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The following biography
is from
Wikipedia.org
“The
Free Encyclopedia.”
Gretchen Renée Wilson (born June 26, 1973
in Pocahontas, Illinois) is a Grammy Award-winning American country
music singer. Her debut album, Here for the Party, topped the US country
charts in 2004 and reached #2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
****
Gretchen Wilson
Background information
Birth name Gretchen Renée Wilson
Born June 26, 1973
Origin Pocahontas, Illinois
Genre(s) Country
Years active 2004 - Present
Associated
acts Musik Mafia
Big & Rich
****
Personal life
Gretchen Wilson is from a small town with a
population of 700. She was raised in a trailer park in Pocahontas, Illinois, by
a single mother, who was 16 when Wilson was born. Her father left his wife and
baby two years later. Wilson grew up in poverty, living in a succession of
trailer parks as her mother struggled to pay the rent by working as a waitress
at a diner. She left school during the ninth grade. At age 14 she worked as a
cook and bartender and was singing for tips, busking in rural Illinois, at a
place called Big O's.
Wilson has a daughter, Grace Frances Penner (born
November 9, 2000) fathered by her longtime boyfriend Michael Penner. Wilson and
Penner have since ended their relationship. The night she won her CMA Horizon
Award, she stated that she felt bad for taking home such a wonderful gift on her
daughter's birthday.
After seeing the movie Super Size Me, Gretchen
Wilson announced a commitment to eating at McDonald's at every stop along her
world tour.[citation needed]
Early
career
Living on her own since the age of 15, Wilson sang
in two bar bands by the age of 20. In 1996, she moved to Nashville to pursue her
career in music, but found little initial success. She received her "break" when
John Rich, formerly a member of Lonestar, suggested that she write songs with
him in 2000. After some reluctance, she started working with him as a member of
the MuzikMafia, an informal group of aspiring country songwriters and singers
that met every Tuesday night. She also started singing as a backup singer on
records.
She currently resides in Lebanon, TN.
Chart
success
Wilson signed with Epic Records in 2003 and
recorded Here for the Party in 2003. The first single, "Redneck Woman," was
released in early 2004 and quickly became a hit reaching the top of the
Billboard country singles charts and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Due to the
success of "Redneck Woman," Here for the Party was released earlier than planned
on May 11, 2004, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard country chart. It also
reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Internet album sales charts. She
built on the success on the album by performing as support artist for Brooks &
Dunn and Montgomery Gentry.
The album and single have been released in markets
outside the US and the album has reached #2 on the Australian country charts
(behind Kasey Chambers) and the top 50 of the Australian charts. As of 5 July
2004, "Redneck Woman" was #1 on a world composite country chart (based on the
US, UK and Australia), and "Here for the Party" was #4 as an album track.
Grammy
Award history
Category Genre Album or Song Year Result
Best Country Album Country All Jacked Up 2006
Nominated
Best Female Country Vocal Performance Country "All
Jacked Up" 2006 Nominated
Best Country Song Country "All Jacked Up" 2006
Nominated
Best Country Collaboration w/ Vocals Country
"Politically Uncorrect" 2006 Nominated
Best Country Female Vocal Performance Country
"Redneck Woman" 2005 Won
Best New Artist General N/A 2005 Nominated
Best Country Song Country "Redneck Woman" 2005
Nominated
Best Country Album Country Here for the Party 2005
Nominated
Awards
2005 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year
2004 CMA Horizon Award
2004 Grammy Award Best Female Country Vocal
Performance
Discography
Albums
Year Album Chart Sales
2004 Here for the Party #2 US US : 4.3 million (4x
platinum)
2005 All Jacked Up #1 (debut) US US : 1.1 million
(1x platinum)
Singles
Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US Country
2004 "Redneck Woman" #22 #1 Here for the Party
2004 "Here for the Party" #39 #3 Here for the Party
2005 "When I Think About Cheatin'" #39 #4 Here for
the Party
2005 "Homewrecker" #56 #2 Here for the Party
2005 "All Jacked Up" #42 #8 All Jacked Up
2005 "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today" - #22 All
Jacked Up
2006 "Politically Uncorrect" (feat. Merle Haggard)
- #23 All Jacked Up
2006 "California Girls" - #25 All Jacked Up
****
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