Texas-born Dita Holifield always wanted to be a country music star. Holifield was a working country singer when she came to Hawaii in 1989, and although there were few opportunities for country artists here, a chance meeting with Matt Young — an influential record producer and concert promoter — changed her life.
Young launched her as a Hawaii-resident recording artist, got her music played on local radio stations, and made her the opening act when he presented country artists like Joe Diffie and Brooks & Dunn in concert here.
In 2006 Holifield decided she didn’t want to keep chasing her dreams forever, and when Salem Media Group asked if she would be the “morning girl” on its country radio station she gave it a try. When station management asked her to go into sales, she started selling commercials. From there Holifield moved up the corporate ladder until she became general manager of Salem Media’s nine radio stations in Hawaii — among them KHCM- FM Country 97.5, which plays contemporary country music.
Holifield, who has organized an annual rodeo on Oahu for the last five years, just finished this year’s event Saturday.
On Dec. 4 Holifield will introduce a second Salem Media country music station. She calls it “Real Country.”
JOHN BERGER: Tell me about “Real Country” radio.
DITA HOLIFIELD: The music is going to be from 1988 to 2000 — Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney — and it’s going to be on 95.1 FM and on 760 AM, simulcast. Everyone said 13 years ago that “country could never make it” but now we have two country radio stations and I’m super excited.
JB: Do you have a favorite country artist — or two favorite country artists?
DH: On the female side, definitely Miranda Lambert. I got to open for her two or three years ago. On the male side it’s Florida Georgia Line — I love the boundaries that they have pushed into country, rock and hip-hop, and I really enjoyed opening for them as well. Those are my “new country” artists. For “Real Country,” everybody we’re gonna play I’m gonna love.
JB: Who would you like to bring out here — either as the promoter or as the radio station working with the promoter?
DH: Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood and Shania Twain. All three of them are stadium acts.
JB: What do you like to do when you’re not running radio stations or working with national artists and concert promoters?
DH: My relaxation is my eight-piece country band, Dita Holifield’s Hillbilly House. We just opened for David Nail, singing for 20,000 people, at the Schofield Fourth of July concert. That’s my relaxation.
JB: Looking back to your early years here, was Matt a record producer/artist manager who produced concerts to promote you as an artist, or was he a concert promoter who found in you someone who could be an opening act?
DH: I think it was a combination, but he was really positioning me (for the national market). I opened for Joe Diffie, and then Joe Diffie’s band produced my first album so we could shop nationally. He was very smart and strategic that way.
