In 1996, LeAnn Rimes burst out of nowhere with her debut single, "Blue," which immediately captured the attention of country fans across America. It wasn't just the fact that her rich, powerful vocals were amazing. Born Aug. 28, 1982, Rimes was only 13 years old yet sang with a maturity well beyond her years.
Rimes rise was, in part, due to meeting Dallas disc jockey and record promoter Bill Mack. Mack was impressed by her talents, despite her young age. He took Rimes under his wing and began cultivating a plan to break her into the mainstream. At the heart of his plan was the heart-wrenching ballad "Blue" which Rimes laced with soaring vocals. Mack originally wrote the song in the '60s with Patsy Cline in mind to record it. Ironically, Rimes would draw numerous comparisons to the late Cline as fans and critics alike compared the similarities between the two singers' blistering vocal styles.
"Blue" left Rimes anything but as the song catapulted the teen to superstardom. She became the youngest nominee and winner of the Country Music Association's coveted Horizon Award in 1997 and the Grammy® for Best New Artist, a rare feat for a country artist in a largely pop-dominated category. Blue also included the No. 1 single "One-Way Ticket."
In 1997, she released You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs, containing the smash "How Do I Live," a song she recorded for the film Con Air. Ultimately, the movie's producers used a version recorded by Trisha Yearwood that they deemed "more mature." Her third album, Sittin' on Top of the World, was issued in 1998. She released a self-titled fourth album a year later and the popular I Need You albumin early 2001.
By the end of the decade, Rimes visited the Top 10 three more times with "Commitment," "Nothin' New Under the Moon" and "Big Deal." Other movie soundtracks became vehicles for her music. In 2000, "I Need You" appeared in the television movie Jesus and "Can't Fight the Moonlight" was heard in Coyote Ugly. I Need You was released in 2002 followed by Twisted Angel. Rimes released Greatest Hits in 2003 followed by a Christmas album in 2004. Rimes' song material reflected her place in life as a young, married woman. In 2005, she released This Woman which produced the Top 5 hits "Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense" and the emotionally charged "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way." In 2007, Rimes released Family, with the single "Nothing Better to Do." The song's video was nominated for various awards, as well. After four years, LeAnn released Lady And Gentlemen in 2011, on which she served as a producer with Vince Gill and Darrell Brown. The album includes LeAnn's versions of songs popularlized by John Anderson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, and more.
Latest CD
Lady And Gentlemen