There are country music artists who are old, young, traditional, radical, etc., but there are very few who are black.

Rissi Palmer, a 26-year-old black female singer-songwriter who happens to sing and write country music, is breaking down stereotypes and breaking new ground. Born in Pittsburgh and raised in St. Louis, Palmer talked about her unique position in an interview with National Public Radio.

She has a single on the Billboard country charts, called "Country Girl," and her self-titled debut album will be in stores this Tuesday (Oct. 23rd).

While a lot of attention so far has been on her position as a black woman singing country music, Rissi Palmer hopes the focus will be on the music. You can hear that music and find out more information at her Web site.

She'll be very visible in the coming weeks, with profiles or appearances scheduled for Country Music Television, the WGN-TV morning show, Oprah Winfrey's satellite radio show, and magazines ranging from People and BackBeat to Vibe, Ebony, and Source.