Lee Ann Womack
Encyclopedia
Lee Ann Womack is an American
country music
singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love.
Her 2000 single, "I Hope You Dance
" was a major crossover
music hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Country Chart
and the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming her signature song.
Although Lee Ann Womack emerged as a contemporary country artist in 1997 with the release of her first album, her material closely resembled that of Dolly Parton
and Tammy Wynette
,
mixing Womack's music with an old fashioned style, as well as contemporary elements, making her different from her counterparts. Her 2000 release I Hope You Dance
, however, was an entirely different sound, using pop music
elements instead of traditional country, helping to establish Womack as a pop crossover artist. It was not until the release of There's More Where That Came From
in 2005 that Womack returned to recording traditional country music.
Presently, Womack has released a total of six studio albums and two compilations. Four of her studio albums have received a Gold certification or higher by the RIAA. Additionally, she has received five Academy of Country Music Awards, five Country Music Association Awards
, and a Grammy Award
. She has sold over 6 million albums worldwide.*http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11870110
, United States
. At an early age, she was interested in country music. Her father, a disc jockey
, often took his daughter to work with him to help choose records to play on the air.
Womack was the second of two daughters. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father was also a high school principal. As a child, Womack studied the piano
and later graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1984.
After graduating, Womack attended South Plains Junior College
in Levelland, Texas
. The college was one of the first in the nation to offer country music degrees, and soon she became a member of the college band, Country Caravan.
A year later, she left the college and after an agreement with her parents, Womack enrolled at Belmont University
in Nashville, Tennessee
, where she studied the commercial ways of the music business. In Nashville, she interned at the A&R department of MCA Records
. She studied at the college until 1990, leaving the school a year before graduation.
Womack spent a few years raising her children before reentering the music business in the mid 90s. In 1995 she began performing her music in songwriting demos and at showcase concerts. At one of these showcase concerts, she was spotted by Tree Publishings, who signed her after listening to one of original demo recordings.
Womack wrote songs with some popular Nashville songwriters, including Bill Anderson and Ricky Skaggs
, who recorded her composition, "I Don't Remember Forgetting" for one of his albums. After divorcing her first husband around that time, Womack decided to pursue a career as a country music artist. She auditioned for MCA chairman, Bruce Hinton, who praised her talents. Shortly afterward, she accepted a contract from MCA's sister record company, Decca Nashville in 1996.
in May 1997, produced by Mark Wright
. The album consisted of self-penned material as well as songs written by other artists, including Mark Chesnutt
, Ricky Skaggs, and Sharon White.
With the original release of the album, there was worry that the album wouldn't sell because some people wouldn't be able to differentiate between her and LeAnn Rimes
, who was also a successful artist at that time. However, Womack decided to keep her given name.
The first single, "Never Again, Again" made the country charts and playlists by March 1997, which led to the release of the album's second single, "The Fool
" shortly afterward. More successful than her first single, "The Fool" reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Country chart that year. That year she won major awards from the country music community; Top New Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music Awards, Top Artist of the Year from Billboard Magazine, and was nominated for the Horizon award by the Country Music Association.
Decca Nashville decided to close its doors in 1998, moving Womack to MCA Nashville Records that year.
In 1998, Womack released her second studio album, Some Things I Know
,
which was also produced by Mark Wright.
The album's first two singles, "A Little Past Little Rock
" and "I'll Think of a Reason Later
" both went to #2 on the Billboard Country Chart.
Two additional singles, "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't" and "Don't Tell Me" were released in 1999, and the album was certified Gold by the RIAA soon after.
That year, she also won Favorite Country New Artist from the American Music Awards
.
Womack also contributed her vocals to the songs "If You're Ever Down in Dallas" and "The Man Who Made Mama Cry" in collaboration with her ex-husband and musician, Jason Sellers
. The material was promoted through shows through October to November before the birth of Womack's second child in January 1999.
, which was met with major success.
