SAMANTHA MONROE

samantha monroe is the youngest living child of gina holland and wilson monroe. she was born in amherstdale, west virgina. the town's population was so small that the town's total area was just barely 3 miles. the monroe and holland family's lived in west virginia since the early 1900s and both worked in the mining industry. sammy's grandfather, edward was the first to start playing music. he and his two siblings formed a small band. when papa eddie had sons, they started playing music as well. that was how the monroe family band carried on. and when wilson had kids with his wife gina, he passed music onto them.  his five children all learned to play instruments young. they were always singing at home, and during the summer's and any breaks in school the kids had the family would pack into their two rvs so that the monroe band could play. the monroe family band traveled up and down the appalachian region whenever they could to play. while most of their income was legitament, the monroe's weren't unfamiliar with making a little extra cash pick pocketing. during the school year, they played within a days driving area so the kids wouldn't miss any school. it was always important to gina that her children were doing well in school.

she had a younger brother edward (ned) born two years after her. they were inseparable. they learned to play guitar at the same age, learned to fish and play together. they weren't twins, but they were twins in spirit. when sammy was fourteen and her brother was twelve, she, her older sister nellie and ned were all in the family's rv in a rest stop parking lot when a drunk driver drove off the highway going 80 and hit it. the rv tumbled and ned was thrown out of his bunk bed and hit his head on the way down. he was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. the girls were hurt, but not nearly as badly. the family buried ned under the big tree on the monroe family property. the death rocked the family to it's very core, but they had a strong community that rallied around them. the whole town mourned, but they brought the monroes casseroles and helped with little chores. the first song sammy wrote with her uncle for the band to perform was in honor of her brother.

sammy did alright in school, her music teachers liked her, but they liked all the monroe kids. she was always good in math, but crappy in science. she loved art, english and history. her teachers wanted her to go to college, but all sammy wanted to do was make music. her sister bethany went to college and it seemed like a lot of effort. samantha didn't want college or classes, she wanted to go somewhere new she'd never seen. she wanted to be inspired. she stayed with her family for a year after she graduated, but in the end she knew she had to go see the world. she couldn't stay in west virginia forever. she lived in nashville for three years, working as a bartender before she was legally able to drink. she loved it there, loved the music scene but it felt like everyone else there was trying to do the exact same thing she was with more life experience and more connections. she got seen by one person who could get her a job as a songwriter while she was there and nothing came of it. they wanted her whole family, not just her. 

after three years, she picked up and left nashville for california. she had a car and her savings. whenever she stopped driving, she would busk or play open mic nights to make extra cash. she ended up in oceanside when she wanted to see the beach and ended up staying there.