name	Red River Blue
type	studio
artist	Blake Shelton
cover	RedRiverBlue.jpg
released
genre	Country
length	38:08
label	Warner Bros.
producer	Scott Hendricks
last album	''Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton''(2010)
this album	''Red River Blue''(2011)
misc	}}

''Red River Blue'' is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released on July 12, 2011, via Warner Bros. Records, and is Shelton's inaugural No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, debuting at the top spot on July 30, 2011. Its first single, "Honey Bee," peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. The album's second single is "God Gave Me You", written and originally recorded by Christian rock singer Dave Barnes. The title track is a duet with Shelton's wife and fellow country singer Miranda Lambert.

Track listing

{{tracklist | writing_credits = yes | title1 = Honey Bee | writer1 = Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip | length1 = 3:30 | title2 = Ready to Roll | writer2 = Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton, Chris Stapleton | length2 = 3:36 | title3 = God Gave Me You | writer3 = Dave Barnes | length3 = 3:50 | title4 = Get Some | writer4 = Zac Maloy, Chris Tompkins, Craig Wiseman | length4 = 3:32 | title5 = Drink On It | writer5 = Jessi Alexander, Rodney Clawson, Jon Randall | length5 = 3:31 | title6 = Good Ol' Boys | writer6 = Dallas Davidson | length6 = 3:08 | title7 = I'm Sorry | note7 = featuring Martina McBride | writer7 = Chris Dubois, Ashley Gorley, Stapleton | length7 = 3:29 | title8 = Sunny in Seattle | writer8 = Beavers, Dubois, Stapleton | length8 = 3:27 | title9 = Over | writer9 = Paul Jenkins, David Elliott Johnson | length9 = 3:13 | title10 = Hey | writer10 = Clint Lagerberg, Tompkins, Wismean | length10 = 3:31 | title11 = Red River Blue | note11 = duet with Miranda Lambert | writer11 = Ray Stephenson, Buddy Owens | length11 = 3:21 }}

{{tracklist | writing_credits = no | collapsed = yes | headline = iTunes Deluxe edition bonus tracks | title12 = Chill | length12 = 3:27 | title13 = Addicted | length13 = 4:00 | title14 = All About Tonight | note14 = live) (pre-order only | length14 = | title15 = Kiss My Country Ass | note15 = live) (pre-order only | length15 = | title16 = Who Are You When I'm Not Looking | note16 = live) (pre-order only | length16 = | title17 = She Wouldn't Be Gone | note17 = live) (pre-order only | length17 = | title18 = Hillbilly Bone | note18 = live) (pre-order only | length18 = }}

Chart performance

Album

! Chart (2011)	! Peakposition
Canadian Albums Chart
US ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
	align="left"	1	13	28
	13	38	73

^A Current single.

Notes

Category:2011 albums Category:Blake Shelton albums Category:Warner Bros. Records albums Category:Albums produced by Scott Hendricks

The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name. "The Mexicans and Indians on the borders of Mexico are in the habit of calling any river, the waters of which have a red appearance, 'Rio Colorado', or Red river", observed R.B. Marcy in 1853. The Red River is the second largest river basin in the southern Great Plains. It rises in two branches (forks) in the Texas Panhandle and flows east, where it acts as the border between the states of Texas and Oklahoma. It is a short border between Texas and Arkansas before entering Arkansas, turning south near Fulton, Arkansas and flowing into Louisiana. The total length of the river is , with a mean flow of over at the mouth.

The Red River formed part of the US-Mexico border from the Adams-Onís Treaty (in force 1821) until the Texas Annexation or Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo.

Geography

Course

The Red River rises near the edge of the northwestern dip slope of the Llano Estacado mesa in two forks in northern Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. The southern and largest fork, which is about long, is generally called the Prairie Dog Town Fork. It is formed in Randall County, Texas, near the county seat of Canyon, by the confluence of intermittent Palo Duro Creek and Tierra Blanca Creek. (The names mean "Hard Wood" and "White Land", respectively, in Spanish.)

The Red River turns and flows southeast through Palo Duro Canyon in Palo Duro Canyon State Park at an elevation of , then past Newlin, Texas, to meet the Oklahoma state line. Past that point, it is generally considered the main stem of the Red River. Near Elmer, Oklahoma, the North Fork finally joins, and the river proceeds to follow a winding course east through one of the most arid parts of the Great Plains, receiving the Wichita River from the right as it passes the city of Wichita Falls. Near Denison the river exits the eastern end of Lake Texoma, a reservoir formed by the Denison Dam. The lake is also fed by the Washita River from the north. After the river flows out of the southeastern end of the lake, it runs generally east towards Arkansas and receives Muddy Boggy Creek from the left before turning southwards near Texarkana. Soon after, the river crosses south into Louisiana and bisects the sister cities of Shreveport and Bossier City before spreading into the complex network of marshlands surrounding the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River, where it is joined by the Ouachita River, its largest tributary. Its waters eventually discharge into both rivers (but mainly into the Atchafalaya), and flow eastwards or southwards into the Gulf of Mexico.

Tributaries

Tributaries include the Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River, Salt Fork Red River, North Fork Red River, Pease River, Washita River, Wichita River, Little Wichita River, Little River, Sulphur River, Loggy Bayou (through Lake Bistineau and Dorcheat Bayou)

Watershed

The Red River's watershed covers and is the southernmost major right tributary of the Mississippi, and the southernmost major river system in the Great Plains. Its drainage basin is mostly in the states of Texas and Oklahoma, but also covers parts of Arkansas and Louisiana. The river basin is characterized by flat, fertile agricultural land, and there are only a few major cities. The drainage basin of the Red is very arid and receives little precipitation. As a result, much of the river above the Texas-Oklahoma border is intermittent, and until past its great bend south in Arkansas, the river's flow varies widely. Most of the agriculture in the basin is sustained by groundwater, which is rapidly being depleted. The lower course of the river flows through a series of marshes and swamps, where its flow is dramatically moderated.

History

Native Americans

Native American cultures along the river were diverse, developing specialized adaptations to the many different environments. By the time of European contact, the eastern piney woods were dominated by the numerous tribes of the Caddoan Confederacy. They found plentiful game and fish, and also had good land for cultivating staple crops. The middle part of the Red River was dominated by Wichita and Tonkawa. This area was prairie, where Native Americans constructed portable and temporary tepees for housing. They practiced limited farming and followed game in seasonal, nomadic hunting cycles. The Apache dominated the western Red River area until the 18th century, when they were displaced by invading Comanche from the north.

