At home on the stage

The 50th State Fair is mostly for kids, and nothing underscores that more than the musical artists booked at Aloha Stadium during four consecutive weekends that started last month and continues in June.

Jordon Pruitt Place: Aloha Stadium Time: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday Tickets: $5 (in addition to 50th State Fair admission) Call: 682-5767

Asia Cruise, Selena Gomez and Souljah Boy visited in recent weeks, causing local teens to rejoice and everyone else to wonder what the fuss is about. The phenomenon will repeat this weekend when pop singer Jordan Pruitt arrives for a pair of parking lot performances.

Born and raised in Georgia, the 17-year-old started singing at the age of 4 and was performing in front of large crowds by the time she was 10. She spent most of the last year on the road, touring with other Disney-backed artists such as the Cheetah Girls, Vanessa Hudgens and the Jonas Brothers.

Pruitt spoke with the Star-Bulletin last week via phone from Nashville, Tennessee.

QUESTION: What is your earliest memory of performing?

ANSWER: The earliest memory was ... singing in church. My dad was the worship leader ... (and) I sang "Jesus Loves Me."

Q: When did you realize singing could be your career?

A: I started writing songs when I was nine years old. I wrote a song called "Outside Looking In" ... and (people) said it was really, really good and that I should keep doing it. I started performing on bigger stages in front of larger audiences when I was 10 years old, and that's when I knew I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.

Q: How important is it to you to write your own material?

A: Well, I think you get a better idea of who the person is if they have written or co-written the song. You get to know the artist better. That's why I like to write ... it's a way of getting my feelings out.

Q: How did opening for other artists on tour prepare you for this summer?

A: To be honest, I've always been comfortable on stage. It's so much fun because there's so many different people. You get to experience new cities and it's a blast.

Q: You just finished work on a new album, "Permission to Fly." What can fans expect?

A: I co-wrote six or seven of the songs ... (and) it only took us three months to write and record. It's pop music, but there's a little bit of R&B, a little bit of soul music, even a little bit of jazz.

Q: What are you looking forward to most while in Hawaii?

A: I'm just excited to perform. Not very many people have heard (the new material) yet, so I think that's really exciting.