The title track
(which was released as the lead single), reached #1 on the Billboard Country chart for five weeks and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming a major crossover Pop hit, reaching #14. It also peaked at the top spot on the adult contemporary chart and even reached the UK Singles Charts, peaking at #40. Both of Womack's daughters appeared in the song's video that year. Towards the end of 2000, "I Hope You Dance" won the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" and "Single of the Year" awards.
With the Pop success of "I Hope You Dance," Womack drew the attention of the magazines People and Time, both of which praised the single, calling it "one of her best." The song later won awards in 2001 from the Grammy and Academy of Country music awards.
The album of the same name has sold 3 million copies in the United States to date.
The album's follow-up single, a cover of Rodney Crowell
's "Ashes by Now" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Country Chart. The third single, "Why They Call it Falling" was also successful, reaching the country Top 15.
On December 11, 2000, Womack performed "I Hope You Dance" at the annual Nobel Peace Prize
concert.
In 2002 Womack's fourth studio album, Something Worth Leaving Behind
was released. The album made a stronger attempt at a pop-flavored style, however it did not react well, leading to poor record sales and only one major hit. Following its release, Womack's career stalled. Later that year, she released a Christmas
album, The Season for Romance
and also collaborated with Willie Nelson
on his single, "Mendocino County Line," which won a Grammy and Country Music award in 2002.
In early 2003, she got a small recurring role on the popular CBS
drama, The District.
In 2004, Womack performed "I Hope You Dance" at the Republican National Convention
, in which George W. Bush
was nominated for his second term as President of the United States. The other performers that night included Sara Evans
and Larry Gatlin
.
She also collaborated with country band, Cross Canadian Ragweed
on their minor hit, "Sick and Tired" in 2004.
Also that year, she also released her first Greatest Hits
album, which included two new songs; "The Wrong Girl" (the only song from the album released as a single) and "Time for Me to Go."
.
Many people in the music industry called the album, "a return to tradition," featuring songs about drinking and cheating with a distinctive older country twang, mixing strings and steel guitar
. The album won the Country Music Association's "Album of the Year" award in 2005.
Womack took inspiration from the records of the 60s and 70s, and according to Allmusic, the album sounded like albums by Loretta Lynn
, Barbara Mandrell
, and Dolly Parton
from the 70s. They also called it one of her best records.
The lead single, "I May Hate Myself in the Morning
" was a Top 10 hit in 2005, and also won "Single of the Year" by the CMA awards later that year.
Two additional singles were released from the album in 2005 that became minor hits, "He Oughta Know That by Now" and "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago." The album was released on vinyl LP as well as CD.
Womack can be heard on the track "If I Could Only Fly" from Joe Nichols' album Real Things
.
Womack has also appeared on specials on the CMT
network, including their, "100 Greatest Duets", which featured Womack singing the duet with Kenny Rogers
, "Every Time Two Fools Collide
". The song had been originally recorded by Rogers and Dottie West
in 1978 and was a No. 1 Country hit that year. Womack took the place of West during that show, being West had died in a serious car accident in September 1991. Womack's other honors includes being listed at #17 on CMT's 2002 special of their countdown of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.
In 2006, Womack announced plans of a sixth studio album off of Mercury Nashville Records. The lead single, "Finding My Way Back Home" was released in the late summer of that year and debuted at #46 on the Billboard Country Chart.
The single later peaked at #37 and was re-scheduled into 2007, because Womack found more songs that she wanted to record, however it was never released and Womack left Mercury.
" was released on June 30, 2008. It served as the lead-off single to Womack's seventh studio album, Call Me Crazy
, which was released on October 21, 2008.
Call Me Crazy
was issued as a vinyl LP at the time of its release, as well as CD.
Call Me Crazy, produced by Tony Brown
, has been described as a dark album with plenty of songs about drinking and losing love. It featured a duet with George Strait
titled "Everything But Quits," a re-make of the George Strait classic, "The King of Broken Hearts," which first appeared on the Pure Country soundtrack. One track, "The Bees," features vocals from Keith Urban
.