European-American exploration and settlement

In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Red River Expedition to explore parts of the new lands of the Louisiana Purchase by traveling up the Red River, "in truth, next to the Missouri, the most interesting water of the Mississippi", he he put it in a letter to William Dunbar. The expedition, having threaded the maze of bayous at the river's confluence, and the "Great Raft" of lodged driftwood, was stopped by the Spanish near what is now New Boston, Texas. In 1806 Lieut. Zebulon Pike, under orders to ascertain the source of the Red River having ascended the Arkansas River, made his way downstream on what turned out to be the Rio Grande, and was sent home by the Spanish authorities. A more successful exploration of the river's upper reaches to both its sources was the 1852 expedition under Capt. Randolph Barnes Marcy, assisted by Brevet Capt. George B. McClellan, later to make his mark in the American Civil War.

In Louisiana, the area of present-day Natchitoches Parish was settled by French Creole and mixed-race Louisiana Creole people, starting before 1800. The Cane River National Heritage Area marks this area of influence, with plantations and churches founded by Louisiana Creoles. Some of the sites are also on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. For nearly 100 years after the American Civil War, some of the plantations were the center of a large African American and Creole community life, whose people lived and worked in this area for generations.

The area along the lower Red River of Grant Parish, Louisiana, and neighboring parishes were a mixture of hill country and plantations, with white planters and subsistence farmers, and numerous African-American slaves on the plantations in the antebellum years. It was one of heated social tensions and insurgency during and after the Reconstruction era. Grant was a new parish created by the Reconstruction legislature, which was trying to increase Republican Party representation. In 1873, Grant Parish was the site of the Colfax Riot, caused by the political tension and violence arising out of the disputed 1872 gubernatorial election and efforts by local whites to keep white supremacy. White militias, organized from nearby parishes, killed more than 100 freedmen, some of whom had surrendered as prisoners. In 1874, such militias organized as the White League in Grant Parish, and other chapters were soon founded across the state. The Coushatta Massacre was attributed to the White League, which attacked Republican officeholders to run them out of office. The paramilitary groups intimidated and terrorized freedmen to keep them from the polls, and by the late 1870s, conservative Democrats had retaken political control of the state.

Great Raft

In the early 19th century, settlers found that much of the river's length in Louisiana was unnavigable because of a collection of fallen trees that formed a "Great Raft" over long. Captain Henry Miller Shreve began clearing the log jam in 1839. The log jam was not completely cleared until the 1870s, when dynamite became available. The river was thereafter navigable, but north of Natchitoches it was restricted to small craft.

In the 20th century, the interest group known as the Red River Valley Association was formed to lobby the United States Congress to make the river fully navigable between Alexandria and Shreveport, Louisiana. Leading supporters of the longstanding project were Louisiana Democratic senators Allen J. Ellender, J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. and Russell B. Long, Louisiana's former Fourth District Congressman Joseph David "Joe D." Waggonner, Jr., and the late Shreveport Mayor Littleberry Calhoun Allen, Jr. With the completion of the project, a lock system constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) now allows navigation of barge traffic as far north as Shreveport.

Greer County debate

Specialists debate whether the North Fork or the Prairie Dog Town Fork is the true stem. Because of a cartographic error, the land between the north and south forks was claimed by both the state of Texas and the federal government. Randolph B. Marcy's expedition followed the Prairie Dog Town Fork in 1852. Originally called Greer County, Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it belonged to the United States, which at the time oversaw the Oklahoma Territory. That territory was later incorporated into the state of Oklahoma, whose southern border now follows the south fork. Today the southern Prairie Dog Town Fork is considered the main fork, even though the North Fork is as long and normally has a greater water flow.

Recreation

In 1943 Denison Dam was built on the Red River to form Lake Texoma, a large reservoir of , some north of Dallas. Other reservoirs on the river's tributaries serve as flood control.

See also

{| |----- valign="top" |

List of Arkansas rivers

List of longest main-stem rivers in the United States

List of Louisiana rivers

List of Oklahoma rivers

List of Texas rivers

Great Raft

|

Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River

Red River Bridge War

Red River Campaign, 1864, during the American Civil War, 1861 - 1865

Adams–Onís Treaty

The Red River Shootout, the annual college football game between the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

|}

References

External links

Randolph Marcy, ''Exploration of the Red River'', 1852, hosted by the Portal to Texas History

Geology

Red River Valley - Engineering Geology Mapping Program PDF files of publications about and maps of the geology of the Red River Valley

Autin, W. J., and C. E. Pearson, 1993, Quaternary Geology and Geoarchaeology of the Lower Red River Valley: Friends of the Pleistocene South Central Cell 11 th Annual Field Conference Alexandria, Louisiana March 26-28, 1993. Friends of the Pleistocene South Central Cell and Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 183 p.

Category:Rivers of Arkansas Category:Rivers of Louisiana Category:Rivers of Oklahoma Category:Rivers of Texas Category:Tributaries of the Mississippi River Category:Borders of Texas Category:Borders of Oklahoma Category:Borders of Arkansas Category:Natchitoches, Louisiana Category:Geography of Desha County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Arkansas County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Lincoln County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Jefferson County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Pulaski County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Perry County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Faulkner County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Conway County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Yell County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Logan County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Pope County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Johnson County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Franklin County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Sebastian County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Crawford County, Arkansas Category:Geography of Randall County, Texas Category:Geography of Wichita County, Texas

bg:Ред Ривър cs:Red (přítok Mississippi) de:Red River (Mississippi) et:Red River es:Río Rojo (Misisipi) fr:Rouge du Sud (rivière) it:Red River lt:Red Riveris (Misisipė) nl:Red River (Mississippi) ja:レッド川 (ミシシッピ川水系) no:Red (elv) pl:Red River (dopływ Missisipi) pt:Rio Vermelho do Sul ru:Южная Ред-Ривер sv:Red River vi:Sông Red (miền Nam Hoa Kỳ) zh:红河 (密西西比河)

name	Blake Shelton
background	solo_singer
birth name	Blake Tollison Shelton
born	June 18, 1976Ada, Oklahoma,United States
height	6'5" (1.93 meters)
spouse	Miranda Lambert
instrument	Vocals, guitar
genre	Country
occupation	Singer
years active	2001–present
label	Giant, Warner Bros. Nashville, Reprise Nashville
associated acts	Bobby Braddock, Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins
website
spouse	Miranda Lambert (2011)}}

Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts. This song was the first single from his gold-certified debut album, which also produced two more Top 20 hits. Although the album was released on Giant Records Nashville, Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records Nashville after Giant closed in late 2001.

His second and third albums, 2003's ''The Dreamer'' (his first for Warner Bros. proper) and 2004's ''Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill'', were each certified gold as well. Shelton's fourth album, ''Pure BS'', was issued in 2007, and re-issued in 2008 with a cover of Michael Bublé's pop hit "Home" as one of the bonus tracks. This cover was also that album's third single. A fifth album, ''Startin' Fires'', was released in November 2008. It was followed by the extended plays ''Hillbilly Bone'' and ''All About Tonight'' in 2010, and the album ''Red River Blue'' in 2011. He is currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show ''The Voice'' with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green.

