 After spending several years as a professional songwriter,
Lee Ann Womack became one of the breakout contemporary country stars of 1997
with her eponymous debut album.
Born and raised in Jacksonville, TX,
Lee Ann Womack became infatuated with music at an early age, which is appropriate
for the daughter of a disc jockey. Her father often took her to work, where she
picked out records to play on the air. Following high school graduation, she
attended South Plains Junior College in Levelland, TX. The school was one of the
first in the country to offer degrees in country and bluegrass music, and
Lee Ann Womack soon became a member of the college's band, Country Caravan. She
traveled throughout the South and California with Country Caravan and stayed
with the group until she left South Plains to study music business at Belmont
University in Nashville. That led to an internship in MCA's A&R department.
By 1990, she had settled in Nashville, where she married and became a mother.
She continued to attend Belmont, as well as write songs. Soon, she began singing
on songwriting demos and performing her own showcase concerts. Eventually,
Lee Ann Womack was spotted by Tree Publishing at one of her showcases. In 1995, the
company signed her after listening to one of her original demos. While she was a
staff writer at Tree, she co-wrote songs with Ed Hill,
Bill Anderson, Sam Hogin, and
Mark Wright. Her songs were recorded by
Anderson and
Ricky Skaggs.
Within a year after signing to Tree,
Lee Ann Womack signed to Decca Records as a recording artist.
Wright was hired as the producer for
Lee Ann Womack's debut album, which was comprised of both original material and
songs written by professional songwriters.
Mark Chesnutt,
Ricky Skaggs,
Sharon White, and
Tony Brown all appeared on the record, which created a buzz in the industry.
Lee Ann Womack's eponymous album was released in May of 1997, and shortly
after its release, it reached the Top Ten on the country chart. I Hope You Dance
followed in mid-2000. Something Worth Leaving Behind appeared in mid-2002, and
it was a sure fit for
Lee Ann Womack to move into the country mainstream for good. A Season for Romance
was released before the year's end, but
Lee Ann Womack was itching for the stage. In early 2003,
Lee Ann Womack earned a small part on the CBS drama The District. She also earned
two Grammy nods: one for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for Something
Worth Leaving Behind and Best Vocal Collaboration (Country) for her duet with
Willie Nelson on "Mendocino County Line." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All
Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book Lee Ann Womack for your next
corporate or private event.
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