In October 2009, Womack released "There Is a God
", as the lead-off single to her upcoming seventh studio album which she has said she is unsure of the release date. The song debuted at #60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of November 14, 2009, eventually peaking at #32 in early 2010. Womack has revealed a few of the tracks that she has recorded for the album, including: "Talking Behind Your Back", as well as "You Do Until You Don't".
In October 2010, Womack contributed the new track "Liars Lie" to the soundtrack
for the film Country Strong. Womack also contributed guest vocals to Alan Jackson's cover of the song "Ring of Fire
", which was released in December 2010 as a single from his compilation album, 34 Number Ones
. His version of the song was a minor hit, charting to number 45 on the Hot Country Songs charts. Though Womack is featured on the song, she was not given credit on the charts.
, Womack met and married fellow musician singer-songwriter
Jason Sellers
in 1990. Together they had daughter Aubrie Lee Sellers, born 1991, before divorcing in 1996.
In January 1999 daughter Anna Lise Liddell was born after Lee Ann married record producer Frank Liddell.
Compilation albums
Holiday albums
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love.
Her 2000 single, "I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance (song)
"I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sandersand Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack along with Sons of the Desert...
" was a major crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
music hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Country Chart
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
and the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming her signature song.
Although Lee Ann Womack emerged as a contemporary country artist in 1997 with the release of her first album, her material closely resembled that of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
,
mixing Womack's music with an old fashioned style, as well as contemporary elements, making her different from her counterparts. Her 2000 release I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance is the title of the third studio release by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack. It was released on May 23, 2000 as her first album for MCA Nashville...
, however, was an entirely different sound, using pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
elements instead of traditional country, helping to establish Womack as a pop crossover artist. It was not until the release of There's More Where That Came From
There's More Where That Came From
There's More Where That Came From is a 2005 album from Lee Ann Womack. It received numerous awards and critical acclaim and was also Womack's highest selling album since 2000's I Hope You Dance. The album was Womack's return to a traditional country music style, as well as her seventh album...
in 2005 that Womack returned to recording traditional country music.
Presently, Womack has released a total of six studio albums and two compilations. Four of her studio albums have received a Gold certification or higher by the RIAA. Additionally, she has received five Academy of Country Music Awards, five Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
, and a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. She has sold over 6 million albums worldwide.*http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11870110
Early life
Womack was born and raised in Jacksonville, TexasJacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At an early age, she was interested in country music. Her father, a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, often took his daughter to work with him to help choose records to play on the air.
Womack was the second of two daughters. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father was also a high school principal. As a child, Womack studied the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and later graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1984.
After graduating, Womack attended South Plains Junior College
South Plains College
South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...
in Levelland, Texas
Levelland, Texas
Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,542. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west of Lubbock. Major industries include cotton farming and petroleum production...
. The college was one of the first in the nation to offer country music degrees, and soon she became a member of the college band, Country Caravan.
A year later, she left the college and after an agreement with her parents, Womack enrolled at Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where she studied the commercial ways of the music business. In Nashville, she interned at the A&R department of MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. She studied at the college until 1990, leaving the school a year before graduation.
Womack spent a few years raising her children before reentering the music business in the mid 90s. In 1995 she began performing her music in songwriting demos and at showcase concerts. At one of these showcase concerts, she was spotted by Tree Publishings, who signed her after listening to one of original demo recordings.
Womack wrote songs with some popular Nashville songwriters, including Bill Anderson and Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
, who recorded her composition, "I Don't Remember Forgetting" for one of his albums. After divorcing her first husband around that time, Womack decided to pursue a career as a country music artist. She auditioned for MCA chairman, Bruce Hinton, who praised her talents. Shortly afterward, she accepted a contract from MCA's sister record company, Decca Nashville in 1996.
Country music stardom: 1997 — 1999
Womack released her self-titled debut albumLee Ann Womack (album)
Lee Ann Womack is the self-titled, 1997 debut album from country singer Lee Ann Womack. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 16, 1998 and platinum on September 24, 1999. Hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart were "Never Again, Again" which peaked at #23, "The...
in May 1997, produced by Mark Wright
Mark Wright
Mark Wright may refer to:*Mark Wright , English footballer and manager*Mark Wright , English footballer...
