Mover & Shaker » By Melinda Johnston » Photos By Glenn Roberson PHOTOS BY WHITNEY GRAY
“We were trying to come up with a clever name when I heard someone on TV use the phrase ‘Girl Friday.’ I looked it up and found it meant ‘female friend, companion, sister.’ In other words, it was us! Because we’re country, we slapped Gal on it.” — Melissa Purser York
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husbands; and other careers (Melissa is a graphic designer, Ashley is a vet tech, and Lauren recently gave up an inside sales job to become a full-time singer/songwriter). GalFriday quickly became another member of the Purser family. “We have to prioritize,” Melissa says. “Our kids come first, but GalFriday is the fourth sister in the group. We have to nurture and take care of her and make her a priority because she’s an extension of who we are. We have to be very good stewards of GalFriday because we’ve given her a lot of spiritual, financial and emotional
investment.” The sisters write their own songs and travel to Nashville to work, collaborate and record. They say sharing the same DNA makes the whole process even more interesting. “We’re sisters and we’re going to get on each other’s nerves at some point. But we’ve learned to operate GalFriday despite any sister glitches we may have,” Ashley says. Melissa adds, “Because we’re all so different, there is a balance. Lauren is the peacemaker. I’m the risk taker, pushing the envelope on and off the stage. Ashley is the organization
behind everything. It would be mad chaos if Lauren and I had to deal with paperwork and merchandise!” The singing sisters are proud to be backed by a talented band. “We have an incredible band of accomplished musicians,” Lauren says. “Dan Hood plays electric guitar; Andy Burger plays acoustic guitar; Stacey Leazer is our bass player; and Ryan York is our drummer. Not only are they amazing musicians, they are all good guys and make it so much fun to do what we do.” GalFriday’s stage presence is unpretentious. On stage, you'll find