Sweetwater Jade owes much of their success to three loyal, down-to-earth moms who’ve been with their girls every step of the way. They’re not the stereotypical stage moms you might expect. They’re more like soccer moms, nurturing their daughters’ talents, taking them on the road, and cheering from the sidelines.
Although they had never met 10 years ago, Vicki Carroll, Kaya Hennigan, and Debbie Upchurch all had something in common: They knew their girls had a unique gift. Of course, all parents think their children are talented. But when others outside their immediate family started noticing, it became clear that their daughters had something special. “You can’t teach somebody to sing like that,” says Vicki Carroll, referring to her daughter Kelsey. “You can only get a teacher to enhance what God has given her.”
The three moms cultivated their daughters’ talents by taking them to voice lessons at an early age and looking for any opportunity for them to sing and gain self-confidence. Jeanna’s mother, Debbie Upchurch, says, “I’ve always encouraged Jeanna because she has a natural feel for being on stage and performing. Kids need a lot of encouragement. Self-esteem is very important.”
The girls likely inherited much of their talent, too. Upchurch teaches music and piano and organizes a show choir camp every summer. Kaya Hennigan, Whitney’s mom, married into a family with several musicians. And Carroll is known throughout the South for her hand-painted pottery.
The years of performances and competitions have kept the Sweetwater Jade families busy, but Carroll considers it her hobby. “We really never, as parents, looked at it as ‘we have three talented daughters; we’re going to make a career out of this,’” she says. “This is what they enjoy doing. This is their sport.”
That’s why, when Kelsey was younger and juggling soccer and singing, Carroll had to explain to her that she couldn’t do both—she had to choose. And when Kelsey wanted to go to birthday parties or sleepovers the night before a competition, her mom would say, “If this is something you truly want to do and you want to do well, you’re going to have to come home and get a good night’s rest.”
That discipline, combined with the girls’ God-given talent, has helped put Sweetwater Jade where they are today: They’ve recorded their own album and have performed alongside some of the biggest names in country music.
And with all the buzz they’ve been getting, the girls have somehow managed to keep their heads on straight—with a little help from their parents. Kaya Hennigan, for example, keeps her daughter Whitney focused on the things that really matter by encouraging her to go to church and make good decisions. “I want the girls to stay grounded and humble,” she says. “I don’t want them to care about being famous.”
While the dads handle the business side of the band, the moms all play important roles in their daughters’ careers, each bringing something different to the table. Hennigan, an esthetician, does the girls’ hair and makeup before performances and photo shoots. Carroll, the artistic one, is the chief communicator, providing graphic design skills and contributing to the Sweetwater Jade website and MySpace page. And Upchurch does a little bit of everything, from scheduling gigs to handling public relations to setting up merchandising tables. Whenever possible, all three sets of parents travel with the girls to their shows, making it a family affair.
Despite the fast-paced lifestyle and demanding schedules, the moms really enjoy traveling with the band. “It’s easy because it’s fun,” says Carroll. “It’s our entertainment. We love thinking ‘okay, where are we going this weekend?’”
And having three families involved lightens the burden. If one family is unable to go to a performance, the girls still have two more sets of parents they can count on. “We know that there are so many of us, somebody will be there,” says Hennigan. “We try not to kill ourselves.”
While the future of the band remains to be seen, the mothers all share a common goal for their daughters: to see their girls continue doing what they love the most—making music and performing on stage. “I would like to see them make it to the next level,” says Upchurch. “I’d love for them to travel all over the United States and even abroad. We’re pretty well-known here in Mississippi, so it’s time for us to get out of our own backyard. It’s time to push them out of the nest and let them fly.”
Sissy Lynn lives in Ridgeland with her husband and two kids.
