Perry County country music singer releases first album, signs to music label

Bambi Hoggle has been singing most of her life, but this summer the Perry County native is stepping onto a much bigger stage. 

Hoggle, who performs under the name Bambi Leigh, released her first full album June 16 and says the response has already been more than she ever expected.

“I’ve been singing since I was little,” she said. “My mom told me I would walk around singing whatever songs. The first one I remember loving was ‘Elvira’ by the Oak Ridge Boys.” She grew up in the Heiberger community north of Marion, listening to her grandfather play guitar. She still owns his instrument, a 60-70-year-old guitar her niece now plays.

Hoggle said she began writing seriously in 2012 after her grandfather died. Her first song, written in less than half an hour, was a Christmas tribute to him titled “Who Missed You Most at Christmas Time.” Several songs on the new album date back to that period. 

“Some of the other ones from this album are about as old as that one,” she said. “They were just kind of sitting on my phone and I said, you know what, it’s time to go ahead and get them done.”

The album was recorded in an unusual way. Hoggle sent her lyrics to a production company, which created the music and sent it back. She recorded her vocals at home. 

“I’m really surprised my dog wasn’t barking through half of it,” she joked. The studio musicians handled the rest. “They fixed it to where it sounded like it was supposed to.”

The project includes deeply personal songs. One track, “Walk Me Through,” is about her father, who died in 2021. “When I die, I hope he’s there to walk me through,” she said. Another song is about a close friend who passed away. Others draw from relationships, rodeo culture and Alabama pride. Her single “Bama Girl” has already become her most shared and most streamed song. 

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“Somebody from Georgia commented and said they loved it but wished it was Georgia,” she said. “They can still relate to it.”

Hoggle has performed across Alabama and in Nashville, sometimes solo and sometimes with bands. She is currently working to assemble a new band for live shows. She has also earned recognition from the Alabama Music Association, winning vocalist of the year and entertainer of the year in 2024 and 2025. She is a member of the Country Music Association as well.

Most recently, she signed with GAC Records. “It went pretty fast,” she said. “Within the same day of being promoted, (the label rep) called back and said, you have been signed. I said, Oh my gosh.” The label was founded by country artist Leon Everette, known for the song “Hurricane.” Hoggle said she had loved the song for years without realizing he was the one who recorded it.

With the new album out, Hoggle is preparing for a wave of interviews and appearances. One California outlet has already requested a phone interview. Her promoter told her to be ready. “She said if you’re ready, get ready, because you’re going to have a lot of interviews,” Hoggle said.

The album is available on Amazon Music, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Pandora and most major streaming platforms. CDs will be available later for listeners who want a signed copy.

Hoggle is already looking ahead. She has enough original material for at least two more albums. “I do plan on three more albums,” she said. “Hopefully by the end of the year. We’ll see.”

For a singer who grew up 15 minutes north of Marion, deep in the heart of the Black Belt, the moment feels surreal. But Hoggle says she is ready for whatever comes next. “It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “And it’s been a long time coming.”