. The album consisted of self-penned material as well as songs written by other artists, including Mark Chesnutt
Mark Chesnutt
Mark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
, Ricky Skaggs, and Sharon White.
With the original release of the album, there was worry that the album wouldn't sell because some people wouldn't be able to differentiate between her and LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
, who was also a successful artist at that time. However, Womack decided to keep her given name.
The first single, "Never Again, Again" made the country charts and playlists by March 1997, which led to the release of the album's second single, "The Fool
The Fool (Lee Ann Womack song)
"The Fool" is the title of a song written by Marla Cannon-Goodman, Gene Ellsworth, Charlie Stefl, and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released as the second single off of her self titled debut album. The song peaked at #2 on the U.S...
" shortly afterward. More successful than her first single, "The Fool" reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Country chart that year. That year she won major awards from the country music community; Top New Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music Awards, Top Artist of the Year from Billboard Magazine, and was nominated for the Horizon award by the Country Music Association.
Decca Nashville decided to close its doors in 1998, moving Womack to MCA Nashville Records that year.
In 1998, Womack released her second studio album, Some Things I Know
Some Things I Know
Some Things I Know is the second album from Lee Ann Womack. It was released in 1998 and rose to the #20 position on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's first two singles, "A Little Past Little Rock" and "I'll Think of a Reason Later," both peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot...
,
which was also produced by Mark Wright.
The album's first two singles, "A Little Past Little Rock
A Little Past Little Rock
"A Little Past Little Rock" is the title of a song written by Brett Jones, Tony Lane, Jess Brown, and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released as the lead-off single to her second studio album, Some Things I Know. The song peaked at #2 on the U.S...
" and "I'll Think of a Reason Later
I'll Think of a Reason Later
"I'll Think of a Reason Later" is a song written by Tony Martin and Tim Nichols and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in late 1998 as the second single from her CD, Some Things I Know; it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.-Content:The song...
" both went to #2 on the Billboard Country Chart.
Two additional singles, "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't" and "Don't Tell Me" were released in 1999, and the album was certified Gold by the RIAA soon after.
That year, she also won Favorite Country New Artist from the American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
.
Womack also contributed her vocals to the songs "If You're Ever Down in Dallas" and "The Man Who Made Mama Cry" in collaboration with her ex-husband and musician, Jason Sellers
Jason Sellers
Jason Sellers is an American country music artist. After several years of touring the United States in his family's band, Sellers joined the road band of Ricky Skaggs. By 1997, he was signed to a recording contract with BNA Records, for whom he recorded two studio albums: 1997's I'm Your Man and...
. The material was promoted through shows through October to November before the birth of Womack's second child in January 1999.
Pop crossover success & career decline: 2000 — 2004
She released her third studio album in 2000 entitled, I Hope You DanceI Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance is the title of the third studio release by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack. It was released on May 23, 2000 as her first album for MCA Nashville...
, which was met with major success.
The title track
I Hope You Dance (song)
"I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sandersand Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack along with Sons of the Desert...
(which was released as the lead single), reached #1 on the Billboard Country chart for five weeks and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming a major crossover Pop hit, reaching #14. It also peaked at the top spot on the adult contemporary chart and even reached the UK Singles Charts, peaking at #40. Both of Womack's daughters appeared in the song's video that year. Towards the end of 2000, "I Hope You Dance" won the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" and "Single of the Year" awards.
With the Pop success of "I Hope You Dance," Womack drew the attention of the magazines People and Time, both of which praised the single, calling it "one of her best." The song later won awards in 2001 from the Grammy and Academy of Country music awards.
The album of the same name has sold 3 million copies in the United States to date.
The album's follow-up single, a cover of Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
's "Ashes by Now" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Country Chart. The third single, "Why They Call it Falling" was also successful, reaching the country Top 15.
On December 11, 2000, Womack performed "I Hope You Dance" at the annual Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
concert.
