Born into a family obsessed with country music (who named her after one member of the Carter Family, and her brother after Faron Young), Anita Cochran began playing guitar at the age of four. Though she was born and raised in suburban Detroit, her parents were both originally from Kentucky. Her father was a local country performer who encouraged... [+] Read More

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Though she didn't begin her musical career until relatively late, Deana Carter managed to defy conventional expectations and unexpectedly shot to the top of the country charts upon the release of her 1996 debut, Did I Shave My Legs for This? Carter's success was equally unexpected considering that she didn't quite fit into the mold of a standard... [+] Read More

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One of the biggest female country stars of the '90s, Faith Hill also took advantage of the inroads Shania Twain made into pop territory, becoming an enormous crossover success by decade's end. Of course, Hill's movie star good looks certainly helped her cause, and her much-celebrated marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw gave her career an... [+] Read More

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Part of country music's late-'90s crop of female crossover stars, Jo Dee Messina's appeal nonetheless remained more with country fans than pop audiences. Messina was born August 25, 1970, in Framingham, MA, and grew up in nearby Holliston. She sang in musical plays starting at age eight but discovered country music at age 12 and got hooked on... [+] Read More

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Juice Newton (born Judy Kay Newton, February 18, 1952, Lakehurst, NJ) was part of the first wave of country singers raised on rock, folk-rock, and singer/songwriters, which is evident from her hit singles. "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts," her two crossover hits, have country-pop arrangements, but their roots are in '60s pop and new... [+] Read More

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Another teenage female country star to join the ranks of LeAnn Rimes, Lila McCann debuted singing "You Are My Sunshine" with her father's country band at the tender age of four. Influenced by Reba McEntire and the Judds (though she also listened to No Doubt and Boyz II Men), McCann began performing regularly several years after her debut,... [+] Read More

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Mindy McCready's debut album, Ten Thousand Angels, elevated her into Nashville's music spotlight and established her as a promising singer.

Born and raised in southern Florida, McCready (born Malinda Gayle McCready) graduated from high school at the age of 16 with the intention of beginning her musical career early. Following her... [+] Read More

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Five studio albums into their incredible career, the members of Rascal Flatts find themselves firmly atop the music world. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney have scaled unbelievable heights in the eight years since their debut, and yet with the release of Still Feels Good, they find their fortunes still rising. For proof, they need to... [+] Read More

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In 2004, Michelle Branch took a break from her successful solo career to team with friend and touring backup singer Jessica Harp in a new project called the Wreckers. Previous to the Branch collaboration, Harp had been working as a singer/songwriter in Nashville, and those country music elements mixed with Branch's pop sensibilities to inform... [+] Read More

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One of the most popular female country singers of the '90s, Trisha Yearwood initially rose to fame as a protégée of Garth Brooks but quickly staked out her own identity as an assertive yet vulnerable modern woman. Yearwood was born in the small town of Monticello, GA, in 1964 and grew up on a farm owned by her father, who also worked as a... [+] Read More

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As one-half of the Judds, Wynonna Judd became one of the most popular and respected female country stars of her time. On her own since the early '90s, Judd demonstrated an eclecticism that increasingly confounded hardcore country fans and radio programmers but also helped her retain a core of admiring followers. Her solo records might stick with... [+] Read More

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