Overall, Shelton has charted seventeen singles on the country charts, including nine Number One hits: "Austin" (2001), "The Baby" (2003), "Some Beach" (2004–2005), "Home" (2008), "She Wouldn't Be Gone" (2009), "Hillbilly Bone" (2010), a duet with Trace Adkins, "All About Tonight" (2010), "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" (2011) and "Honey Bee" (2011). Additionally, three more of his singles have reached Top Ten: a cover version of Conway Twitty's "Goodbye Time", "Nobody but Me", and "I'll Just Hold On".

Early life

Shelton was born in Milburn, Oklahoma to Richard, a used car dealer, and Dorothy, a beauty salon owner. He began singing at an early age and by age 12, he learned to play guitar. By age sixteen, Shelton had received a Denbo Diamond Award in his home state. On November 13, 1990, his older brother Richie, who was 24 at the time, died in a car accident. He has an older sister, Endy. At age 17, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a recording career.

Musical career

1998–2002: ''Blake Shelton''

After several years in Nashville, he signed to Giant Records in 1998. In 2001, he was slated to release a song entitled "I Wanna Talk About Me" as a single. Staff at the label considered the song unsuitable for a lead-off single, however, and the song was eventually recorded by Toby Keith, whose version was a Number One hit.

Instead, Giant released "Austin" as Shelton's debut single. Shortly after its release, however, Giant Records was dissolved, and Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records, the parent company. "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. His self-titled debut album also produced the No.18 "All Over Me" (which Shelton co-wrote with fellow country artist Earl Thomas Conley) and the No.14 "Ol' Red", which was a cover version of a George Jones song. Although Shelton's rendition of "Ol' Red" was not a major radio hit, he considers it his signature song, and it has become popular in concert. ''Blake Shelton'' is certified gold by the RIAA.

2002–2003: ''The Dreamer''

Shelton's second album, ''The Dreamer'', was first released on February 4, 2003 on Warner Bros. Records. Its lead-off single, "The Baby", reached Number One on the country charts, holding that position for three weeks. Although the second and third singles ("Heavy Liftin'" and "Playboys of the Southwestern World", respectively) only reached No.32 and #24, ''The Dreamer'' earned gold certification as well. He, along with Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry, sang guest vocals on Tracy Byrd's mid-2003 single "The Truth About Men".

2004–2006: ''Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill''

''Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill'' was the title of Shelton's third studio album, released in 2004. Its lead-off single, the Harley Allen co-write "When Somebody Knows You That Well", peaked at No.37 on the country charts, while the follow-up "Some Beach" became his third No.1 hit, holding that position for four weeks. It was followed by a cover of Conway Twitty's 1988 single "Goodbye Time". Both this cover and its followup, "Nobody but Me", reached Top Ten for Shelton as well. As with his first two albums, ''Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill'' was certified gold. Accompanying the album's release was a video collection entitled ''Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill: A Video Collection''.

On December 18, 2005, several of Shelton's songs, including "Nobody but Me", appeared on the TV movie ''The Christmas Blessing'', starring Neil Patrick Harris, Rebecca Gayheart, Angus T. Jones, and Rob Lowe. Shelton had a small role at the end of the movie, playing himself at a benefit concert, singing "Nobody but Me".

2006–2008: ''Pure BS''

Shelton issued his fourth studio album, ''Pure BS'', in early 2007. Unlike with his first three albums, which were produced entirely by Bobby Braddock, Shelton worked with Braddock, Brent Rowan, and Paul Worley as producers for this album. Its first two singles – "Don't Make Me" and "The More I Drink" – were both Top 20 hits on the country charts, respectively reaching No.12 and #19. Also in late 2007, Shelton made appearances on television shows: first as a judge on the talent competition ''Nashville Star'', and later on ''Clash of the Choirs''.

''Pure BS'' was re-released in 2008 with three bonus tracks, including a cover of Michael Bublé's hit single "Home". This cover, released in early 2008 as the album's third single, became his fourth No.1 hit in July.

2008–2009: ''Startin' Fires''

"Home" was followed in August 2008 by the single "She Wouldn't Be Gone", his 14th chart entry and his fifth No. 1 hit. It was the first time in his career that he had two consecutive Number Ones. "She Wouldn't Be Gone" is the lead-off to Shelton's fifth studio album, ''Startin' Fires,'' which has also produced the single "I'll Just Hold On." This album also includes "Bare Skin Rug," a duet with Lambert. It was produced by Scott Hendricks, except for one track which was produced by Brent Rowan, and another ("I Don't Care", which carried over from ''Pure BS'') was produced by Braddock.

2009–2011: ''Hillbilly Bone'' and ''All About Tonight''

After "I'll Just Hold On" fell off the chart in October 2009, Blake Shelton released a duet with Trace Adkins titled "Hillbilly Bone." It was the lead-off single on Shelton's EP, ''Hillbilly Bone'', released on March 2, 2010 through Reprise Records Nashville. After "Hillbilly Bone" reached No.1 in February, came the August release of "All About Tonight", the lead-off single to his EP of the same name. In September, he released the second single from ''All About Tonight'', "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking", his 18th single release. He released his first greatest hits album, ''Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton'' in November 2010.

Shelton was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry during the September 28, 2010 "Country Comes Home" concert celebrating reopening of the Grand Ole Opry House after the Cumberland River flooded the Opry House in May 2010. The formal invitation was extended on his Twitter account and was announced by Opry star Trace Adkins. He was formally inducted by Adkins at the Saturday, October 23, 2010 Opry performance.

Blake Shelton appeared on the 44th Annual Country Music Awards on November 10, 2010 where he performed "All About Tonight" and won Male Vocalist of the Year.

Shelton will serve as a judge/coach to singers on the 2011 NBC reality television series ''The Voice''.

2011–present: ''Red River Blue''

Blake Shelton released an album entitled ''Red River Blue'' on July 12, 2011, led by the single, "Honey Bee". The song received 138,000 downloads in its first week and was certified gold in its seventh week, setting a new record for the fastest gold certification by a male country singer. On June 13, 2011, in its tenth chart week, "Honey Bee" went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Shelton's fastest climb to number one and his ninth number one country single. The album is expected to debut at number-one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart with around 110,000 copies sold. "God Gave Me You", a cover of a Dave Barnes song, is the album's second single.

Shelton was a coach on the NBC show ''The Voice''. His finalist Dia Frampton came in second and he is set to return for a second season of the show.

