Miranda Lambert
Template:Infobox musical artist 2Miranda Lambert is a country singer who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of USA Network's talent competition Nashville Star. Her first album, Kerosene, debuted at number one on the country album charts in March 2005.
Biography
Miranda Lambert was born on November 10, 1983 in Longview, Texas, but was reared in Lindale, Texas about 80 miles east of Dallas. Both of her parents are private investigators, but father Rick is also a country guitarist and songwriter. Lambert became seriously interested in country music after attending a Garth Brooks concert as a young girl, and soon began singing in talent contests under the tutelage of her father.
At 16, Miranda began appearing on the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas, the same show that helped launch the career of LeAnn Rimes. Miranda quickly landed a recording session in Nashville, but left the studio in tears after she became frustrated with the "pop" sound of music that was not her own. Upon returning to Texas, Miranda began writing songs and taking guitar lessons from her father.
When Miranda's aptitude for music became apparent, her parents encouraged her to aggressively pursue singing and acting opportunities. While still a high school student, Miranda made her professional singing debut and fronted the house band at the Reo Palm Isle Ballroom in Longview, Texas, a long-running venue that has showcased Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson.
Foregoing college, Miranda performed throughout Texas in 2001 and 2002. She finished first in the Texas auditions for Nashville Star and eventually placed third on the national competition. She also finished second when auditioning to portray Tammy Wynette in the musical play of Wynette's life which debuted in 2001. On September 15, 2003, she signed with Sony records. Her debut album, Kerosene, was released on March 15, 2005.
Music career
Lambert joined a select group of artists when her first album, Kerosene, debuted at number one on the country charts. Lambert wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 tracks on the album, which met with wide critical acclaim. Following the success of her debut album, Lambert spent much of late 2005 and early 2006 as the opening act for artists such as Keith Urban and George Strait. Concert reviews noted her exceptional stage presence and helped her gain exposure in the country music industry.
Lambert's career took off following an electric performance of "Kerosene" at the 2005 Country Music Association Awards in New York City. In a show that was uncharacteristically dominated by slow country ballads, Lambert brought the crowd to its feet when columns of fire leapt from the stage at the end of the song. "Kerosene" subsequently became Lambert's first top-twenty hit.
The current single from the Kerosene album is "New Strings." A new album is expected to be released in early 2007.
Personal life
In recent months, many have speculated that Miranda is dating fellow country singer Blake Shelton, who recently finalized a divorce from his ex-wife. Lambert and Shelton met in 2005 while performing a rendition of a classic David Frizzell and Shelly West duet "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" for a special on Country Music Television.
Press, Awards and Critical Acclaim
Nashville Scene named Kerosene one of the best albums of 2005. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA.
In 2005 at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Miranda won the Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music Award. In the same year, USA Today ran an ongoing series documenting Miranda's emerging career.
Miranda was nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 2005 and performed "Kerosene" at the CMA Awards in New York City. She was also nominated for the "Best New Female Artist" award by the Academy of Country Music in 2006.
Discography
Albums
| Album | Statistics | Singles |
|---|---|---|
|
Kerosene
|
Singles Released
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | US | US Country | US Pop | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Me and Charlie Talking" | Kerosene | - | 27 | - | - |
| 2005 | "Bring Me Down" | Kerosene | - | 32 | - | - |
| 2005 | "Kerosene" | Kerosene | 61 | 15 | 82 | Gold |
| 2006 | "New Strings" | Kerosene | - | 25 | - | - |
- Notes:
Touring
Currently Miranda is on tour with her band consisting of:
Aden Bubeck - Bass Guitar
Chris Kline - Keyboards, Jaw Harp, Harmonica
Alex Weeden - Lead Guitar
Scotty Wray - Rhythm Guitar, Lap Steel, Dobro, Resonator, Ganjo
Keith Zebowski - Drums
External links
