WITH AN EYE ON . . . : Everything you didn’t know about Pam Tillis and more--on TNN special

“My Dad gave me lots of advice, a small fraction of which I took,” country singer Pam Tillis recently told attendees at a major media convention. “But one thing I did listen to was, ‘Get on television any time you can.’ ”

Tillis’ dad, veteran country star Mel Tillis, knew what he was talking about. In the ‘70s he was a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show,” winning fans as much for his self-deprecating wit (intensified by his famed stutter) as his singing.

So with that in mind, the younger Tillis agreed to let a crew from The Nashville Network, the country music cable channel, follow her around for three days in December during her concert tour. The result is “Full Access: On Tour With Pam Tillis,” a special that will air on TNN on Wednesday.

Among the highlights: Pam skiing near Salt Lake City, Pam bowling, Pam and band singing “Da Doo Ron Ron” at the bowling alley’s karaoke lounge

“I think people might get the impression from the show that life on the road is more fun that it really is,” the personable Tillis, 37, says. “We picked things we would normally do, but you rarely go skiing and bowling in the same day.”

But Tillis is hopeful that with its interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, “Full Access” will put the “real” her a little closer to her fans.

“As a performer, there’s a side to your personality that you’d like to get people to see,” she says. “On stage there’s a limited amount of time and you’re getting down to business. This show is more in-depth than what you can get in a concert.”

What fans do know about Tillis is that she’s become one of the most popular country stars of recent years, with three gold albums (each sold more than 500,000 copies), including last year’s “Sweetheart’s Dance,” which earned her the Country Music Assn.’s female vocalist of the year award.

And they know that country music is in her blood, literally, though she feels that gives people some misimpressions.

“Just because I was born into ‘country music royalty,’ as some people call it, doesn’t mean it was an easy road,” she points out.

In fact, the expectations created by her parentage made it harder for her to find her own place in music. In her younger years, she rebelled against country, moving to San Francisco and working in more of a jazz-rock style.

But in the mid-’80s, with doors for women in country having been opened by the likes of Emmylou Harris and Reba McEntire, Tillis returned to Nashville and carved out her own niche. Today, her smart songwriting and a bright, witty persona place her among Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna and Mary Chapin Carpenter as the leaders of a new breed of female country stars.

And, of course, she has a “real” life too: She’s married to songwriter Bob DiPiero and they have a 15-year-old son, Ben, both of whom she misses very much during those long concert tours.

So thanks to her dad’s advice, she has a chance to share more of that with her fans. If nothing else, she’ll get plenty of exposure: In addition to the “Full Access,” she’s also hosting five episodes of TNN’s “Live at the Ryman” series of performance shows taped at the Nashville theater that served as the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. She also guests on an upcoming installment of singer Marty Stuart’s show, “Marty’s Party.”

The down side of all this?

“There are moments when it’d be so cool to be unknown,” she says with a touch of sadness. “It isn’t as much fun to do karaoke as a famous person. I was jealous of the other people doing it. There’s a self-consciousness that spoils it now ... I have to get a home machine!”

“Full Access: On Tour With Pam Tillis” airs on TNN at 9 p.m. Wednesday.