A familiar face was missing from Wednesday's night's Country Music Association Awards. Singer Jo Dee Messina is a former Horizon Award Winner. But, that doesn't mean she's a fan of the show. The outspoken singer spoke with NewsChannel 8's Kristin Dickerson about her life as a country star. Jo Dee Messina is a country music star with nine nine number one hits, more than five million albums sold and a feisty spirit that will keep you on your toes.

While growing up in Massachusetts, she started singing when she was tiny, first performing with a band at 13 years old.

"And then I realized that 'Oh I'm drawing in these people. I'm kind of a big deal!'," she says. "So, when I was 16, I put my own band together."

Now 37, Jo Dee is still rockin' right along with favorites like 'My Give A Damn's Busted'. So, what does she love most about performing?

"The people. I get out there and joke around with the folks and it's neat when you can joke around with an auditorium full of folks or an arena."

And her approach works. Jo Dee won the CMA Horizon Award in 1999 -- a highly regarded accomplishment that's earned through industry votes. But, the pride of winning is no longer. Now, Jo Dee just brushes it off like it's nothing.

"You know awards are awards," she says. "There are a lot of politics that go into that. There's heavy campaigning that goes into awards shows. Just to be able to do music, that's my award."

That's a perspective that's appreciated by fans, but might seem controversial to others. Her long career hasn't been easy. She recently released her new album 'Unmistakable'. But, you might never find it on a store shelf.

"They've decided to just hold on to it," Jo Dee says. "We don't know when it's coming out and I don't know, I don't know, it's politics."

Jo Dee says record company executive Mike Curb says 'Unmistakable' is Jo Dee's best album of her career.

"I'm not sure why it's sitting on a shelf," she says. "But I guess they have their reasons."

Messina says there's been a disagreement within her record label and some industry reports say it's been put on hold indefinitely. But, that's not holding her back

"I'm like the come back kid, you know? I go away and I come back and I go away and I come back."

So what's she doing in the mean time?

"A lot of heavy drinking," she jokes. "No! ha! prescriptions! No this is awful!"

In all seriousness, Jo Dee finds her peace writing lyrics and making music.

"Just that I love what I do, you know? It's not taken for granted and it's not like 'Oh I wanna be a star'. It's that I love music. It's who I am. And I'm very grateful to do it for a living."

She's a rebel performer who's passionate, strong, and independent, putting herself out there, to take a stand for everyone.

"Never settle, never be so afraid of losing your dream that you turn into something you're not."