Lee Ann Womack | |
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 Womack in 2003 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1966-08-19)August 19, 1966 (age 59) Jacksonville, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | |
Spouses | |
| Website | www |
Lee Ann Womack (/ˈwoʊmæk/; born August 19, 1966) is an American singer and songwriter. She has charted 23 times on the AmericanBillboardHot Country Songs charts; her highest peaking single there is hercrossover signature song, "I Hope You Dance", a collaboration with country bandSons of the Desert which reached number one in 2000. Five of her singles made top 10 on the country music charts of the defunctRPM magazine in Canada.
Born inJacksonville, Texas, Womack was signed byDecca Records Nashville in 1996. When she emerged as a contemporary country artist in 1997, her material drew critical comparisons toDolly Parton andTammy Wynette, except for the way Womack's music mixed an old-fashioned style with contemporary elements. That year, she had her first top 10 hits with "The Fool" and "You've Got to Talk to Me". After two albums with Decca, she released her firstMCA Nashville album, 2000'sI Hope You Dance; it had an entirely different sound, using pop music elements instead of traditional country. It was not until the release ofThere's More Where That Came From in 2005 that Womack returned to recording traditional country music. She recorded a total of five albums with MCA before releasing a series of independent albums, first onSugar Hill Records and then onATO Records; these albums include a new sound which blended country andAmericana.
Four of Womack's studio albums have received a Gold certification or higher by theRecording Industry Association of America, with her most commercially successful albumI Hope You Dance being certified triple-platinum in the United States and platinum in Canada. In addition, she has received fiveAcademy of Country Music Awards, sixCountry Music Association Awards, and oneGrammy Award. Womack is married to record producerFrank Liddell, and was previously married to songwriter and musicianJason Sellers; her daughter with the latter,Aubrie Sellers, is also a country music artist.
Lee Ann Womack was born on August 19, 1966, inJacksonville, Texas[3][4][5] to Ann (née Gothard) and Aubrey Womack. Aubrey worked as aprincipal for Jacksonville Middle School and disc jockey forKEBE andKOOI,[6][7] while Ann worked as aschoolteacher.[8][9][10] Womack's older sister Judy eventually became an attorney in Houston.[11]
From an early age, Womack developed a passion for country music, often accompanying her father to KEBE, where she helped select records for airplay.[1] As a child, Womack studied the piano and later graduated fromJacksonville High School in 1984. After graduating, Womack attendedSouth Plains Junior College inLevelland, Texas. The college was one of the first in the United States to offer country music degrees, and soon she began touring as a member of the college band, Country Caravan.[1] A year later, Womack left the college and after an agreement with her parents, she enrolled atBelmont College (now Belmont University) inNashville, Tennessee, where she studied the commercial aspect of the music business and interned at theartists and repertoire (A&R) department of theMCA Nashville label.[10] At the 1988Miss Tennessee pageant inJackson, Tennessee, Womack won the non-finalist talent award as Miss Nashville;[12][13] one year later, she was the third runner-up at the Miss Texas State Railroad pageant inTyler, Texas.[14] In July 1990, she participated in theMiss Texas pageant in Fort Worth, Texas, as Miss Northeast Texas.[15] It was also at this point that Womack dropped out of Belmont and marriedJason Sellers.
