Erika Jo became a country star overnight after winning the "Nashville Star" competition, but at least the 18-year-old singer has one industry veteran looking after her.
"She doesn't quite know what all this business has to hold for her -- good and bad," says LeAnn Rimes, who hosted the competition on the USA Network. "But now that she's in the business, I'll probably be seeing her and if she asks, I'll definitely tell her what she needs to know."
Rimes, 22, should know, having begun her career at age 14 and dealt with allegedly corrupt management. For Erika Jo, who doesn't use her last name professionally (it's Heriges), the reality is still sinking in.
"I didn't know if I was going to be there a week or eight weeks, like I was," Erika Jo told The Associated Press recently. "I never dreamed to win. I had even prepared my goodbye speech."
The first female and youngest contestant to win "Nashville Star" in its three-year run, Erika Jo now has responsibilities that trump school work. She attended her senior prom just four days before she won.
Her album "Erika Jo" debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard country chart in June. She's currently headlining the "Nashville Star" tour -- and sharing a bus with 12 guys. But convincing them that she deserves the bedroom and not a bunk hasn't been easy.
"I said, 'I'm the only chick and I need the space.' And they said, 'N-o-o-o.'"
