Texas native Le Ann Womack grew up listening to country music. Her father was a disc jockey. After attending South Plains Junior College (one of the few colleges to offer a degree in Country and Western Music) in Texas, enrolled at Nashville, TN’s Belmont University, where she pursued a major in Music Business. She interned in the Artist and Repertoire (A&R) department at MCA Records.
In 1990, she moved to Nashville permanently. She began writing songs and performed them regularly in clubs around Nashville; at one such performance, her voice and songs caught the attention of an executive at Tree Publishing, who signed her to a song publishing deal. Nearly one year later, she was signed to an artist deal on Decca Records.
Lee Ann Signs with Decca Records and Releases Debut Album
Womack released her first album, Lee Ann Womack in (1997). The album’s first single, “Never Again, Again” took brought back a traditional female country sound to country radio. Traditionalists like Alan Jackson and Womack’s hero, George Strait, were quick to praise her vocal talents.
The album produced four Top 5 hits including “Never Again, Again,” “You’ve Got to Talk to Me,” “A Little Past Little Rock,” and “I’ll Think of a Reason Later.”
I Hope You Dance
Womack’s 2000 album, I Hope You Dance, also spawned the most popular song of her career. “I Hope You Dance,” is a pop-country, poetic song about taking chances, with it’s classic line, “When you get the choice to sit it out or dance/I hope you dance.”
The song was a huge crossover success, staying atop the Country charts for five weeks, crossing over onto the pop charts, and landing Womack CMA Awards for Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year. The album sold 3 million units, and “I Hope You Dance” won a Grammy for Best Country Song.
Something Worth Leaving Behind
In 2002, her label attempted to capitalize on the pop crossover success of “I Hope You Dance” by selecting songs and instrumentations that would make her music appeal to the pop crowd. The album’s title track was released to radio and failed connect with listeners. Still, she teamed with Willie Nelson on his hit, “Mendocino County Line.” The song won a Grammy.
There’s More Where That Came From
She returned to her traditionalist roots with There’s More Where That Came From. She released the critically acclaimed “I May Hate Myself In the Morning” and won the CMA Award for Album of the Year and Single of the Year. She released two other singles that not as widely received—“You Ought to Know that by Now” and “Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago.”
Call Me Crazy
In 2006, Womack began recording songs for a new album on Mercury records. She released “Finding My Way Back to You,” in Summer 2005. Then, she went back into the studio to record additional songs for a record. Mercury never released this record and she returned to MCA Nashville.
In 2008, Womack released Call Me Crazy, and is currently working the latest single of the album, “Last Call.”
Summary
Lee Ann Womack’s staunchly twangy, emotional voice and penchant for heart wrenching country ballads with solid lyrics, have carved out a place for her as a traditionalist in country music. It has earned her the admiration of legends in the country industry, as well as newcomers alike.
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