Gal Nipa Chan Wants To Be Hit On

The Real Deal™:

After eight months as the lead singer of a country duo, Matt Sheppard just wanted more. As lead singer of LeAnn Rimes’ “The Edge,” he’s still not satisfied. “I want to do it for years,” he says. After finishing two more years of open acts in their Delta music city on the Upper East Side, Sheppard had hoped to add a third act to LeAnn’s record. “Why don’t we just do some of the other acts?” he’d asked. When the first LeAnn and Matt Sheppard song was picked up by country radio station WDIA, the debut of the “Nipa” combo was more intriguing than anticipated. “This is the start of something,” he said.

Alive with Gold Records

Finding LeAnn Rimes for the singer, whom LeAnn herself has dubbed a “pulpit lady,” meant that Matt Sheppard would have to leave the band where he was built. “I’m completely freaked out,” says LeAnn. “I’m on the verge of killing something.”

Sheppard had been invited to audition for the band at an event for aspiring rock stars, and he was told by the promoter that LeAnn would be performing. He feared he would be asked to do a different version of "Alabama," or any other requested numbers. Also, the band was not originally picked to be that night’s artists in town for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Matt was still dreaming of opening for another act at the event since last June.

Then came the phone call. After seeing that “My Way” was being dropped by Soul Stirring, “Nipa” drummer Dave Tatum offered Matt a spot on the band just after the original lineup was announced to a crowd of eight. After LeAnn had read an interview in which the band wanted Matt Sheppard, even though they believed “My Way” wouldn’t make the album, they agreed to go along. More importantly, the group had a vision of expanding the new venture into a full-out lineup, including some original material.