Lee Ann Womack biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Singer, songwriter. Born on August 19, 1966, in Jacksonville, Texas. The daughter of a radio disc jockey, Womack developed a love of music early on. She often accompanied her father to work and helped pick out songs for him to play. Little did she know that one day her own songs would be on the air and heard by millions.

Womack pursued her interest in country music at South Plains Junior College in Levelland, Texas. While there, she joined the Country Caravan, a college band. She left to study music business at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She decided to stay in Nashville permanently in 1990. Womack began performing in clubs and promoting herself as a songwriter. She landed a contract as a staff writer with Tree Publishing in 1995.

Breakthrough Album

In 1996, Womack signed with Decca Records as a recording artist. Her debut album, Lee Ann Womack, was released the next year and spawned the country music hits "Never Again, Again" and "The Fool," which reached the number two spot on the charts. The next year Womack was back in the spotlight with Some Things I Know. Several tracks from this album made it to the country charts, including "A Little Past Little Rock," "You've Got to Talk to Me," and "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't."

Commercial Success

Womack's next effort, I Hope You Dance (2000), became her biggest success so far. The album sold more than 3 million copies - driven by the hit title single. "I Hope You Dance." That song reached the top of the country music charts that year and went on to take the number one spot on the adult contemporary charts the next year. It even climbed as high as number fourteen on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

With Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002), Womack tried for another crossover success, but her last album was a hard act to follow. She wasn't able to achieve the same level of commercial success. She did, however, win her first Grammy Award for the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for her duet with Willie Nelson, "Mendocino County Line." Later that same year, she released an album of Christmas songs entitled A Season for Romance.

Awards

In 2005, Womack came back victorious with a return to traditional country music. Her sixth album, There's More Where That Came From, took inspiration from the music of popular country performers Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell among others. Some critics thought it was Womack's best album to date. She won the 2005 Single of the Year Award for "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" and the 2005 Album of the Year Award from the CMA. Womack's duet with country legend George Strait - "Good News, Bad News" - won the CMA 2005 Musical Event of the Year Award as well. In 2008, she released Call Me Crazy which featured a duet with George Strait and vocals from Keith Uran.

Married twice, Womack two daughters. With her first husband, singer Jason Sellers, she had daughter Aubrie in 1991. Womack had daughter Anna Lise in January 1999 with producer Frank Liddell. The couple married later that year.

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