In 2002 Womack's fourth studio album, Something Worth Leaving Behind
Something Worth Leaving Behind
Something Worth Leaving Behind is a 2002 album from Lee Ann Womack. It peaked on the Billboard 200 at #16 and the Top Country Albums at #2. Two singles were released from the album; the title-track and "Forever Everyday"...
was released. The album made a stronger attempt at a pop-flavored style, however it did not react well, leading to poor record sales and only one major hit. Following its release, Womack's career stalled. Later that year, she released a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
album, The Season for Romance
The Season For Romance
The Season for Romance is a 2002 Christmas album from Lee Ann Womack. It was released two months after her fourth studio album, Something Worth Leaving Behind.-Track listing:#"The Season for Romance" – 4:09...
and also collaborated with Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
on his single, "Mendocino County Line," which won a Grammy and Country Music award in 2002.
In early 2003, she got a small recurring role on the popular CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama, The District.
In 2004, Womack performed "I Hope You Dance" at the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
, in which George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was nominated for his second term as President of the United States. The other performers that night included Sara Evans
Sara Evans
Sara Lynn Evans is an American country singer and songwriter.Evans was one of the few traditional-styled singers to emerge from Nashville in the late 1990s, according to Allmusic. Since emerging in the late 1990s, Evans has made five No. 1 Country hits and Gold and Platinum-certified albums by...
and Larry Gatlin
Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Gatlin has had a total of 33 Top 40 singles...
.
She also collaborated with country band, Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country/Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross , Cody Canada , and Randy Ragsdale . Jeremy Plato's name was not involved in the band naming...
on their minor hit, "Sick and Tired" in 2004.
Also that year, she also released her first Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Lee Ann Womack album)
Greatest Hits is a 2004 compilation album from Lee Ann Womack. It features eleven of her biggest hits from her first four albums, a reworking of previous album track "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" and two new tracks — "The Wrong Girl" and "Time for Me to Go", the former of which was a Top 25...
album, which included two new songs; "The Wrong Girl" (the only song from the album released as a single) and "Time for Me to Go."
There's More Where That Came From & hiatus: 2005 — 2007
In 2005, she released her fifth studio album aimed at traditional country music entitled, There's More Where That Came FromThere's More Where That Came From
There's More Where That Came From is a 2005 album from Lee Ann Womack. It received numerous awards and critical acclaim and was also Womack's highest selling album since 2000's I Hope You Dance. The album was Womack's return to a traditional country music style, as well as her seventh album...
.
Many people in the music industry called the album, "a return to tradition," featuring songs about drinking and cheating with a distinctive older country twang, mixing strings and steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
. The album won the Country Music Association's "Album of the Year" award in 2005.
Womack took inspiration from the records of the 60s and 70s, and according to Allmusic, the album sounded like albums by Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
, Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
, and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
from the 70s. They also called it one of her best records.
The lead single, "I May Hate Myself in the Morning
I May Hate Myself in the Morning
"I May Hate Myself in the Morning" is the title of a song written by Odie Blackmon and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. The song was released in October 2004 as the lead-off single for her 2005 album, There's More Where That Came From. It was a Top 10 hit on both the U.S...
" was a Top 10 hit in 2005, and also won "Single of the Year" by the CMA awards later that year.
Two additional singles were released from the album in 2005 that became minor hits, "He Oughta Know That by Now" and "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago." The album was released on vinyl LP as well as CD.
Womack can be heard on the track "If I Could Only Fly" from Joe Nichols' album Real Things
Real Things (Joe Nichols album)
-Personnel:Amalgamated from liner notes*Perry Coleman - background vocals on "Comin' Back in a Cadillac" and "It Ain't No Crime"*J.T. Corenflos - electric guitar*Eric Darken - percussion*Shannon Forrest - drums*Paul Franklin - steel guitar, Dobro...
.
