Brandy Clark
Clark performing in June 2014
Background information
Born	Brandy Lynn Clark[1] (1975-10-09)October 9, 1975 (age 50)
Origin	Morton, Washington, United States
Genres	Country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Slate Creek Warner
Website	brandyclarkmusic.com

Brandy Lynn Clark (born October 9, 1975) is an Americancountry music singer-songwriter. Her songs have been recorded bySheryl Crow,Miranda Lambert,The Band Perry,Reba McEntire,LeAnn Rimes,Billy Currington,Darius Rucker, andKacey Musgraves.^[2] She debuted as an artist in her own right in 2013 with her album12 Stories and has released four additional studio albums. Clark is a sixteen-timeGrammy Award nominee, including the 2015Best New Artist award, and won theCountry Music Association Award for Song of the Year as a co-writer on "Follow Your Arrow".^[3] In 2023, Clark and frequent collaboratorShane McAnally wrote the music and lyrics for the musicalShucked, earning a nomination for theTony Award for Best Original Score.

Brandy Clark was born inMorton, Washington, a logging town of 900 people in the shadow ofMount Rainier. As a child in the 1980s she was influenced by the country-pop and traditional country music artists she heard her parents and grandmother play, likeBarbara Mandrell,Ronnie Milsap,Merle Haggard andLoretta Lynn. Clark cites thePatsy Cline biopicSweet Dreams as one of her biggest early influences.^[4]

Clark began playing guitar at nine years old and sang in school musicals, also writing songs. She obtained a basketball scholarship atCentral Washington University,^{[citation needed]} but later moved back home, obtaining an associate degree fromCentralia College in 1997. Still a teenager, she joined the music business program atBelmont University, and moved to Nashville in 1998.^[5] At Belmont she took guitar lessons again and joined a band with her mother and a friend. She studied commercial music and was chosen to perform in the school's "Best of the Best Showcase". Upon graduation, Clark got a job with Leadership Music which led to her eventual publishing deal.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011 "Mama's Broken Heart", written by Clark withShane McAnally (her frequent collaborator) andKacey Musgraves, appeared on Miranda Lambert's albumFour the Record. It was released on January 14, 2013, as the fourth single reaching No. 2 on both theBillboardHot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. Clark's biggest success to date was as the co-writer along with McAnally and Trevor Rosen when she celebrated a No.1 songASCAP Party at an industry gathering for The Band Perry's third No. 1 hit, "Better Dig Two".^[6]

As aMusic Row songwriter Clark writes songs that are mostly about the seedy underbelly of country folk. They are observational pieces based on flawed characters that tell the truth on the human condition. They containdark humor, with a blend of wit and realism, while having the artistic license to make them fictional.^[7]

In 2012 she opened shows forGrammy Award-winning artistSheryl Crow. Brandy found an advocate in country artistMarty Stuart when on Saturday December 8, 2012 she joined him to make herGrand Ole Opry debut when she played his Grand Ole Opry Anniversary celebration and also at his Late Night Jam at Nashville'sRyman Auditorium.^[4][8]

At the beginning of 2013 Brandy was chosen byCMT as one of the "Women of Country", a year-long promotion featuring up and coming artists.^[9]

In December 2012, Clark digitally released a self-titled three-track EP including songs "Pray to Jesus", "Stripes" and "Take a Little Pill". The song "Stripes" was released as a single and the official video made its CMT debut on July 4, 2013. It was directed by Becky Fluke (Little Big Town, Pistol Annies) andHLN'sNancy Grace plays a cameo role.^[9]

As a co-writer of Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart", on September 10, 2013, Brandy received a nomination in the Song of the Year category (presented to the songwriters) for the 47th AnnualCMA Awards broadcast, held in Nashville on November 6, 2013.^[10] She was also twice nominated for Song of the Year at the 4th AnnualAmerican Country Awards which were held in Las Vegas on December 10, 2013.^[11]

On October 22, 2013, Clark released her debut album12 Stories. Produced byDave Brainard, it featuresVince Gill on background vocals.^[9] It made its debut at No. 28 on theBillboardTop Country Albums chart^[12] On January 6, 2014, Clark made her networkCBS network TV debut onThe Late Show with David Letterman, performing the lead single "Stripes".^[13] In 2014, Clark opened forJennifer Nettles on her "That Girl" tour.

On June 10, 2016, Clark released her second albumBig Day in a Small Town, which was produced byJay Joyce.^[14] Lead single "Girl Next Door" became her only chart entry to date, reaching No. 39 onCountry Airplay.^[15]

Clark releasedYour Life Is a Record in 2020. Also produced by Joyce, the album was nominated for a Grammy forBest Country Album.^[16]

In 2023, Clark released a self-titled album,Brandy Clark. It was nominated for five Grammys, includingBest Americana Album.^[17] Clark won the Grammy, her first, forBest Americana Performance for her song, "Dear Insecurity", featuring Brandi Carlile.

Clark's song "Stripes" received favorable reviews from critics. Ben Foster of Country Universe praised the track:"As the first radio bid from an exceptionally talented singer-songwriter, "Stripes" does not disappoint. It's an ambitious, energetic debut single that makes the prospect of a full-length Brandy Clark album even more enticing." Foster rated the song an A.^[18]

Music roots publication Engine 145 described her as "one of the most talented songwriters on Music Row, and she proves she is as talented a performer as she is a writer."12 Stories received a 4.5-out-of-5 rating.^[19]

Americana and Roots music blog Twang Nation placed12 Stories at the top spot of its best of 2013 "Cream of the Crop".^[20]

NPR music critic Ann Powers named the album her favorite of 2013. Powers noted that others share her sentiments, writing, "the top honor on many critics' lists is going to Clark, a storyteller of the highest caliber."^[21]

TheLos Angeles Times wrote that Clark's 2017 releaseLive from Los Angeles is "smart to the core."^[22]

Your Life Is a Record has been described as "the best-sounding album that she’s released."^[23]The New Yorker wrote about the album saying, "No One Is Writing Better Country Songs than Brandy Clark Is".^[24] Writing about her 2023 self-titled album,NPR described Clark's voice as "a powerful, agile instrument that she wields masterfully".^[25]

Brandy Clark is openly a lesbian.^[26]

Clark was honored with Centralia College's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2025, recognizing her country music career and connection to the college.^[5]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBrandy Clark.

• Official website
• Brandy Clark atAllMusic

• 1975 births
• Living people
• American women country singers
• American country singer-songwriters
• American lesbian musicians
• LGBTQ people from Washington (state)
• American LGBTQ singers
• Grammy Award winners
• American LGBTQ songwriters
• People from Morton, Washington
• Singer-songwriters from Washington (state)
• Writers from Washington (state)
• Lesbian singers
• Lesbian songwriters
• 21st-century American women singers
• 21st-century American singer-songwriters
• Warner Records artists
• Country musicians from Washington (state)
• 20th-century American LGBTQ people
• 21st-century American LGBTQ people
• American lesbian writers

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