After spending several years raising her daughter,Aubrie, Womack reentered the music industry in the mid-1990s. In 1995, she began performing her music in songwriting demos and at showcase concerts attended by talent scouts from major country music labels and publishers. One of these scouts, Pat McMakin, signed her toSony/ATV Music Publishing'sTree International Publishing imprint after listening to "Am I the Only Thing That You've Done Wrong", a song which Womack and Sellers co-wrote; it would later be included in her debut album.[a] Womack wrote songs with some popular Nashville songwriters, including country singersBill Anderson andRicky Skaggs, who would later record her composition, "I Don't Remember Forgetting" for his 1997 albumLife is a Journey.[11] After divorcing Sellers 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 labelDecca Nashville in 1996.[1]
Womack released herself-titled debut album on Decca in May 1997. This was also her first to be produced by the label's then-senior vice president and frequent songwriting collaboratorMark Wright, best known for his work withGary Allan andMark Chesnutt.[1] Of the album's 11 songs, Ricky Skaggs and his wifeSharon White sang backing vocals on its lead single "Never Again, Again",[19][20] while Chesnutt collaborated with Womack on the track "Make Memories with Me".[1] "Never Again, Again" peaked at number 23 onBillboardHot Country Songs that month.[21] It led to the release of the album's second single, "The Fool" shortly afterward. More successful than her first single, "The Fool" peaked at number two on the country charts.[22] It was later followed by "You've Got to Talk to Me" and "Buckaroo", respectively charting at number 2 and number 27.[22] "The Fool" and "You've Got to Talk to Me" both made top 10 onRPM Country Tracks, then the main country music chart published in Canada.[23][24][b] Rating the album "A",Alanna Nash ofEntertainment Weekly wrote that "This native of Jacksonville, Tex., has more heart than any other new female country singer, and a passel of traditional-sounding songs that may just be good enough to turn Nashville's commercial tide."[25] Thom Owens ofAllMusic thought Wright's production was "slick [and] professional" and noted that Womack "certainly has a voice that can make the mediocre sound appealing, which results in a winning debut."[26] The album's commercial success also led to the first of several industry award nominations for Womack. TheAcademy of Country Music awarded her as Top New Female Vocalist.[27] TheCountry Music Association nominated her for the Horizon Award between 1997 and 1998.[28]
Womack's second and final Decca release was 1998'sSome Things I Know, which was also produced by Wright.[29][1] Womack co-wrote two of the album's 11 tracks. The album produced a total of four singles, three of which made the Top 40 on theBillboard country singles charts. First was "A Little Past Little Rock", one of the songs which Sellers sang backing vocals on, and then "I'll Think of a Reason Later". Both singles became the most successful singles on the album with a number two peak on the country charts.[22][5] They were followed by "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't" and a cover ofBuddy Miller's "Don't Tell Me".[22] Also included on this album were collaborations withVince Gill andJoe Diffie on "I Keep Forgetting" and a cover ofGeorge Jones' "I'd Rather Have What We Had", respectively.Some Things I Know was promoted through shows through October to November before Womack's second daughter Anna Lise Liddell was born in January 1999.[29] That month, Womack won Favorite Country New Artist from theAmerican Music Awards and moved toMCA Nashville Records after Decca Nashville closed its doors. Eight months later,Lee Ann Womack was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of one million copies;Some Things I Know was also certified gold for shipments of 500,000 copies.[30]
Womack's first MCA studio album and third overall was 2000'sI Hope You Dance which met with major success. Contributing songwriters toI Hope You Dance once again included Womack, Sellers, and Miller; another contributing writer wasLonesome River Band memberRonnie Bowman. The album produced a total of four singles, which made the Top 40 on theBillboard country singles charts. The album was led off by the single "I Hope You Dance", a collaboration with the country music bandSons of the Desert. It became the most successful single off the album with a number 1 peak on theBillboard country singles chart and a number 14 peak on theHot 100 charts, representing Womack's and Sons of the Desert's highest peaks on those charts.[22] It was followed by a cover ofRodney Crowell's "Ashes by Now", "Why They Call it Falling", and a cover of Miller's "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger".[22] Also included on this album was a cover ofDon Williams' "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good". "I Hope You Dance" won the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" and "Single of the Year" awards.[28]I Hope You Dance also earned Womack's firstGrammy Award nomination at the43rd Annual Grammy Awards in February 2001, in the categories of Best Country Album and Best Female Country Vocal Performance.[31] In 2002,I Hope You Dance was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of 3 million copies.[30] In Canada, the album was certified double-platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (nowMusic Canada), a certification which at the time honored shipments of 200,000 copies in that country.[32][c]
