Leann Rimes Biography
Margaret LeAnn Rimes, known simply as LeAnn Rimes (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for her work in country music. She is best known for her rich vocals similar to legendary country music singer Patsy Cline, and her rise to fame at the age of 13, becoming the youngest since country music star Tanya Tucker in 1972.
Rimes made her breakthrough into country music in 1996. Her debut album, Blue, reached Number 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and was certified multi-platinum "in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's lead single of the same name (originally intended to be recorded by Patsy Cline in the early 1960s) became a Top 10 hit. With instant success, Rimes Attained widespread national acclaim for her similarities to Cline's vocal style. When Rimes released her sophomore studio effort in 1997, You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs, Rhymes went towards more country-pop material, Which would set the trend for a string of albums that would be released into the next decade. LeAnn Rimes is the youngest person to win a Grammy, and the first country singer to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Since her debut, Rhymes has won many major industry awards, which include two Grammys, three ACMS, one CMA, twelve Billboard Music Awards, and one American Music Award. In addition, Rimes has also released ten studio albums and four compilation albums through her record label of 13 years, Asylum-Curb, and Placed over 40 singles on American and international charts since 1996. She has sold over 50 million albums worldwide.
Early life
Rimes was born Margaret LeAnn Rimes in Pearl, Mississippi in 1982 to Wilbur and Belinda Rimes Butler. Her family later moved to Garland, Texas in 1988, where Rhymes was raised. As an only child, Rimes was showered with attention by her parents. She was singing by the age of two, was enrolled into vocal and dance training, and by the age of five was performing at local talent shows. Initially Rimes Began her career in musical theater, performing in a Dallas Texas production of A Christmas Carol, and almost landed the lead part in the Broadway production of Annie. However, after appearing on the network television competition show, Star Search, Rimes Decided to Pursue a career in country music. Following her national television appearance, Rimes made a number of appearances on Johnnie High's Country Music Revue in Arlington, Texas, Which garnered the attention of national talent scouts.
By the age of nine, Rimes was already an experienced singer. She toured nationally with her father and also regularly performed a cappella renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the opening ceremonies of the Dallas Cowboys football games. In order to bring his daughter more national attention, he Began recording her under the independent label Nor Ja Vak when she turned eleven. She released three albums under the label between 1992 and 1996.
Rimes was discovered by Dallas disc jockey and record promoter, Bill Mack. Mack was impressed by Rimes' vocal ability, and over the following three years, he also made various attempts to bring Rimes to a mainstream level. The center of Mack's plan to bring her success was his self-penned composition, "Blue," which he had written 30 years before in the early 1960s. Mack claimed that the song was intended to be recorded and made a hit record by Patsy Cline, but she Had been killed in a plane crash before ever recording the composition. By 1995, Mack was able to gain a contract Rimes with Curb Records, after record executives heard Rimes sing "Blue."
1996: Blue
After signing with Curb, Rimes re-recorded a new version of "Blue" that was to be released on her debut studio album on the label. In 1996, the new version of "Blue" was released as a single, peaking at Number 10 on the Billboard Country Chart. While Curb was releasing "Blue," a claim was also sent out that Mack Had been waiting over 30 years to find the perfect artist to record "Blue." However, the story was later found to be an exaggeration, as it was discovered that "Blue" had already been recorded by three different artists. Mack and Kenny Roberts himself both released versions of the song on Starday Records in the 1960s. In 1993, Australian artist Catherine Britt released her own version as a single in her native country. The story, though, was Continually spread throughout the national press, adding to the idea that Rimes was the successor to Patsy Cline's legacy. Rimes's Blue album was also released in 1996, and sold 123.000 copies in its first week, Which was the highest figure in SoundScan history up to that point. The album peaked at Number 1 on the Top Country Albums and debuted at Number 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, eventually selling a total of four million copies in the United States and 8 million copies worldwide. Allmusic Considered the album to be "delightful" and that it could "help inspire other young teens." Rimes followed up the single with several charting country singles from her 1996 album, starting with "One Way Ticket (Because I Can) , "which reached Number 1 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1996. She also released a duet single with Eddy Arnold from the album, a remake of his 1955 hit "Cattle Call." The album's other hits included the Top 5 "The Light in Your Eyes" and the minor hit " Hurt Me "
With the album's success, Rimes received many major industry awards. In 1996 she won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award, "becoming the youngest person ever to be nominated and win a Country Music Association award. The following year she was awarded Grammy awards, one for Best New Artist and another for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Blue."
