Nashville, TN -- Hot new Americana singer Mindy Smith begins her first national tour tonight in Asheville, North Carolina, and she admits she's dogged by the pressure of her first headlining tour.

Smith, who is getting raves for her debut CD, "One Moment More," admits she's "pretty nervous" and finds the experience of making sure everyone has a good time to be "nervewracking."

But Smith won't be alone on her tour. As the star, she gets some perks and one of these is a seat on the tour bus for "Sophia," her pet pooch who is a mixed breed that she calls a "shnoodle."

Smith has had Sophia for nine years and credits the dog for making her feel at home even when she's miles away from home.

But if Smith's best friend is her dog, it doesn't mean that Sophia is her biggest fan.

In her words, "She doesn't like it when I sing and tends to go into another room when I'm writing a song."

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