Personal life

Shelton was married to longtime girlfriend Kaynette Williams on November 17, 2003. They were divorced in 2006. The same year he began dating fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, whom he met at the CMT's 100 Greatest Duets Concert. Lambert also sang background vocals on his cover of Michael Bublé's song, "Home". Shelton's version of the song was a No. 1 single on the Hot Country Songs chart. On May 9, 2010, after dating for four years, Shelton proposed to Miranda, after seeking (and receiving) her father's blessing. The two were married on May 14, 2011 at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas. 550 people were in attendance, including many celebrities, such as Reba McEntire, Cee Lo Green, Martina McBride, Kelly Clarkson, Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley, and the Bellamy Brothers. After the wedding, Shelton expressed his joy stating, "I wanted to be married to Miranda the day I proposed. Finally, it's official!"

Discography

;Studio albums

''Blake Shelton'' (2001)

''The Dreamer'' (2003)

''Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill'' (2004)

''Pure BS'' (2007)

''Startin' Fires'' (2008)

''Red River Blue'' (2011)

;Extended plays

''Blake Shelton: Collector's Edition'' (2008)

''Hillbilly Bone'' (2010)

''All About Tonight'' (2010)

;Compilation albums

''Blake Shelton – The Essentials'' (2009)

''Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton'' (2010)

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Association	! Category	! Result
2001
2002
2003
		Horizon Award
Vocal Event of the Year – "The Truth About Men" (with Tracy Byrd, Andy Griggs and Montgomery Gentry)
	Academy of Country Music
CMT Music Awards	Collaborative Video of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone" (with Trace Adkins)
	Male Vocalist of The Year
Vocal Event of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone" (with Trace Adkins)
		Male Video of the Year – "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking"
Best Web Video of the Year – "Kiss My Country Ass"
	Choice Music: Male Country Artist
Choice Music: Country Single – "Honey Bee"

References

External links

Official Website

Category:1976 births Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Oklahoma Category:People from Pontotoc County, Oklahoma Category:Reprise Records artists Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:Giant Records (Warner) artists Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:The Voice judges

bg:Блейк Шелтън de:Blake Shelton fr:Blake Shelton ru:Шелтон, Блэйк sv:Blake Shelton vi:Blake Shelton

Name	Martina McBride
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Martina Mariea Schiff
Birth date	July 29, 1966
Birth place	Sharon, Kansas, United States
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Country, country pop
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, producer
Years active	1990–present
Label	RCA Nashville, Republic Nashville
Website	Official Website }}

Martina McBride (born Martina Mariea Schiff on July 29, 1966, in Sharon, Kansas) is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range.

McBride was signed to RCA Records in 1991 and made her debut the following year as a neo-traditionalist country singer with the single, "The Time Has Come." It was not until 1997, when she released her fourth album, ''Evolution'', that she broke through into the country music industry with a new pop-styled crossover sound, similar to that of Faith Hill and Shania Twain. From that point on, McBride has had a string of major hit singles on the Billboard country chart and occasionally on the adult contemporary chart. Five of these singles went to No. 1 on the country chart between 1995 and 2001, and one peaked at No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart in 2003.

McBride has recorded a total of nine studio albums, one "greatest hits" compilation, one "live" album, a "Christmas" compilation, as well as two additional compilation albums. Seven of her studio albums and two of her compilations have received an RIAA certification of "Gold", or higher. Worldwide, she has sold over 18 million albums. In addition, Martina has won the Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year" award four times (tied with Reba McEntire for the most wins) and the Academy of Country Music's "Top Female Vocalist" award three times.

Early life

McBride was born Martina Mariea Schiff in Sharon, Kansas, to Daryl and Jeanne (née Clark) Schiff on July 29, 1966. She has two brothers, Martin and Steve, who currently play in her concert band, and a sister, Gina.

She was raised in Sharon, Kansas, a small town with population of about 200. Her father, who was a farmer and cabinetry shop owner, exposed McBride to country music at a young age. Listening to country music helped her acquire a love for singing. After school, she would spend hours singing along to the records of such popular artists as Reba McEntire, Linda Ronstadt, Juice Newton, Jeanne Pruett, Connie Smith and Patsy Cline. Around the age of 8 or 9, McBride began singing with a band her father fronted, "The Schiffters." As Schiff grew older her role in the band progressively increased, from simply singing, to also playing keyboard with them. She enjoyed performing in her early years.

She began performing with a local rock band, The Penetrators, in Wichita instead. Then, in 1987, Schiff gathered a group of musicians called Lotus and started looking for rehearsal space; she began renting space from a studio engineer named John McBride. In 1988, the two married.

After marrying, the couple moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1989 with the hope of beginning a career in country music. John McBride joined Garth Brooks's sound crew and later became his concert production manager. Martina occasionally joined her husband on the road and helped sell Garth Brooks souvenirs. In 1990, impressed by Martina's enthusiastic spirit, Brooks offered her the position of his opening act provided she could obtain a recording contract. During this time, while her husband was working with country artists Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton, he also helped produce her demo tape, which helped her gain a recording contract with RCA Nashville Records in 1991.

Music career

1992-1995: ''The Time Has Come'' and ''The Way That I Am''

McBride released her debut studio album through the RCA Records label in 1992, titled ''The Time Has Come''. This album's title track made number 23 on the country music charts, but the next two singles both failed to make top 40. Unlike her later country pop-influenced albums, ''The Time Has Come'' featured honky tonk and country folk influences.

''The Way That I Am'' was the title of McBride's second album. Its first two singles both brought her into the country top ten: "My Baby Loves Me" peaked at number two, and "Life #9" at number six. The third single, "Independence Day", This song did not reach top 10 because many radio programmers objected to the song's subject of a mother fighting back against abuse by burning the family home to the ground. "Independence Day" won Video of the Year and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. After it, the fourth and fifth singles from ''The Way That I Am'' were less successful: "Heart Trouble" peaked at number 21, and "Where I Used to Have a Heart" fell short of top 40.

1995-1999: ''Wild Angels'' and ''Evolution''

Released in 1995, ''Wild Angels'' accounted for another top five hit in "Safe in the Arms of Love", and her first number-one hit in the album's title track. "Phones Are Ringin' All Over Town", "Swingin' Doors" and "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road" were less successful, reaching the lower regions of the top 40.

In early 1997, after "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road" peaked, McBride released two duets. "Still Holding On", a duet with Clint Black which was the lead-off single to his album ''Nothin' but the Taillights'', and "Valentine" with Jim Brickman which appeared on his album ''Picture This''. After these two songs were released, she had her second number one on the country charts with "A Broken Wing", the lead-off to her album ''Evolution''. This album went on to produce four more top ten hits at country radio: a re-release of "Valentine", "Happy Girl", "Wrong Again" (which also went to number one) and "Whatever You Say". Towards the end of 1998, the album was certified double platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling two million units. In addition, she also won the Country Music Association Awards' "Female Vocalist of the Year" award in 1999 and also performed for President Bill Clinton during the same time.

