DESCRIPTION:
footprints in the sand By Cristy Lane With Lyrics

Lane, Cristy Biography

In 1980 Cristy Lane put a new spin on country music, topping the charts with a new style of song. The inspirational hit "One Day at a Time" brought a sense of sweet gospel goodness to a genre that is traditionally fraught with songs of heartache and moonshine. In the 1980s she joined a host of prominent country performers in supporting the growth of the resort town of Branson, Missouri, helping to turn that locale into a haven for country music revivals. From the early days of her career, Lane worked closely with her husband, Lee Stoller, a capable entrepreneur who served as her manager and publicist. The couple pioneered the concepts of television marketing and internet promotions, single-handedly boosting sales of Lane's records to multiple platinum levels.

Born Eleanor Johnston on January 8, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois, Cristy Lane was the eighth of 12 siblings. She was raised in a stark east side neighborhood near the industrial area of the town's South Main Street. Living as she did against a backdrop of poverty, she developed an unusually shy personality and spoke with a lisp. She was a not a likely candidate for future fame, in particular not for success as a recording star.

While still in her teens Lane married Lee Stoller. Within five years they had three children: Kevin, Tammy, and Cindy. A former U.S. Marine, Stoller had been recently discharged and was selling kitchenware for a living when the two met at a skating rink. He, like Lane, was acquainted with poverty from childhood.

Husband Liked Her Singing
In spite of her shyness, Lane possessed a beautiful voice and had been a member of her school choir. As Stoller became aware of her natural talent, he encouraged her to sing; being a natural entrepreneur, he took charge of her career from the outset. By 1968 Lane was performing limited engagements at local nightclubs, and that year she landed a guest spot on the National Barn Dance on WLS Radio. For her national debut she took the stage name of Cristy Lane, naming herself after her favorite disc jockey, the late Chris Lane (Alexander) from Peoria. The radio spot failed to ignite her career, and in 1969 Stoller attempted to negotiate with the congressionally chartered United Service Organization (USO) for Lane to appear in a tour of the war theater in Vietnam. Stoller's bid with the USO failed, but he arranged independently for Lane to entertain U.S. servicemen through engagements that he booked at officers' clubs and similar venues for a fee of $500 for each performance. In all, Lane performed in 120 shows during the 90-day tour. Reports vary as to the actual size of her audiences, but she entertained over 100,000 troops, with some estimates as high as 300,000.

It was difficult for the naturally shy Lane to entertain in remote jungle locations, in the midst of an armed conflict. On more than one occasion she found herself in serious jeopardy and in one traumatic episode a helicopter in which she was riding crashed into a combat zone. Suffering from injuries, exhaustion, and stress, Lane became seriously ill, both mentally and physically. By 1970 she had attempted suicide on two separate occasions. In addition to the physical toll taken, the tour left her financially distressed, as the venture realized a net loss of $12,000, leaving Lane and her husband with little recourse but to mortgage their property.

Career Took Form
During those early years, Lane distinguished herself for her resilience as much as for her vocal talent. After returning to the United States, she and Stoller invested in two Peoria nightclubs, temporarily promoting Lane's career as the featured headliner at the clubs until 1972, when they sold both clubs and moved to Nashville.

Against the backdrop of the home of the Grand Ole Opry, her career gained momentum. She signed with Capitol Records briefly before recording for her husband's private studio, LS Records, in the late 1970s. In 1977 she released a debut single, "Trying to Forget about You." This track hit the charts, as did a follow-up release, "Sweet Deceiver." The following year she released a single track, "Let Me Down Easy," which was picked as the background on a national news story about a balloon festival. That small exposure brought sufficient notoriety to catapult the song into the top ten.