Womack has also appeared on specials on the CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
network, including their, "100 Greatest Duets", which featured Womack singing the duet with Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, "Every Time Two Fools Collide
Every Time Two Fools Collide (song)
"Every Time Two Fools Collide" is a country music song written by Jan Dyer and Jeff Tweel, and recorded by Kenny Rogers and Dottie West. Released in 1978, the song reached No...
". The song had been originally recorded by Rogers and Dottie West
Dottie West
Dottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and co-recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists...
in 1978 and was a No. 1 Country hit that year. Womack took the place of West during that show, being West had died in a serious car accident in September 1991. Womack's other honors includes being listed at #17 on CMT's 2002 special of their countdown of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.
In 2006, Womack announced plans of a sixth studio album off of Mercury Nashville Records. The lead single, "Finding My Way Back Home" was released in the late summer of that year and debuted at #46 on the Billboard Country Chart.
The single later peaked at #37 and was re-scheduled into 2007, because Womack found more songs that she wanted to record, however it was never released and Womack left Mercury.
Return to music: 2008 — present
In 2008, Womack announced plans for a new single for the first time in three years, once again on MCA Nashville. "Last CallLast Call (Lee Ann Womack song)
"Last Call" is a song written by Erin Enderlin and Shane McAnally, and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It is the lead-off single to Womack's sixth studio album, Call Me Crazy, which was released in October 2008...
" was released on June 30, 2008. It served as the lead-off single to Womack's seventh studio album, Call Me Crazy
Call Me Crazy
Call Me Crazy is the sixth studio album released by country music singer Lee Ann Womack, released on October 21, 2008 via MCA Nashville Records. It is her first studio release in three years, as her previous album was not released...
, which was released on October 21, 2008.
Call Me Crazy
Call Me Crazy
Call Me Crazy is the sixth studio album released by country music singer Lee Ann Womack, released on October 21, 2008 via MCA Nashville Records. It is her first studio release in three years, as her previous album was not released...
was issued as a vinyl LP at the time of its release, as well as CD.
Call Me Crazy, produced by Tony Brown
Tony Brown (record producer)
Tony Brown is an American country music record producer.He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.Brown played piano for Elvis Presley. He toured with the TCB Band for much of Presley's final two years and was a part of the 1976 "Jungle Room" recording sessions at Graceland...
, has been described as a dark album with plenty of songs about drinking and losing love. It featured a duet with George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
titled "Everything But Quits," a re-make of the George Strait classic, "The King of Broken Hearts," which first appeared on the Pure Country soundtrack. One track, "The Bees," features vocals from Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
.
In October 2009, Womack released "There Is a God
There Is a God
"There Is a God" is the title of a song written by Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley, and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in November 2009 as the lead-off single to her upcoming seventh studio album.-Content:...
", as the lead-off single to her upcoming seventh studio album which she has said she is unsure of the release date. The song debuted at #60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of November 14, 2009, eventually peaking at #32 in early 2010. Womack has revealed a few of the tracks that she has recorded for the album, including: "Talking Behind Your Back", as well as "You Do Until You Don't".
In October 2010, Womack contributed the new track "Liars Lie" to the soundtrack
Country Strong (soundtrack)
-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack:*Byron Gallimore — tracks 1, 7, 12*James Stroud — track 2*Tony Brown — track 3*Frank Liddell and Luke Wooten — track 4*Frank Liddell and Chuck Ainlay — track 5*Ronnie Dunn — track 6*Michael Knox — track 8...
for the film Country Strong. Womack also contributed guest vocals to Alan Jackson's cover of the song "Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire (song)
"Ring of Fire" or "The Ring of Fire" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash...
", which was released in December 2010 as a single from his compilation album, 34 Number Ones
34 Number Ones
-Album:-Certifications:...
. His version of the song was a minor hit, charting to number 45 on the Hot Country Songs charts. Though Womack is featured on the song, she was not given credit on the charts.
Personal life
At Belmont UniversityBelmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
, Womack met and married fellow musician singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Jason Sellers
Jason Sellers
Jason Sellers is an American country music artist. After several years of touring the United States in his family's band, Sellers joined the road band of Ricky Skaggs. By 1997, he was signed to a recording contract with BNA Records, for whom he recorded two studio albums: 1997's I'm Your Man and...
in 1990. Together they had daughter Aubrie Lee Sellers, born 1991, before divorcing in 1996.
