Sierra Hull spreads her wings: bluegrass music news

If you read The Tennessean — or if your manager does — you can become a star.

That's the lesson we've learned from 16-year-old Sierra Hull, who landed the part of the Rev. Billy Graham's sister, Catherine, in the movie about him that's being shot here.

In February, I ran a column announcing that a movie on a young Billy Graham would be shot in Middle Tennessee. In that column, music supervisor Anastasia Brown said she was looking for a young girl with a voice like Alison Krauss. I asked people who knew of interested girls to send me packages containing photos and CDs. I received several armfuls of packages that I forwarded to Anastasia.

Claire Armbruster of Nashville's Keith Case & Associates saw the item and immediately thought of one of her firm's clients, Sierra, who lives in Byrdstown, Tenn. Sierra will release her debut for Rounder Records, an album called Secrets, in May.

"I sent it in without (Sierra) knowing," Claire says. "When I read what Anastasia said about needing an 11- or 12-year-old that sounded like Alison Krauss, I thought of Sierra, even though she's 16, because she's so petite. They do miracles in the movies.

"About a week later, Anastasia called and said Sierra was her number one pick."

Anastasia says, "She was the one that had the exact voice I was hearing in my head for this really important role. Director Robby Benson fell in love with her voice as well.

"I called and told her my vision and that I loved her voice. I said, 'Would you be willing to do this for the movie?' She said, 'Yes, ma'am, I sure would.' "

On Thursday, Sierra recorded "Just As I Am" and "I'll Fly Away" with producer John Carter Cash at his famed log cabin studio in Hendersonville. Participating in the sessions were top-notch musicians Randy Scruggs, Harry Stinson, John Cowan, Ronnie McCoury, Ronnie Bowman, Sarah Peasall and John Wesley Ryles. "Robbie and I were in the studio, and both of us got goosebumps about 10 times. We kept on showing each other our goosebumps," Anastasia says.

" 'Just As I Am' was being sung when Billy had his conversion and walked the sawdust trail to the altar," Anastasia says. "Her voice will be extremely highlighted during this climax of the film."

Many of the actors appearing in Billy: The Early Years are expected to arrive in Nashville today. Armie Hammer has been cast as the famed preacher. Armie, the great-grandson of industrialist/philanthropist Armand Hammer, is also slated to play Batman in George Miller's Justice League of America. He has appeared in Desperate Housewives, Veronica Mars, Flicka and Blackout.

Martin Landau will play Billy's mentor, Charles Templeton, in a role that was originally to have been played by Hal Holbrook. The movie also will feature Lindsay Wagner, Jennifer O'Neill and Stephanie Butler. The actors will meet to read the script on Monday and filming starts Wednesday. Nashville-based Ruckus Films is a production partner in the film.