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Priscilla Block’s mother emphasized her daughter’s independence and determination as she strived to build her career over the years, including by working “odd jobs” to make it happen.
Lori Block appeared on the latest episode of Got It From My Momma, a podcast hosted by Jennifer Vickery Smith that spotlights mothers of beloved entertainers and shares their stories of “family, fame, and faith…(and) never before heard stories from the artist’s childhood and the journey to stardom from the perspective only a momma can share!”
Lori sat down with Smith and spoke about how Priscilla supported herself while working to become a singer-songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee. Priscilla moved to Nashville in 2014, fresh out of high school. The North Carolina-born country star, 28, would “play on corners, she would dumpster dive and get furniture out. (She’d) refinish it, put it on the internet and try to sell it.
“Priscilla has never asked…for a dime,” from either of her parents, Lori said. “She’s like, ‘this is my dream, and I will figure out how to make it happen.’ And she did.”
Lori said her daughter’s “odd jobs” include cleaning AirBnbs, revamping thrown-out furniture pieces to sell, working at a smoothie bar (which is “really where things changed for Priscilla”) and more. Now, the singer-songwriter is known for her vibrance and her authenticity in fan-favorite anthems like “My Bar,” “Me Pt. 2,” “Off The Deep End,” “Thick Thighs” and “Just About Over You,” to name a few.
“I think what makes me a fan of a lot of different artists is just, you know, people I feel like I can find myself in a little bit. That just seem like me,” Block said in a previous interview with iHeartCountry. “I think it’s really important to be authentic. I honestly think that’s kind of only what wins anymore, just staying real in life. People want to relate to something, and I don’t ever wanna be something that I’m not. So, I put it all out there and if you like it, great, if you don’t, I really don’t care!”
Got It From My Momma notes that Lori has a “spunk and spirit” to her, though she’s also “been through some tough days as a wife and mother and made a big decision to ‘do hard things,’ - and that led to starting over in many ways in her 50s.” In a second episode with Lori, Priscilla joins her mother as the “dynamic duo” prove that “the apple does not fall far from the tree.”
“I loved hearing how Priscilla's mom has impacted her zeal for life and how much she respects some tough choices her mom has made along the way,” Smith writes in the description of the bonus episode. Listen to each episode below.