In January 1999 daughter Anna Lise Liddell was born after Lee Ann married record producer Frank Liddell.
Discography
Studio album- 1997: Lee Ann WomackLee Ann Womack (album)Lee Ann Womack is the self-titled, 1997 debut album from country singer Lee Ann Womack. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 16, 1998 and platinum on September 24, 1999. Hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart were "Never Again, Again" which peaked at #23, "The...
- 1998; Some Things I KnowSome Things I KnowSome Things I Know is the second album from Lee Ann Womack. It was released in 1998 and rose to the #20 position on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's first two singles, "A Little Past Little Rock" and "I'll Think of a Reason Later," both peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot...
- 2000: I Hope You DanceI Hope You DanceI Hope You Dance is the title of the third studio release by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack. It was released on May 23, 2000 as her first album for MCA Nashville...
- 2002: Something Worth Leaving BehindSomething Worth Leaving BehindSomething Worth Leaving Behind is a 2002 album from Lee Ann Womack. It peaked on the Billboard 200 at #16 and the Top Country Albums at #2. Two singles were released from the album; the title-track and "Forever Everyday"...
- 2005: There's More Where That Came FromThere's More Where That Came FromThere's More Where That Came From is a 2005 album from Lee Ann Womack. It received numerous awards and critical acclaim and was also Womack's highest selling album since 2000's I Hope You Dance. The album was Womack's return to a traditional country music style, as well as her seventh album...
- 2008: Call Me CrazyCall Me CrazyCall Me Crazy is the sixth studio album released by country music singer Lee Ann Womack, released on October 21, 2008 via MCA Nashville Records. It is her first studio release in three years, as her previous album was not released...
Compilation albums
- 2004: Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Lee Ann Womack album)Greatest Hits is a 2004 compilation album from Lee Ann Womack. It features eleven of her biggest hits from her first four albums, a reworking of previous album track "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" and two new tracks — "The Wrong Girl" and "Time for Me to Go", the former of which was a Top 25...
- 2011: Icon
Holiday albums
- 2002: The Season for RomanceThe Season For RomanceThe Season for Romance is a 2002 Christmas album from Lee Ann Womack. It was released two months after her fourth studio album, Something Worth Leaving Behind.-Track listing:#"The Season for Romance" – 4:09...
Awards
| Year | Association | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Female Vocalist |
| British Country Music Awards | Best International Country Album of the Year | |
| TNN/Music City News Country Awards | Star of Tomorrow - Female Artist | |
| American Music Awards American Music Awards -Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC... |
Favorite Country New Artist | |
| 2000 | Country Music Association Awards Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... |
Single of the Year — "I Hope You Dance" |
| Song of the Year — "I Hope You Dance" (awarded to songwriters Mark D. Sander and Tia Sillers) | ||
| 2001 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Single of the Year — "I Hope You Dance" |
| Top Song of the Year — "I Hope You Dance" | ||
| Top Vocal Event of the Year — "I Hope You Dance" (with Sons of the Desert Sons of the Desert Sons of the Desert is a 1933 American film starring Laurel and Hardy, and directed by William A. Seiter. It was first released in the United States on December 29, 1933 and is regarded as one of Laurel and Hardy's greatest films... ) |
||
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Song — "I Hope You Dance" (awarded to songwriters Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers) | |
| Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | |
| Billboard Music Awards | Adult Contemporary Song of the Year — "I Hope You Dance" | |
| 2002 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Event of the Year — "Mendocino County Line" (with Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... ) |
| 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Mendocino County Line" (with Willie Nelson) |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Vocal Event of the Year — "Mendocino County Line" (with Willie Nelson) | |
| 2005 | Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year — "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" |
| Album of the Year for, There's More Where That Came From | ||
| Best Musical Event — "Good News, Bad News" (with George Strait George Strait George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional... ) |
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