s a really cool opportunity and I’m honored that they asked me to sing.”

Her newest song is unique to her, as it is strictly pop. This is a new experience for Palmer, and her songs now will be accompanied by a track, just like the songs one would hear on the radio. Palmer describes her new songs as “straight pop.” Her main goal for releasing a song right now is to get her foot in the door of the music industry. Releasing a song gives her more credibility to prospective producers, giving her an edge already. It will be available to download April 13.

As Palmer is nearing her high school graduation, she already has plans to pursue her singing career fully. Giving some specifics, she said, “I really want a job in the music industry. I would like to be a recording artist. I just don’t necessarily want to be famous. (Being famous is) not a goal of mine. But, I do want to be able to make a living selling and recording music. It’s my passion, so if I could do that for the rest of my life that would be great.” Palmer wants to follow her dream of singing, and her dream is music, not fame. Fame will just be a possible by product of her success. Palmer is planning on moving to Nashville, Tenn. by herself after graduation. She is planning to work side jobs while pursuing a publishing deal. She already has a pop music producer in Nashville, so it looks like her dream is becoming a reality.

Palmer was set to be be opening for Kris Allen on April 17, for a concert put on by Winterstate entertainment at the Pillsbury campus, but the event has been set to be rescheduled for a day in May due to Minnesota weather. The concert is to raise awareness for cancer and the organization All Colors Matter. VIP tickets are available to buy for $75, they are accompanied by a swag bag valued at $200. VIP purchasers will get backstage access, a chance to meet Chris Allen and seats front and center. General admission is an option as well, and it is free. Palmer’s song was released on iTunes and Spotify on April 13.