1997-2001: Pop Crossover
In 1997, Rimes released a compilation of previously recorded material under the Nor Va Jak label, Unchained Melody: The Early Years. The album consisted mainly of cover versions, ranging from Country to Pop covers, including songs originally recorded by The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Bill Monroe, and Dolly Parton. Rimes' version of the title track Became a major country hit in early 1997 and helped increase sales for the album. In September 1997, Rimes released her follow-up to Blue studio album entitled You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs. The album covered classic inspirational songs, such as "Clinging to a Saving Hand" and "Amazing Grace". It also featured pop music remakes of songs such as Debby Boone's "You Light up My Life" and Bette Midler's "The Rose". The album was a departure from Rimes' previous releases as it contained more Adult Contemporary-styled music than Country. The album sold over four million copies in the United States, certifying 4 × Mulit-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America . The album contained the single "How Do I Live", which became a major Pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching Number 2. "How Do I Live" set a new record for becoming the longest -running single in Billboard Hot 100 history, spending 69 weeks on the chart. The song was originally recorded for the film Con Air, along with a version also recorded by Trisha Yearwood. Yearwood's manager at the time Had told the press that Rimes's version sounded "too pop." Therefore Rimes' version received little airplay country (only reaching Number 43) and was rejected for the film. Yearwood's rendition was released to country radio shortly afterwards, peaking at Number 2 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1997, becoming the country hit instead of Rimes's version.
Rimes released her third album for Curb in May 1998, Sittin 'on Top of the World. The album leaned more progressively towards Adult Contemporary and mid-tempo Pop music. Pop It included material written by Carol Bayer Sager and David Foster. It also included a remake of Prince's "Purple Rain" and was produced by her father. The album was given mixed reviews. Allmusic gave the album two out of five stars Rolling Stone said Rimes vocal styles, "holds her own in the more popular style of Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, wherein a spectacular voice UpStage a song, grins and goes on about her business . Upon its release, Sittin 'on Top of the World debuted at Number 2 on the Top Country Albums chart, and Number 3 on the Billboard 200, and sold over a million copies in the United States, certifing Platinum in sales by the RIAA. The album spawned the Number 4 Country hit, "Commitment," the Top 20 Pop hit "Looking Through Your Eyes," and the Number 10 country hit "Nothin 'New Under the Moon .
Rimes released her fourth studio album for Curb, LeAnn Rimes in October 1999, a collection of country standards. The album mainly covered songs by Patsy Cline - which included "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," and "She's Got You "- Primarily that were taken from her 12 Greatest Hits album. The album also covered Marty Robbins's "Do not Worry" and Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee." The album included one new song, "Big Deal." The song Gained many positive reviews. Allmusic called the song, "a return to her roots" and "a salute to one of her idols, Patsy Cline." The album in general received much praise. Allmusic called the album one of her "better" efforts, since They had disliked her previous releases. Entertainment Weekly gave the album a positive review and said that Rimes's voice, "dares listeners to take note of what is missing in her interpretations - the gutsiness and gut-wrenching urgency of performers who felt what they blood. "[18] The album was a major success like her previous releases, debuting at Number 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, topping the country albums chart for two weeks. In addition, it also peaked at Number 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album also sold over one million copies in the United States, and was certified Platinum in sales by the RIAA. The album's new song, "Big Deal" was the lead single off the album, and Became a Top 10 country hit that year, peaking at Number 6. Also in 1999, Rimes recorded a duet with Elton John for the stage musical , Aida titled "Written in the Stars." The song Became a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The album would spawn a second single, a cover of Cline's "Crazy" that was released outside of the United States.
In January 2001, Rimes released her sixth studio album, I Need You, an album Aimed at the Pop market. The album topped the Top Country Albums chart for one week, and also peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard 200. I Need You did not garner praise from many critics and was given mainly negative reviews. Rolling Stone gave the album two and a half out of five stars and called the album "synthetic-feeling." Despite very little praise from critics, the album was sold well, certfying "Gold" in sales by the RIAA. Rimes would later go on to publicly disown the album, Which she stated was compiled together from studio outtakes Had her father produced. The album's lead single, "I Need You" - which was characterized by Allmusic as having similarities to that of Adult Contemporary and Pop music - was originally recorded for the TV movie, Jesus. The song Became a Top 10 country hit and also a major Pop hit, reaching Number 11 on the Hot 100. Also included on the album was the song "Can not Fight the Moonlight," released from the soundtrack of the movie Coyote Ugly. The song was released as the album's second single in 2001, and by February 2002, the song also Became a Pop crossover hit, reaching Number 11. "Can not Fight the Moonlight" Rimes won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for "Favorite Song from a Movie." In mid-October 2001, Curb released a compilation of Patriotic and Inspirational songs titled, God Bless America, in order to the disaster recovery benefit for the September 11 attacks. It included the title track, as well inspirational songs such as "The Lord's Prayer" and "The Sands of Time."
See also Mariah carey
wikipedia