In August 2002, MCA released Womack's fourth studio album,Something Worth Leaving Behind. It was led off by the single "Something Worth Leaving Behind", which charted at 20 on Hot Country Songs.[22] Its follow up was "Forever Everyday", which peaked at number 37 on Hot Country Songs that year.[22] On this album, Womack co-produced with Wright, her husbandFrank Liddell, andMike McCarthy. Writing forUSA Today, Brian Mansfiled described it as the tenth worst album of 2002, saying "Womack's ill-advisedcrossover ploy and a makeover that made her look likeBritney Spears'mother made one of Nashville's most respected singers the butt of jokes."[34] David Cantwell ofNo Depression said "The results, no matter which side of the pop-twang divide you're on, will likely be very disappointing."[35] Conversely,Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic thought the album "was a sure fit for Womack to move into the country mainstream for good."[1] Thom Jurek, also of AllMusic, said in a retrospective review that the album "cemented Womack's place in the country music pantheon by pushing her own boundaries as an artist further than ever before."[36] Womack told Mario Tarradell ofThe Dallas Morning News in 2005, "I tried...to please everybody with that record...myself, radio, the listeners, everybody who loved 'Never Again, Again' and everybody who loved 'I Hope You Dance.' And it just didn't work. It backfired."[37] That September, Womack contributed to the theme song for the PBS animated TV series adaptation ofThe Berenstain Bears.[38] One month later, she released her first Christmas album,The Season for Romance; among this album's new songs were the title track and "Forever Christmas Eve". She also collaborated withWillie Nelson on his single, "Mendocino County Line," which peaked at 22 on Hot Country Songs. The single won a Grammy and Country Music award that year. In early 2003, she played Haylie Adams in a guest appearance on theCBS television seriesThe District.[1]
In 2004, Womack performed "I Hope You Dance" at theRepublican National Convention, in whichGeorge W. Bush was nominated for his second term as President of the United States. The other performers that night includedSara Evans andLarry Gatlin.[39] She also collaborated with Red Dirt Music bandCross Canadian Ragweed on their hit "Sick and Tired" in 2004. Also that year, she released her firstGreatest Hits compilation, which included two new songs; "The Wrong Girl" and "Time for Me to Go", the former released as a single.[22] TheGreatest Hits album was also certified gold by the RIAA in December 2008.[30]
In 2005, she released her fifth studio album aimed at traditional country music entitledThere's More Where That Came From.[5]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 andsteel guitar. The album won the Country Music Association's "Album of the Year" award in 2005.[40] Erlewine praised the album's production and songs, comparing it to those released byLoretta Lynn,Barbara Mandrell, andDolly Parton in the 1970s. He would later say it was "not only the best album that Lee Ann Womack has yet made, but one that does suggest that there is indeed more where this came from."[41] 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 later that year.[5][28] 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 latter co-written by Womack.[22] Also included on the album are covers ofReba McEntire's "Waiting for the Sun to Shine" and George Jones' "Just Someone I Used to Know". The album was released on vinyl LP as well as CD.
Womack has also appeared on specials onCountry Music Television (CMT), including their "100 Greatest Duets", which featured Womack singing a collaboration withKenny Rogers on a cover of Rogers andDottie West's 1978 single "Every Time Two Fools Collide". Womack replaced West during that show because of West's fatal car accident in September 1991. Womack's other honors includes being listed at No. 17 on CMT's 2002 special of their countdown of the40 Greatest Women of Country Music.
In 2006, Womack announced plans to release her next studio album onMercury Nashville Records. The lead single "Finding My Way Back Home", her only work for Mercury, was released in the late summer of that year. It reached a peak of No. 37 onHot Country Songs.[22][42] The album was rescheduled into 2007, because Womack found more songs that she wanted to record, however it was never released and Womack left Mercury in favor of MCA.[43] Also in 2007, Womack collaborated withJoe Nichols on "If I Could Only Fly" from his albumReal Things[44] and recordedSteve Dorff's "Love Will Still Be There" for the soundtrack of the filmSeptember Dawn.
