I read in the press release that you put your music career on hold to go to high school. Why was it so important for you to attend a regular high school?
Sammie-I never went to private school I always went to public school so I thought it was only right for me to continue so. Even when I was singing I was in middle school at the time and I was like “I want to experience the whole atmosphere to be on the basketball team and homecoming, football games so education is very important to me. So I decided, myself and my family to take a break and live like a normal average student.

Okay. How was high school?
Sammie-It was beautiful. Very fast. Those four years flew by but I got to meet a lot of different people some that I still communicate with to this very day. I built a lot of nice relationships and went through experiences that a lot of artists my age don’t really get to go through.

I remember when you first came out you were so young and so cute.
What was it like having all that success and doing so many things at a young age?
Sammie-It was a blessing. It was funny how fast things kinda took off for me. I was 12/13 years old. It was just a lot of fun. I got to see different parts of the world. Its real funny now to think about how small I was and how crazy girls used to be over me. I can’t complain. Not at all.

What made you decide to come back to music?
Sammie-That’s like one of my biggest motivations in life. I love music so much and it makes me feel better. I know it seems like I left, like I just decided I’m not going to sing anymore. I never thought for once that I wouldn’t be back. Its just the way I left I could see why people would say that. I always knew I was going to come back to the industry it was just a matter of time. I just felt at 18 I’m a little more mature and a little more business minded and prepared to deal with the headaches that come with success. I think this is a good season for me to come back.

When you were away doing your high school thing were there ever times when you were watching BET or 106 and Park and had that little ache like you wish you were still out there?
Sammie-Everyday. Every day of my life truthfully the last 4-5 years. Because I feel like I started this whole young generation movement. Before me you have to go way back to Stevie Wonder. I actually had a platinum album at 13. Before 1999 there was no other artist out before Sammie. So to see Chris Brown, Omarion and B2K that era I just want to be a part of it. I was happy to see though that other labels were catching on to young talent and actually putting it out there and consumers actually taking it serious. It took me a little bit to want to be back out there.

Where are you from?
Sammie-Miami, Florida.

What can you tell me about your new album?
Sammie-It’s my little baby. I had a lot more input this album than my first project. I co-wrote the majority of the songs on the album. It’s self-titled called Sammie. It was just a lot of fun. I got to work with different producers, big name producers Dallas Austin, Jazze Pha, B Cox, Adonis, Storm Johnson, 112, Q, it was just a lot of fun to get to really have the experience to work with Dallas he sold a lot of records and made a lot of hits.

Do you hang out on MYSPACE sometimes?
Sammie-I check it out from time to time.

I just had to ask because you are on my friends list. What do you think about this whole MYSPACE thing?
Sammie-It’s going around like the flu. Everybody’s on this MYSPACE thing. It’s like crazy. I need to think of something that is going to take off like that. It’s a good way to communicate. It’s fun you get to put your little pictures up and everything. Everybody is on it. You are really a loser in a sense if you are not on MYSPACE. Somebody told me I had to get on there.

Plus if you don’t get on there someone will make a fake one.
Sammie-There are already 2 or 3 fake ones out there. Yep. I don’t know whose doing it. It’s cool as long as they don’t say anything negative.

You have a couple of promo tour dates coming up?
Sammie-Yeah I am on this Pantene Tour with BET, Tyrese and Letoya Luckett from Destiny’s Child. Then we have Chicago coming up, Atlanta, and this summer I am going to try to get on this Scream tour with Bow Wow.

Now I know you have this new deal with Rowdy Records. Since you were away from the industry for a minute did you have to like sing for people or do anything like that to get a new deal?
Sammie-No. It was funny. I was blessed. Dallas hadn’t seen me in a few years like everyone else. You know Hurricane Francis, I’m from Florida and we had our little hurricanes back to back to back and one of them I came to Atlanta. We didn’t want to weather the storm in Florida. It was around Dallas’ birthday. I went to his birthday party and when he seen me the first words that came out of his mouth were, “Your birthday is March 1st. You turn 18, you gotta deal.” I didn’t have to do anything else. He said he was going to take care of me. I didn’t have to do anything else. No words necessary.

While you were away were your fans still checking for you and stuff?
Sammie-Yeah that’s what made me know deep down that I had to come back. One thing I regret, or wish I would have done differently I should say is made some kind of statement or let people know why I disappeared. A lot of people think I just left and when you do that you give people reason to speculate and make up their own scenarios. I got fans over the years who hang with me every day of my life who were like “What happened? Why did you leave? When are you coming back?” So to hear that was a breath of fresh air.

“Sammie” IN STORES June 2006



Sammie "You Should Be My Girl" video