The Elvis clock struck 6 p.m. at S & R Catfish in Moulton as Harlie Rae Vinson grabbed the microphone.

Harlie performs every Thursday night at the restaurant amid the smell of fried food and soundless karaoke videos playing on a big-screen TV. Framed pictures of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe lined the wood-paneled walls and handwritten signs advertised “Fried Pickel’s, $4.99 plus tax.”

That week she opened with a crowd-pleasing “Old Time Rock and Roll,” grinning through the performance and stealing glances at her mother, Tammy Vinson.

“In my cowboy boots I’m 4 foot 3,” she sang, and Tammy whispered that her daughter had written the song herself. Harlie tapped a booted foot along to the music, and her rhinestone-studded jeans glittered in the lights.

Harlie is only 8, but she’s one of several budding local country musicians who perform across the Southeast. Nine-year-old Alaina Wiley of Danville travels on weekends to perform in Nashville, while Anna Brooke Higdon, a junior at Decatur High School, grew up singing and has auditioned for shows like “American Idol.”

Though the pressure to be perfect is tremendous on young female artists in the country music industry, these talented pre-teens and teen don’t let that discourage their dreams of becoming megastars. Their parents try to find balance for their on-the-verge-of-fame daughters as they fit in guitar lessons and music festivals between math homework and slumber parties.

However, fame wasn’t on Harlie’s mind that night at S & R Catfish. After a few numbers, she settled into a booth with her mother to eat a cheeseburger and fries and sip on a Mountain Dew. The waitresses and owners of the restaurant treat her like family, and Harlie will slip back into the kitchen for a piece of pie or to take her dishes to the sink.

“This is her practice,” said Tammy, laughing, as Harlie slid from her seat to sing another song with guitarist Chris Smith, a singer and songwriter.

Smith played lead guitar that night, and Harlie handed him a sheet of music with unfamiliar chords. She was intent on singing “Golden Rings” with Smith, and he roughly strummed the music on his guitar. Harlie sang the first chorus and Smith followed her, missing several of the words. Harlie rolled her eyes at him and giggled, still singing.

“Chris is teaching her it’s OK to mess up,” said Tammy.

Smith eventually caught up with Harlie, his black cowboy hat and handlebar mustache bobbing along to the beat.

Offstage, Harlie seemed shy talking about herself, despite how comfortable she was just minutes before in front of a room full of people.

“When I sing, I feel good,” she said. “I’m not nervous. It’s just fun.”

Tammy laughed at her daughter’s reluctance to talk about singing.

“This is what she doesn’t like — interviews,” she said.

Nine-year-old Alaina Wiley, also an accomplished singer, lives a few miles away from S & R Catfish, and she and Harlie attended the same elementary school until Alaina moved to Danville.

Both girls have performed at several of the same events, including Farmers Market festivals in Decatur, an Alabama Hall of Fame Talent Expo, the North Alabama State Fair, “American Idol”-type contests and a songwriting contest.

Alaina and her mother, Cindy Wiley, travel nearly every weekend for Alaina’s performances in Nashville on cable TV shows like “Nashville Spotlight” or at country music festivals.

Cindy created a scrapbook of newspaper articles featuring her daughter and pictures of the pint-size singer posing in her cowboy hat with dozens of country musicians.

Because of the volume of photographs, Alaina often needs help remembering the names of bands and singers. She can, however, point out the child stars and musicians who have opened for the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.

The Hannah Montana craze hasn’t missed the pre-teen, who said she likes to sing along to the pop star’s songs. Alaina also hopes to get signed to a record label and cites Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton as inspiration.

In the spotlight

As Alaina becomes more recognized in the area, she has been asked to sing at everything from the Morgan County Fair to a bluegrass festival in Kentucky.

“We’d go somewhere and someone would say, ‘I want that little girl to come sing,’ ” said her mother.

Concert dates add up, but Alaina doesn’t seem to mind the travel and busy flow of activity. She enjoys being in the spotlight and will give an impromptu performance at the slightest suggestion.

At her Danville home, Alaina plugged in a stereo with a microphone attached and belted out an original song about the long lines at Wal-Mart. She bounced to the rhythmic bass beats, making eye contact with imaginary audience members.

Alaina also has appeared on humorous commercials on “Nashville Spotlight,” much like a child’s version of “Hee Haw” but with more glitter and sequins. Cindy mentioned the commercials, sending Alaina into a fury looking for the faux product she was to advertise. She immediately launched into the two-minute commercial from memory. Cindy said lately her daughter has taken an interest in acting and will co-host “Nashville Spotlight” next year.

Early starts

Both Harlie and Alaina showed an interest in singing before kindergarten.

Harlie remembers her first singing experience in Sunday school at age 4 but gave a bashful grin and shrugged her shoulders when asked further about it.

Alaina seemed eager to talk about her beginning. Flipping her waist-long, light brown hair, she perched on her purple beanbag in her princess-themed bedroom, wringing her hands in front of her.

“I can’t remember if I was 3 or 4, but I started singing at my mawmaw’s,” she said. “I picked up a mike and started singing ‘Daddy’s Girl’ with my grandpa.”