Also in 1998, McBride released a Christmas album titled ''White Christmas''. Included on it was a rendition of "O Holy Night", which first charted in 1997 and continued to re-enter the charts until 2001. She also sang a guest vocal on Jason Sellers' mid-1998 single "This Small Divide".

1999-2003: ''Emotion'' and ''Greatest Hits''

Her fifth studio album, ''Emotion,'' was released in 1999. Its lead single, "I Love You," reached number one on the ''Billboard'' country charts in 1999, and also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary chart. The song's follow-ups, "Love's the Only House" and "There You Are", both made top ten at country radio, and "It's My Time" peaked at number eleven.

In 2001, she released her first compilation, ''Greatest Hits''. This album has been certified 3× Platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and is her highest-selling album. It included most of her major hits to that point, and the album track "Strangers" from the album ''The Way That I Am'', which she put on the album because she felt that it should have been a single. The album also included four new songs, all of which made top ten on the country music charts between 2001 and 2003: "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues", "Blessed (Martina McBride song)" (her fifth number one), "Where Would You Be" and "Concrete Angel". In between the latter two, she also sang a guest vocal on Andy Griggs' 2002 single "Practice Life".

2003-2005: ''Martina''

In 2003, McBride released her sixth studio album, ''Martina,'' which celebrated womanhood. The first single, "This One's for the Girls," went to number three on the country charts and became her only number-one hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. It also included backing vocals from Faith Hill, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and McBride's daughters, Delaney and Emma. Follow-up single "In My Daughter's Eyes" was also a top five hit at both country and adult contemporary. "How Far" and "God's Will" from the same album both made top 20 at country radio, as did her guest appearance on Jimmy Buffett's single "Trip Around the Sun".

In 2004 McBride won the CMA's Female Vocalist award for the fourth time, following the wins in 2003, 2002 & 1999, which tied her for the most wins in that category with Reba McEntire.

2005-2008: ''Timeless'' and ''Waking Up Laughing''

After finding success in country pop-styled music, McBride released her next studio album in 2005, ''Timeless'', which was an album consisting of country covers. The album included cover versions of country music standards, such as Hank Williams' "You Win Again," Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough," and Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night." To make the album fit its older style, McBride and her husband hired older Nashville session players and outdated analog equipment. The album sold over 250,000 copies within its first week, the highest sales start for a Martina McBride album. The lead single, a cover of Lynn Anderson's "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," went to number 18 on the country charts, but the other two singles both failed to make top 40.

In 2006, McBride served as a guest coach on ''Canadian Idol''. The remaining five finalists traveled to Nashville, where McBride worked with the competitors on the songs they had chosen by country artists such as Gordon Lightfoot and Patsy Cline. Among the other guest judges that year were Nelly Furtado and Cyndi Lauper. McBride later joined Canadian Idol on a tour in the Spring. In 2007, McBride also served as a guest coach on Fox Networks television series, ''American Idol.''

In 2007, McBride released her eighth studio album, ''Waking Up Laughing.'' It was the first album in which McBride co-wrote some of the tracks. She set up her Waking Up Laughing Tour in 2007, which included country artists Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, and Jason Michael Carroll. The album's lead single, "Anyway," went to No. 5 on the Billboard Country Chart, becoming her first Top 10 hit since 2003. Its follow-up, "How I Feel," reached the Top 15. In Spring 2008, McBride released ''Martina McBride: Live In Concert,'' a CD/DVD set. It was taped in Moline, Illinois in September 2007.

In July 2007, The ABC Television Network announced a special program called ''Six Degrees of Martina McBride'' where individuals from around the country were challenged to find their way to Martina McBride on their own connections and research using a maximum of six methods. The "winner" of this challenge eventually located a direct connection to Martina through her husband John McBride who knew someone, who knew someone else. McBride recently recorded an electronically-produced duet with the late Elvis Presley, performing his song "Blue Christmas" as a duet with him on his latest compilation, ''The Elvis Presley Christmas Duets''. A compilation collection entitled ''Playlist: The Very Best of Martina McBride'' was released on December 16, 2008 as part of Sony BMG Playlist series. The album features 11 previously released tracks and three unreleased tracks.

2008-2010: ''Shine''

Martina McBride wrapped up production of her tenth studio album in late 2008. The first single, "Ride", was released to radio in October 2008 and debuted at No. No. 43 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It barely missed the Top 10 on the chart, peaking at number eleven in March 2009. A music video produced by Kristin Barlowe was also released at the end of the year. The album, ''Shine'', was released by RCA Records on March 24, 2009, and debuted at the top of the U.S. Country album chart and number 10 on the Billboard 200. McBride co-produced the album with Dann Huff, and it featured "Sunny Side Up", a song that she co-wrote. The second single, "I Just Call You Mine", was released in May 2009 and reached the Top 20. The third single from ''Shine'' was "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong", which the Warren Brothers co-wrote with Robert Ellis Orrall and Love and Theft member Stehen Barker Liles.

McBride also initiated the Shine All Night Tour, a co-headlining venture with fellow country star and friend Trace Adkins and opening act Sarah Buxton. The tour began in November 2009 and ended in May 2010.

On June 10, 2010, ''Billboard'' announced that McBride had collaborated on a song with Kid Rock. In late June 2010, Martina was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, "Favorite Country Female Artist", alongside country stars Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift & Gretchen Wilson.

In late 2010 Martina McBride was nominated for two American Country Awards (Best Female Single & Touring Artist of the year w/ Trace Adkins.) Along with the ACA nominations, she received her 14th Female Vocalist nomination for Country Music Association in October.

2010-present: ''Eleven''

McBride exited RCA in November 2010 and signed with Republic Nashville. She began working on a new studio album with producer Byron Gallimore. Her first single for Republic Nashville is "Teenage Daughters", which she also co-wrote with the Warren Brothers. McBride told ''Country Weekly'' that she co-wrote eight of the eleven songs on the album; she decided to write more frequently because she felt more confident in her songwriting ability after "Anyway" had become a hit. An album track, "One Time" was released as a promotion for NASCAR with a music video in June 2011. "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" was released as the album's second single on July 25, 2011. The album, titled ''Eleven'', will be released on October 11, 2011.

On February 13, 2011, she paid tribute to Aretha Franklin during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. She was joined onstage by Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams.

On July 4 she sang at July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular for the 4th of July celebration.

Charity work

Martina McBride works with a variety of charities. She is currently the spokeswoman for the "National Domestic Violence Hotline" as well as for the "National Network to End Domestic Violence" and national spokeswoman for the ''Tulsa Domestic Violence and Intervention Services''. Every year since 1995, she has hosted Middle Tennessee's YWCA, "Celebrity Auction", and it has raised nearly $400,000 so far. In 2004, she worked with "Kids Wish Network" to fulfill the wish of a young girl dying from Muscular Dystrophy. McBride was awarded the "Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award" in 2003.

