Welcome to State Of The Union, appearing each month in bluegrass now magazine! This column provides the spouses of professional bluegrass musicians with a forum in which they can share their insights, observations, and experience with fans and other bluegrass spouses.

August 2004: Lisa McCoury on LIVING IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Lisa McCoury answers the phone in a voice filled with warmth and good humor. It is the voice of a happy woman. She has many reasons to be happy. Her husband, Rob McCoury, plays banjo with one of bluegrass music's hottest bands. She has an adorable baby daughter, Monroe, named for the actress AND the father of bluegrass. And her network of friends includes some of Nashville's brightest young musicians and their spouses.

Lisa, Monroe, and Rob McCoury

For someone who doesn't give interviews every day, she's also remarkably comfortable answering questions. Where does her confidence come from?

“I'm the last of seven kids,” she says. “My dad took us to festivals, and we all clog . . . I've been clogging in front of anybody and everybody since I was little! Dad taught us to go out there and be ourselves. Being outgoing is part of being married to a musician!”

If you've attended an IBMA award show, you've probably seen Lisa in the audience. A striking platinum blonde like her idol, Marilyn Monroe, she loves to dress up for the right occasion. “The first year we went to IBMA, I wasn't sure what the dress code was. I don't want to say that I single-handedly raised the bar, but I feel like I did!” One of her friends, a seamstress, made her a replica of a hot pink dress worn by Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. A delighted Lisa wore it to the show, where she received numerous compliments and admiring glances.

Her IBMA gown the following year was a smashing little number from Victoria's Secret, to which she added a red feather boa. “The next year, I was pregnant, so I had to do something off the wall. I got the tightest stomach-huggin' dress I could I find, in leopard! It was cut so far down, and my belly was huge. I knew everybody would be like, 'Oh, my God, Lisa's just lost her damn mind!' I'm out for getting shock and awe, truly!” She's not afraid to be outrageous, within reason. “I'll keep it in good taste, but have a good time. When you're out in the public eye, you want to be looking good-all that and a bag of chips, right?”

It all started with that hot pink dress. “Every year my friends wonder, 'What's Lisa McCoury gonna wear THIS year?' I start a few months in advance thinking about what I might put together. My mindset is 'What's gonna top the year before?'” With the arrival of baby Monroe, Lisa now has two outfits to shop for. “Last year was probably the tamest I'd ever been, but that was my first year out with my daughter. I wore a long fitted burgundy velour gown with spaghetti straps.”

Lisa's role model for good taste is her mother-in-law, Jean McCoury. “It's great to get out there with the guys all tuxed out and looking good. I have to give kudos to Jean. She makes sure they're all put together very well. I know The Del McCoury Band feels image is very important. As Rob's wife, I want to make sure I'm as put together as the band.”

She's never uncomfortable in the spotlight. “I knew, when I married Rob, some of that came along with it. In recent years, it's happened more and more. I enjoy it! I've gotten to do so many things because of the band and their growing popularity.” She's attended many star-studded events, including CMT's Flame Worthy show in Nashville. “I bought this gorgeous retro '50s top. It was ruffled at the bottom and tied around the neck. I wore it with black slacks. Most people had on cowboy hats and jeans, or leather. I was like, 'Put me on TV for 15 seconds! I'm lookin' good!'”

Lisa's outfit must have been particularly stunning that evening, because she caught the eye of actor John Corbett (Sex And The City's Aidan). “He said, 'Are you married?' and I was like, 'Yes, I am, but I love you so much!' Rob and I walked to the end of the bar, and Minnie Driver was there. Rob looked over and he said, 'I think Minnie Driver's checking me out.' I said, 'You go, boy!'”

A little gentle teasing, and a lot of trust, go a long way in the McCourys' marriage. On June 7, Lisa and Rob celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. “We have a great relationship. I have always told Rob that I can't spend my life worrying about what he might be doing while he's on the road. He married me, I trust him, and that's where it stops.” It doesn't hurt that Rob McCoury regularly tells his wife that she is beautiful. “Absolutely,” she laughs. “And if he didn't, I'd kill him! He can't top me! That's the truth of the matter.”

See Lisa's Flame Worthy Awards outfit at www.delmccouryband.com!