But this wasn’t just an ordinary family gathering. Her grandmother, Brenda Miller, managed Miller’s Out Back Music Shed in Danville with her husband, Don.

On stage

Once a month, a guest band and house band would perform for the crowd, and Alaina, then age 4, had no fear of performing and had a natural stage presence, her mom said.

Some performers, however, have to overcome stage fright.

Though 16-year-old Anna Brooke Higdon had been singing since she could talk, her fear was unavoidable on stage.

She laughed when recalling her first performance.

“I was in third grade and I had to sing an Italian song at Eastwood Elementary. I was so nervous that the teachers put me behind a curtain so I couldn’t see anyone,” she said.

The more she performed, though, the more she became comfortable in front of an audience. But her nerves still aren’t perfect, said Higdon, smiling.

“On stage, I don’t get nervous and I feel good,” she said. “But the 20 minutes before I go on, I feel like I’m going to throw up. Mentally I’m fine — I just think it’s my body getting nervous.”

Higdon began taking singing lessons at age 8 with Decatur teacher Gary McKenzie. She started singing Broadway and opera, and she had to force her teacher to let her sing country music.

“I was into it and I wanted to sing better and do competitions and get out there,” she said.

The music industry isn’t known for being a warm, encouraging environment; just watch any episode of “Nash-ville Star” and see contestants’ faces crumple from a judge’s severity or read a harsh album review in Country Weekly.

Higdon has faced her share of snide judges auditioning for “American Idol,” “Can You Duet?” and “America’s Got Talent.” Though she didn’t get past the first rounds, she remains intent on making singing a full-time job.

“It’s hard, but I do what I have to,” she said.

The Higdon family travels from Nashville to Auburn for chances to perform most weekends, giving up time with friends and typical teenage activities.

“I’m just always singing and doing stuff,” she said, sliding her bracelets up her wrist. “Other people go home and do homework, and I come home and play guitar and get ready for performances.”

Coming home at 2 a.m. from an out-of-town gig isn’t unusual for Higdon, but she makes the schedule work for her.

“If we’re driving to Auburn or Nashville, I’ll do my homework in the car,” she said.

The DHS junior still strives for a semi-normal life. She throws shot put and discus on the track team and sings in the school’s chorus.

If a record deal doesn’t happen before she graduates, she wants to attend Belmont University for a degree in commercial music.

She already plans to release a CD with original music by Christmas 2009.

All three singers are learning to play guitar and write their own music, which will make them more marketable in the competitive business.

Finding balance

At her Danville home, Alaina tunes her guitar, a purple, child-sized version decorated with pink butterflies. Her Hannah Montana backpack sat in the corner of the living room next to the guitar case — a reminder that the next day was a school day.

She plucked a few strings on her mandolin as well while she talked about her day-to-day life.

“I’m just like an average kid,” she said, twisting her hair behind her. “I go to school. I come home and spend time with my sisters. It’s just like any other day.”

Though she may be traveling on the weekends, Alaina still plays with her American Girl dolls and has tea parties with friends during the week.

Eight-year-old Harlie sometimes opts to ride horses or go to Tuesday guitar lessons instead of taking every gig she’s offered.

Image in the industry

If Harlie and Alaina continue music careers in the future, they may face the same body image issues Higdon has encountered. The success of young country pop stars like Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood has seemingly set an ideal female mold for singers — blond, slender and flawless.

Higdon said she feels that pressure to be thin and attractive in all aspects of her life.

“When I did Actors, Models and Talent Convention in Orlando, the agencies we were with told me I needed to lose 30 pounds, but I didn’t,” she said. “All the singers are thin.”

Judging by coverage in publications like US Weekly or People magazine, young stars live with criticism about everything in their lives, from personal to trivial.

Jessica Simpson, who released a new country album, has recently been scrutinized in the media about her weight. Swift isn’t left out, either; her private relationship turned into a glaringly public break-up.

Support from family

Fame’s ugly side can be disastrous to children and teens, especially if they aren’t prepared for the attention and stress. In some cases, parents are blamed for pushing their children toward celebrity status too early.

Tammy Vinson wants to make sure that doesn’t happen with Harlie. Their Thursday evenings at S & R Catfish are more about being with friends and having a good time rather than advancing her music career.

When someone calls asking for Harlie to perform, she lets her daughter make that decision.

“If she wants to sing, she will. But sometimes she’ll turn them down,” she said.

Cindy Wiley is equally cautious about over-extending her daughter’s schedule.

“I’m hoping as her parent that I’m not pushing her,” she said. “I let her make her own decisions. I just want to instill in her some good values. I’ve always told her she can do whatever she wants to do.”

Higdon’s parents are supportive as well, and after eight years on stage, Higdon had sage advice for the Harlie and Alaina if they want to keep singing.

“Keep pursuing (your) dreams,” she said, “And make sure it’s what (you) want to do.”

On the Net

Anna Brooke Higdon: annabrooke.com; www.myspace.com/annabrookemusic; www.youtube.com/annabrookemusic

Alaina Wiley: www.myspace.com/alainasings; www.youtube.com/alaina4u

Harlie Rae Vinson: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc2y1F6B2ns