McBride explained that educating girls and women on domestic violence is something she works on at home with her own daughters, stating that: }}

McBride has also teamed up with, "Loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline," working with them on a new program called, "My Time to Shine."

McBride appeared on the Stand up 2 Cancer telethon in September 2010. alongside Leona lewis, Aaron Neville, and Stevie Wonder, she performed Unchained Melody. Also in 2010 she hosted the YWCA again, for the 16th year raising over 50,000 dollars this year, it totals over 500,000 dollars raised so far.

Personal life

McBride has been married to sound engineer John McBride, since May 15, 1988. The couple has three daughters: Delaney Katharine (born December 22, 1994), Emma Justine (b. March 29, 1998), and Ava Rose Kathleen (b. June 20, 2005).

Discography

Studio albums

1992: ''The Time Has Come''

1993: ''The Way That I Am''

1995: ''Wild Angels''

1997: ''Evolution''

1998: ''White Christmas''

1999: ''Emotion''

2003: ''Martina''

2005: ''Timeless''

2007: ''Waking Up Laughing''

2009: ''Shine''

2011: ''Eleven

Compilations and other albums

2001: ''Greatest Hits

2008: ''Live in Concert''

2008: ''Playlist: The Very Best of Martina McBride''

Tours

;Headlining

Greatest Hits Tour (2002-2003)

Joy of Christmas Tour (2002)

Timeless Tour (2006)

Waking Up Laughing Tour (2008–09)

;Co-headlining

Virginia Slims on the Legends Tour (1995) (with Regina Belle, Gladys Knight and Barbara Mandrell)

Lilith Fair (1998–99) (with Sarah McLaughlin, ''et al.'')

Girls Night Out Tour (2001) (with Sara Evans, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jamie O'Neal and Reba McEntire)

"Shine All Night Tour" (2009–10) (with Trace Adkins)

;Supporting act

Garth Brooks (1992–94)

Brooks & Dunn (1994)

Tim McGraw (1997)

Awards

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" Country Music superstar Martina McBride has accepted over 15 major music awards including matching Reba McEntire's record for most wins for the CMA's Female Vocalist in 2004. She also has accepted the Flameworthy's (or now called CMT Video Awards) Female Video award twice, sharing the record for most wins with Carrie Underwood & Taylor Swift. She has been nominated for over 10 Grammy Awards, but never won. McBride is also known as winning the AMA's, ACM's, & CMA's, Female Vocalist of The Year, two of them being multiple times. |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Result |- | 1993 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 1994 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Music Video of The Year | Nominated |- | 1994 | Country Music Association Awards | Horizon | Nominated |- | 1994 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year for "Independence Day" | Won |- | 1995 | Grammy Awards | Best Country/Western Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 1996 | TNN/Music City News | Music Video of the Year for "Independence Day" | Won |- | 1996 | Grammy Awards | Best Country/Western Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 1996 | Country Music Association | Album of The Year | Nominated |- | 1996 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 1997 | Academy of Country Music | Music Video of The Year "A Broken Wing" | Nominated |- | 1997 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 1998 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 1998 | Country Music Association | Single of The Year "A Broken Wing" | Nominated |- | 1998 | Academy of Country Music | Single Record of The Year | Nominated |- | 1998 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 1999 | American Music Awards | Favorite Female Country Artist | Nominated |- | 1999 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 1999 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2000 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2000 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2000 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2000 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Video Dierector "Blessed" | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Laugh Out Loud Video "When God Fearin Women" | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Fashion Plate Video "Blessed" | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Female Video of the Year for "Blessed" | Won |- | 2001 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Won |- | 2001 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2002 | Flameworthy Awards | Concept Video "Concrete Angel" | Nominated |- | 2002 | Country Music Association | Single of The Year "Blessed" | Nominated |- | 2002 | Billboard Music Awards | Country Female Artist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2002 | Flameworthy Awards | Video of The Year "Concrete Angel" | Nominated |- | 2002 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Won |- | 2002 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 2002 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Won |- | 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2003 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Album of The Year "Martina" | Nominated |- | 2003 | Academy of Country Awards | Humanitarian of The Year | Won |- | 2003 | Flameworthy Awards | Female Video of the Year "Concrete Angel" | Won |- | 2003 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 2003 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Won |- | 2004 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 2004 | Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video "Concrete Angel" | Nominated |- | 2004 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2004 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2004 | Flameworthy Awards | Most Inspiring Video "Gods Will" | Nominated |- | 2004 | Flameworthy Awards | Female Video "How Far" | Nominated |- | 2004 | Billboard Music Awards | Female Country Artist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2004 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2004 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album | Nominated |- | 2005 | CMT Video Awards | Most Inspiring Video "Gods Will | Nominated |- | 2005 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "Gods Will" | Nominated |- | 2005 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2005 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2005 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2006 | Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video "Gods Will" | Nominated |- | 2006 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2007 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2007 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2007 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Music Video of Th Year "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Single of The Yeat "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Song of The Year "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | BMI | Song of The Year "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | BMI | Most Played Song of The Year "Anyway" | Won |- | 2007 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Grossing Tour of The Year | Won |- | 2007 | ASCAP | Female Song of The Year "Anyway" | Won |- | 2007 | ASCAP | Song of The Year "Anyway" | Won |- | 2008 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2008 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2008 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2009 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2009 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2009 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "Ride" | Nominated |- | 2010 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2010 | Teen Choice Awards | Female Country Artist | Nominated |- | 2010 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "I Just Call You Mine" | Nominated |- | 2010 | American Country Awards | Single by A Female Artist "Wrong Baby Wrong" | Nominated |- | 2010 | American Country Awards | Touring Artist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2010 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2011 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Honorary Award | Won |}

References

External links

Official Website

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sharon, Kansas Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Musicians from Kansas Category:RCA Records artists Category:Republic Records artists

ar:مارتينا ماكبرايد br:Martina McBride pdc:Martina McBride de:Martina McBride fr:Martina McBride id:Martina McBride it:Martina McBride hu:Martina McBride nl:Martina McBride pl:Martina McBride pt:Martina McBride simple:Martina McBride fi:Martina McBride sv:Martina McBride tr:Martina McBride

name	Miranda Lambert
background	solo_singer
birth name	Miranda Leigh Lambert
born	November 10, 1983Longview, Texas, U.S.
origin	Lindale, Texas, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar, saxophone
genre	Country
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2001–present
label	Epic Columbia NashvilleRCA Nashville
associated acts	Blake Shelton Pistol Annies
website	MirandaLambert.com }}

Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of ''Nashville Star'', where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut album ''Kerosene''. This album, which was certified Platinum in the United States, also produced the singles "Bring Me Down", "Kerosene", and "New Strings". All four singles were Top 40 hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts.

