From South Dakota Farm Girl to “Showbiz Liz” | Elizabeth Jo
Long before Nashville, Broadway and country music stages, Elizabeth Jo's story started on a family farm in small-town South Dakota.
The rising country singer-songwriter joined Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza to talk about leaving home for Music City, discovering just how competitive Nashville really is, and turning the places and people that raised her into songs like “South Dakota Did,” “Ride Away Cowboy” and “Hang It Up.”
Country singer-songwriter Elizabeth Jo discusses growing up on a South Dakota family farm and bringing those roots into her Nashville music career.
And if you ask her dad, she's always had a little bit of “Showbiz Liz” in her.
Country Music Started at Home
Elizabeth grew up surrounded by the wide-open landscape and everyday life of a South Dakota family farm.
Classic country ballads and honest storytelling resonated with her early because the stories didn't feel distant—they reflected pieces of the world around her.
At 12, Elizabeth picked up a guitar and began writing songs of her own.
By 18, she'd earned an early sign that she might be onto something, winning the South Dakota State Fair talent competition.
Welcome to Nashville
In 2022, Elizabeth made the move to Nashville.
Tony Mendoza interviews South Dakota country artist Elizabeth Jo for Heart of the Gulch in Nashville.
Then she experienced Broadway.
Seeing the sheer amount of talent performing every night was eye-opening. Instead of discouraging her, Elizabeth talks about how being surrounded by that level of competition pushed her to work even harder on her music and songwriting.
In Nashville, being talented gets you into the room. Figuring out what makes you different is another challenge entirely.
South Dakota Never Left the Music
Elizabeth may live in Nashville now, but home continues to show up throughout her songs.
Tracks including “Ride Away Cowboy,” “South Dakota Did” and “Hang It Up” combine the traditional storytelling she grew up loving with the modern country artist she's becoming.
Elizabeth Jo talks about “South Dakota Did,” “Ride Away Cowboy,” Nashville's competitive music scene and her “Showbiz Liz” nickname.
Rather than running from her small-town upbringing, she's making it part of the identity behind her music.
Meet “Showbiz Liz”
Then there's the nickname.
Elizabeth's dad calls her “Showbiz Liz,” a fitting description for someone who admits she's always loved the spotlight.
But behind that personality is an artist who understands how much work it takes to turn a childhood dream into an actual career.
From a South Dakota farm to the middle of one of the most competitive music cities in the world, “Showbiz Liz” is getting her shot—and she's determined to make it count.
Watch Elizabeth Jo on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Elizabeth Jo interview as she joins Tony Mendoza to discuss “South Dakota Did,” “Ride Away Cowboy,” growing up on a family farm, moving to Nashville and earning the nickname “Showbiz Liz.”
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