Womack's sixth studio album and last for MCA,Call Me Crazy, was released on October 21, 2008. The album, released on vinyl and CD, produced byTony Brown; it has been described as a dark album with plenty of songs about drinking and losing love. Womack co-wrote four of the album's 12 songs.Call Me Crazy charted only two singles in the United States: "Last Call" and "Solitary Thinkin'", which reached top 40 on Hot Country Songs.[22] Also included on the album were covers ofJim Lauderdale's "The King of Broken Hearts" andAshley Gearing's "I Found It in You", as well as a collaboration withGeorge Strait on "Everything But Quits", one of the songs which Womack co-wrote. One track, "The Bees," features backing vocals fromKeith Urban.[45] At the51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009, "Last Call" was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance; one year later,Call Me Crazy was also nominated for Best Country Album, with "Everything But Quits" and "Solitary Thinkin'" being Womack's final nominations for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals and Best Female Country Vocal Performance, respectively.[31]
In October 2009, Womack released a cover ofTrent Willmon's "There Is a God", as the lead-off single to her then-upcoming seventh studio album which never surfaced. The song peaked at number 32 onHot Country Songs in early 2010.[22] Womack has revealed a few of the songs she had recorded for the album, including "Talking Behind Your Back", as well as "You Do Until You Don't".[46]
In October 2010, Womack recorded "Liars Lie" for thesoundtrack of the filmCountry Strong.[47] Womack also collaborated with Alan Jackson on a cover ofJohnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", which was released that December as a single from his compilation album,34 Number Ones. His version of the song was a minor hit, charting to number 45 on Hot Country Songs. Though Womack is featured on the song, she was not given credit on the charts.
In August 2012, Womack announced her departure from MCA Nashville.[48][49]
In April 2014, Womack signed withSugar Hill Records, an imprint of Rounder Records.[50] Her first album for the label,The Way I'm Livin', was released September 23, 2014.[50] Half of this album consists of cover songs includingThe Wrights' "The Way I'm Livin'",Hayes Carll's "Chances Are",Julie Miller's "Don't Listen to the Wind",Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend",Bruce Robison's "Not Forgotten You" andKenny Price's "Tomorrow Night in Baltimore". Rating the album four out of four stars, Mansfield compared the album to "Dolly Parton's finest". He also said that "Her run-ins with the devil may seem uncomfortably specific, but the swelling steel guitars carry her as if on angels' wings."[51] Erlewine said that the album "plays like a classic album: it's a record where the sum is greater than the individual parts".[52]
Her second album for Sugar Hill, a vinylextended play album of cover songs calledTrouble in Mind, was released in 2015. At the57th Annual Grammy Awards that year,The Way I'm Livin' was nominated for Best Country Album; one year later, "Chances Are" was also nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.[31] Womack also received twoAmericana Music Awards nominations for Album of the Year and Artist of the Year[53] and her firstCMA Female Vocalist of the Year nomination in ten years.[28]
In September 2014, Womack collaborated with AmericanR&B singerJohn Legend for an episode ofCMT Crossroads.[54] Ahead of her 2015 tour in support ofThe Way I'm Livin', Womack appeared at theC2C: Country to Country festival in the UK.
On August 15, 2017, Womack announced her new albumThe Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone, which was released on October 27 throughATO Records.[55] The project included 14 songs that were recorded largely atSugarHill Recording Studios inHouston, Texas.[56] Womack co-wrote six of the album's songs including the singles "All the Trouble", "Sunday" and "Hollywood"; the album also included covers of the 1961Harlan Howard standard "He Called Me Baby",Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black Veil", Brent Cobb's "Shine On Rainy Day" and George Jones' "Take the Devil Out of Me". Jurek said that the album "provides listeners an exceptionally well-rounded portrait of both the mature writer and the iconic singer. What Womack delivers has little to do with Nashville -- a plus -- in favor of polished yet hardcore Texas Americana."[56]The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone and "All the Trouble" received Grammy Award nominations for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song, respectively, in 2019.[31]
At Belmont, Womack met and married country singer-songwriterJason Sellers in 1990; they divorced in 1996 during the production ofLee Ann Womack.[57] Together they had a daughter namedAubrie Sellers (b. February 1991).[58] In January 1999, Womack had a second daughter, and first child with record producerFrank Liddell; they married later that year on November 6, 1999.