After Epic's Nashville division closed, Lambert was transferred to Columbia Records Nashville for her second album, ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'', which was released in early 2007. Although the title track failed to make top 40, the next three singles ("Famous in a Small Town", "Gunpowder & Lead", and "More Like Her") were all Top 20 hits, with "Gunpowder & Lead" becoming her first Top 10 country hit in July 2008. Lambert's third album, ''Revolution'', was released in September 2009. Five singles have been released from the album, including Lambert's two Number One hits "The House That Built Me," which spent four weeks at the top of the chart, and "Heart Like Mine". Lambert has also been honored by the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards.

In 2011, Lambert married fellow country singer Blake Shelton. She also released "Baggage Claim", the first single from her upcoming fourth album ''Four the Record'', and collaborated with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Pressley in the side project Pistol Annies.

Early life

Miranda Leigh Lambert was born November 10, 1983 in Longview, Texas and raised in Lindale, Texas. Her father, Richard Lee "Rick" Lambert, is a retired police officer who in later life became a private investigator in partnership with her mother, Beverly June Lambert (née Hughes). Miranda was taught about guns by her father at an early age and later became an avid deer hunter. Her parents took her to a Garth Brooks concert when she was nine and this started her interest in country music. Her father wrote and performed country music and she soon began singing in talent contests under his tutelage. She started her career playing in local restaurants.

At age sixteen, Lambert began appearing on the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas, the same show that helped launch the career of LeAnn Rimes. Lambert quickly landed a recording session in Nashville, but left the studio after she became frustrated with the "pop" sound of music. She then went back to Texas and asked her dad to teach her how to play guitar so she could write her own songs.

While still in high school, Lambert made her professional singing debut. She fronted the house band at the Reo Palm Isle Ballroom in Longview, Texas, a long-running venue that has showcased Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and is where Brooks & Dunn started out as a bar room band.

Music career

2003-2006: ''Kerosene''

In 2003, Lambert auditioned for the talent competition ''Nashville Star'', eventually becoming a third-place finisher on the show. She performed in many places such as The Tap in College Station, Texas when she was 18. On September 15, 2003, she signed with Epic Records. Her debut single, "Me and Charlie Talking" (co-written by her father and Heather Little), was released in summer of 2004 as the lead-off single to her debut album. Titled ''Kerosene'', Lambert's first album comprised twelve songs, eleven of which she co-wrote. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums charts, and eventually gained a Platinum certification by the RIAA for shipments of over one million copies, selling more than 930,000 copies up to July 2008. Overall, the album produced four Top 40 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, including the title track which was a Top 20 hit. Lambert also toured with Keith Urban and George Strait in early 2006. In 2007, she toured with Dierks Bentley and Toby Keith.

2007-2008: ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''

Lambert's second album, ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' was released on May 9, 2007. She wrote eight of the album's eleven tracks, including its four singles. Much of the track "Gunpowder & Lead," the album's third single and her highest-charting single, was written while she was taking a concealed handgun class in her home town.

In 2005, at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Lambert won the Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music Award. She was also nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 2005; in 2007, Lambert also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her single "Kerosene". She also won the Top New Female Vocalist award at the 2007 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards. At the 2008 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards, ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' won Album of the Year.

Lambert was ranked #90 on the ''100 Greatest Women'' (of Country Music) by Country Universe in 2008.

2009-2011: ''Revolution''

In February 2009, Miranda Lambert entered the studio to record her third album, ''Revolution'', which was to be released on September 29, 2009. Lambert co-wrote all but four of the album's 15 tracks; the album also includes co-writes from Blake Shelton, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum. Ahead of the album's release, an EP, titled ''Dead Flowers'', was issued on September 8, 2009. The EP, available exclusively at Best Buy, featured the ''Revolution'' album track "Dead Flowers" and three bonus tracks previously included on limited editions of ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''.

During this time, Lambert (along with two other singers), became the new face of Cotton Inc.’s revived “The Touch, The Feel of Cotton” campaign. She has appeared in ads to promote cotton, and the website features a free download of the full version of her song, "Fabric of My Life."

Lambert debuted her new single, "Dead Flowers", at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5, 2009. It was released to country radio on May 4, 2009, and was a minor Top 40 hit on the charts.

On September 24, 2009, Lambert and her band performed all the tracks on ''Revolution'' in sequence at the Ryman Auditorium, five days before its scheduled release date.

Upon the release of ''Revolution'', Lambert's work was met with significant critical praise. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".

''Rolling Stone'' magazine praised the album saying, "Lambert remains country's most refreshing act, and not just because she makes firearms seem like a matter-of-fact female accessory." ''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine said, "She's found stylistic shades of songwriters twice her age..." and that the album is "...a portrait of an artist in full possession of her powers, and the best mainstream-country album so far this year." ''Boston Globe'' commented that “Revolution’’ is the sound of Miranda Lambert coming into her own." ''Slant magazine'' also had high praises reserved for the album saying, "Miranda Lambert expands on her fascinating, fully realized artistic persona on Revolution."

The album's second single, "White Liar", was released on August 17, 2009, and debuted at #50 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. In February 2010, "White Liar" became Lambert's first Top Five hit, reaching a peak of #2 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart.

In promotion of ''Revolution'', Miranda Lambert launched a headlining tour; ''Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars'' kicked off in March 2010 and included stops in over 22 cities, as well as a performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.

"The House That Built Me," the album's third single, was released on March 8, 2010 and became a #1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. It retained this position for four weeks and it received a platinum certification from the RIAA on July 8, 2010. On February 13, 2011, Lambert won a Grammy Award in the ''Best Female Country Vocal Performance'' category for "The House That Built Me."

"Only Prettier" followed as the album's fourth single in July 2010 and its accompanying music video became somewhat viral. The music video for "Only Prettier" was directed by Trey Fanjoy and filmed in Joelton, Tennessee in June 2010, and premiered on VEVO on August 3, 2010. It features a 1950s theme and cameo appearances by fellow country artists Kellie Pickler, Laura Bell Bundy, and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. In the video, Lambert and her friends portray two rival cliques attending a high school sock hop. The alter-egos are shown doing things such as spiking the punch, stuffing their bras and smoking. Ultimately, the alter-egos have a bad time at the party, while Lambert, Pickler, Bundy and Scott enjoy themselves the entire night. Additionally, Lambert is also shown performing with her band on stage at the event.

On September 1, 2010, it was announced Miranda led nominations with an impressive 9 CMA awards, setting a record for the female with the most nominations in a single year by the organization. Miranda performed at the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 10, 2010. That same night she won the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year and ''Revolution'' won Album of the Year. Lambert and Sheryl Crow performed "Coal Miner's Daughter" as a tribute to country legend Loretta Lynn, who also entered the stage to join them and finished the song with Crow and Lambert as backup. Later that night, Lynn presented the Female Vocalist of the Year CMA award to Lambert.

In December 2010, "Only Prettier", eventually reached a peak of number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, giving Lambert her seventh Top 20 hit. "Heart Like Mine" was released in January 2011 as the fifth and final single from ''Revolution''. It became Lambert's second Number One hit on the country charts for the chart dated May 28, 2011.

2011-present: ''Four the Record'' and Pistol Annies

On April 4, 2011 during the taping of the Academy of Country Music's 'Girls' Night Out' television special in Las Vegas, Lambert debuted her new project, girl group Pistol Annies. The group consists of Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. They released their single, "Hell on Heels," in May 2011, and released their debut album, ''Hell on Heels'', on August 23, 2011.

Lambert announced in July 2011 that her fourth studio album, ''Four the Record'', will be released on November 1, 2011. A month later, Sony Music Nashville announced that Lambert and labelmate Josh Thompson will transfer to RCA Nashville as part of a corporate restructuring.

Personal life

In 2006, Lambert began dating fellow country singer Blake Shelton. Lambert sang background vocals on Shelton's 2008 country cover of Michael Bublé's song "Home". The two recorded and co-wrote duet "Bare Skin Rug," for his studio album ''Startin' Fires'' released later in 2008. Shelton also co-wrote three songs on ''Revolution,'' and provided background vocals on "Maintain the Pain." On May 9, 2010, Shelton proposed to Lambert, after seeking (and receiving) her father's blessing and they became engaged. The two married on May 14, 2011 at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas. Wearing her mother's wedding dress, Miranda walked down the aisle and exchanged vows with Blake in front of 550 family members and friends, including fellow celebrities Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, Cee Lo Green, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley, and the Bellamy Brothers. After the ceremony, Miranda expressed her excitement saying, "I'm married to my best friend! Looking forward to a lifetime of laughter."

Discography

;Albums

''Miranda Lambert'' (2001)

''Kerosene'' (2005)

''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' (2007)

''Revolution'' (2009)

''Four the Record'' (2011)

Awards

!Year	!Organization	!Award	!Result
2005		Horizon Award
		Female Video of the Year — "Kerosene"
Breakthrough Video of the Year — "Kerosene"
	Horizon Award
	Grammy Awards	Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Kerosene"
rowspan="2"	Top New Female Vocalist
Female Vocalist of the Year
	Female Vocalist of the Year
	Grammy Awards	Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Famous in a Small Town"
CMT Music Awards	Female Video of the Year — "Famous in a Small Town"
rowspan="3"	Top Female Vocalist
Album of the Year — ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''
Single Record of the Year — "Famous in a Small Town"
rowspan="2"	Female Vocalist of the Year
Single of the Year — "Gunpowder & Lead"
	rowspan="2"	Top Female Vocalist
Single Record of the Year — "Gunpowder & Lead"
CMT Music Awards	Female Video of the Year — "More Like Her"
	Female Vocalist of the Year
	Grammy Awards	Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Dead Flowers"
rowspan="5"	Top Female Vocalist of the Year
Album of the Year — ''Revolution''
Single Record of the Year — "White Liar"
Song of the Year — "White Liar"
Video of the Year — "White Liar"
MusicRow Awards	Song of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
	Video of the Year - "White Liar"
Female Video of the Year - "White Liar"
	Choice Female Country Artist
Choice Music: Country Song - "The House That Built Me"
	Mainstream Inspirational Country Song, "The House That Built Me"
Inspirational Country Music Video, "The House That Built Me"
	8th French Country Music Awards	Best Female Vocalist of the Year (Meilleure Chanteuse)
rowspan="10"	Entertainer of the Year
Female Vocalist of the Year
Album of the Year - ''Revolution''
Musical Event - "Bad Angel" (with Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson)
Single of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
Single of the Year - "White Liar"
Song of the Year - "White Liar"
Song of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
Music Video of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
Music Video of the Year - "White Liar"
	Artist of the Year
Female Artist of the Year
Album of the Year - ''Revolution''
Single by a Female Artist - "White Liar"
Music Video by a Female Artist - "White Liar"
		Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "The House That Built Me"
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Bad Angel" (with Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson)
Best Country Album — ''Revolution''
	Entertainer of the Year
Top Female Vocalist of the Year
Single Record of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Song of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Video of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Video of the Year — "Only Prettier"
	Female Video of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Video of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Collaborative Video of the Year — "Coal Miner's Daughter" (with Loretta Lynn and Sheryl Crow)

Touring

Tours

"Hookin' Up and Hangin' Out Tour" (2007)

*with Toby Keith

''Sun City Carnival Tour'' (2009)

*with Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland and Montgomery Gentry

''American Saturday Night Tour'' (2010)

*with Brad Paisley and Justin Moore

''Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars'' (2010)

*with Chris Young, Randy Houser, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, James Otto, David Nail, Wade Bowen, Jake Owen and Cross Canadian Ragweed

''CMT On Tour: Miranda Lambert Revolution'' (2010)

*with Eric Church and Josh Kelley

''Miranda Lambert: Revolution Tour'' (2011)

*with Justin Moore, Josh Kelley, Chris Young, Randy Rogers Band, Pat Green,Little Big Town,Ashton Shepherd and Gary Allan

Band

Lambert's road band and crew consists of the following:

Aden Bubeck — bass guitar

Chris Kline — keyboard, harmonica, pedal steel, percussion, guitar

Alex Weeden — lead guitar

Scotty Wray — rhythm guitar, lap steel guitar, resonator guitar, banjo

Keith Zebroski — drums

Touring personnel

Scott Fowler — backline tech

Jason "Pone" Macalik — front of house engineer, backup bus driver

Chris Newsom — monitor engineer, production manager, stage manager

Sammy Bones — backline tech

Jordan Powell — tour manager

Jose "Puma" Raices — merchandise manager

Aaron Luke — lighting director

Charlie Sherman — bus driver

David Sherman — bus driver

References

External links

Official Website

Miranda Lambert at Billboard.com

Official Music Videos

Category:1983 births Category:American child singers Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American female singers Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Nashville Star contestants Category:People from Smith County, Texas Category:Texas country musicians Category:RCA Records artists

da:Miranda Lambert de:Miranda Lambert es:Miranda Lambert fr:Miranda Lambert id:Miranda Lambert it:Miranda Lambert nl:Miranda Lambert pt:Miranda Lambert sv:Miranda Lambert tr:Miranda Lambert uk:Міранда Ламберт