List of awards and nominations received by Lee Ann Womack, sorted by year
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result[27][28][31] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Country Music Association | Horizon Award | — | Nominated |
| 1998 | Academy of Country Music | Top New Female Vocalist | — | Won |
| Academy of Country Music | Song of the Year | "The Fool" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Horizon Award | — | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| TNN/Music City News Country Awards | Star of Tomorrow – Female Artist | — | Won | |
| American Music Awards | Favorite Country New Artist | — | Won | |
| 1999 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "A Little Past Little Rock" | Nominated |
| 2000 | Country Music Association | Single of the Year | "I Hope You Dance" | Won |
| Country Music Association | Music Video of the Year | "I Hope You Dance" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Vocal Event of the Year(withSons of the Desert (band)) | "I Hope You Dance" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Album of the Year | I Hope You Dance | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | I Hope You Dance | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "I Hope You Dance" | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | — | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Album of the Year | I Hope You Dance | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Single Record of the Year | "I Hope You Dance" | Won | |
| Academy of Country Music | Song of the Year | "I Hope You Dance" | Won | |
| Academy of Country Music | Video of the Year | "I Hope You Dance" | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Vocal Event of the Year(withSons of the Desert (band)) | "I Hope You Dance" | Won | |
| Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Won | |
| Country Music Association | Music Video of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| Billboard Music Awards | Adult Contemporary Song of the Year | "I Hope You Dance" | Won | |
| 2002 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | — | Nominated |
| Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Musical Event of the Year(withWillie Nelson) | "Mendocino County Line" | Won | |
| 2003 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | — | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Collaboration with Vocals(with Willie Nelson) | "Mendocino County Line" | Won | |
| Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "Something Worth Leaving Behind" | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Vocal Event of the Year(with Willie Nelson) | "Mendocino County Line" | Won | |
| Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | — | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | — | Nominated |
| Academy of Country Music | Single Record of the Year | "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Song of the Year | "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Musical Event of the Year(withWillie Nelson) | "I'll Never Be Free" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Single of the Year | "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" | Won | |
| Country Music Association | Music Video of the Year | "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Album of the Year | There's More Where That Came From | Won | |
| Country Music Association | Musical Event of the Year(withGeorge Strait) | "Good News, Bad News" | Won | |
| 2006 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" | Nominated |
| Academy of Country Music | Album of the Year | There's More Where That Came From | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | — | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Video of the Year | "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "Last Call" | Nominated |
| Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | — | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Musical Event of the Year(with George Strait) | "Everything But Quits" | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | Call Me Crazy | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Collaboration with Vocals(with George Strait) | "Everything But Quits" | Nominated | |
| Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "Solitary Thinkin'" | Nominated | |
| Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Musical Event of the Year(with Alan Jackson) | "Till The End" | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Academy of Country Music | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated |
| 2015 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | The Way I'm Livin' | Nominated |
| CMT Music Awards | Female Video of the Year | "The Way I'm Livin'" | Nominated | |
| Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| Americana Music Honors & Awards | Album of the Year | The Way I'm Livin' | Nominated | |
| Americana Music Honors & Awards | Artist of the Year | — | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Solo Performance | "Chances Are" | Nominated |
| 2018 | CMT Music Awards | Performance of the Year | "Stand Up for Something" | Nominated |
| Americana Music Honors & Awards | Song of the Year(withWaylon Payne and Adam Wright) | "All The Trouble" | Nominated | |
| ASCAP Awards | Golden Note Award | — | Won | |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Americana Album | The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best American Roots Song | "All the Trouble" | Nominated |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | CMT Showcase | Herself | |
| 2003 | The District | Haylie Adams | Episode: "Back in the Saddle" |
| 2014 | CMT Crossroads | Herself | Performed withJohn Legend |
| 2016 | Greatest Hits | Herself | Performed withRachel Platten |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tom Sawyer | Becky Thatcher | Direct-to-video, singing voice |
| 2007 | Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Country Songs | Herself | Direct-to-video |
| 2008 | Noble Things | Claire Wades | |
| 2015 | I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song | Herself | Documentary |
| International | |
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| National | |
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| Other | |
