LeAnn Rimes, Country Music Star from Jackson, Mississippi
Biography of Country Music Star and Grammy Award Winner LeAnn Rimes, author and singer from Jackson, Mississippi.
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Major Works

Musical Albums

One Christmas – Chapter 1 (2014)

Dance Like You Don’t Give A…Greatest Remixes (2014)

Spitfire (2013)

Lady and Gentlemen (2011)

Family (2007)

Whatever We Wanna (2006)

This Woman (2005)

What a Wonderful World (2004)

Twisted Angel (2002)

I Need You (2001)

LeAnn Rimes (1999)

Blue 1998

Sittin’ On Top of the World 1998

The Early Years ‘Unchained Melody'” 1997

You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs 1997

Written In The Stars Pt.1 , Pt. 2 with Elton John

Singles

I’ll Get Even With You

I Will Always Love You

Blue

One Way Ticket (Because I Can)

The Light In Your Eyes

Looking Through Your Eyes

You Light Up My Life

Books

Why I Cannot Change (2009) with Darrell Brown

Jag’s New Friend (2004)

Jag (2003)

Holiday in Your Heart (1997)

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LeAnn Rimes: A Biography

by Mandi Alexander (SHS) 1997

When the world was created, each person was created to have a different personality and talents. In every little boy/girl’s life, goals are set and dreams are made, but not everyone’s dream comes true. In the world of LeAnn Rimes, her dream of becoming a country music superstar has become reality. Born on August 28, 1982, in Jackson, Mississippi, LeAnn Rimes (like Brenda Lee and Tanya Tucker), has become a major country music superstar. LeAnn Rimes is an only child who began singing before she was two.

LeAnn Rimes won her first talent contest at the age of five and almost won the lead in Broadway’s Annie 2 at age six. Musically, she has been influenced by Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, Barbara Streisand, and her parents. At age six, she moved to Texas to pursue her dream of country superstar. At age eight, she was a two-week champion on TV’s star search. At age eleven, she recorded her first album, After All, which was produced by Wilbur. After the success of her album, LeAnn released another album titled Unchained Melody: The Early Years. The songs on this album were recorded when LeAnn was only twelve. Critics commented that at fourteen, LeAnn seemed wise beyond her years. She didn’t look or act like fourteen but that could be because of the fact that she has been in the business since she was six or seven years old.

In May 1996, her recording of Blue hit the Billboard charts. In 1996 she won awards such as the Academy of Country Music Single of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year, Academy of Country Music Top New Female Vocalist, Grammy Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and Grammy Best New Artist. In 1997 she won awards at the American Music Awards as the Favorite New Artist, CMA Horizon Award, TNN/ Music Cry News Stars of Tomorrow – Female. In June, 1998, she was again nominated as Best Female Artist by the TNN Music City News Country Awards.

Rimes has now won many awards for her music, including two Grammys, three ACM’s a CMA, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and one American Music award. According to Wikipedia, she has released ten studio albums, three compilation albums, and two greatest hits albums through her record label.

In addition to her semi-autobiographical novel, Holiday in Your Heart (1997), Rimes has also written three other books, Why I Cannot Change (2009), and two children’s books: Jag in 2003 and Jag’s New Friend in 2004.

Rimes married Dean Sheremet in 2002 and divorced him in 2010. In 2011, she married Eddie Cibrian. She has raised money using a public service announcement to make people aware of psoriasis (an autoimmune disease with which she has struggled), singing Just Stand Up to benefit cancer research, and joined a gay men’s chorus in Los Angeles, performing The Rose in remembrance of gay teenagers who have committed suicide., and most recently the Friend Movement, an anti-bullying organiztion.

Rimes has appeared in numerous television episodes and videos. A complete list of her music is available on her website.

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Timeline

1982 – August 28, LeAnn was born in Jackson, Mississippi

1987 – won her first talent contest

1988 – moved to Texas

1990 – June 22, First TV performance at Disney World

1991 – Appeared on Star Search

1993 – recorded her first album All That

1996 – recorded the album Blue

1996 – Award: Academy of Country Music Single of the Year

1996 – Award: Academy of Country Music Song of the Year

1996 – Award: Academy of Country Music Top New Female Vocalist

1996 – Award: Grammy Best Female Country Vocal Performance

1996 – Award: Grammy Best New Artist

1996 – May, Blue hits Billboards to top

1996 – September, appears on the David Letterman Show and Grand Old Opry

1997 – Award: American Music Awards –wins Favorite New Artist

1997 – Award: CMA Horizon Award

1997 – Award: TNN/ Music Cry News Stars of Tomorrow- Female

1997 – Her semi-autobiographical book Holiday in Your Heart published, LeAnn co-writes book with Tom Carter.

1997 – LeAnn’s acting debut, when she stars in the ABC-TV movie Holiday in Your Heart in December.

1997 – LeAnn has a number one pop single with “How Do I Live,” written by Diane Warren.

1999 – records Sittin’ On Top of the World

2001-Mar 2001 – A judge refused to let Leann Rimes out of a recording contract entered when she was 12 years old. The singer, who now lives in LA, recently issued a statement apologizing to fans for her latest album, saying it was produced “without her creative input.” LeAnn, who became a major star at age 13 in 1996 with the hit Blue, is also sued her father in Texas over a different issue, alleging that he and a former co-manager have cheated her out of millions in income.

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Reviews

A Review of Holiday in Your Heart

by Mandi Alexander (SHS) 1997

The autobiographical novel Holiday in Your Heart by LeAnn Rimes and Tom Carter tells the story of LeAnn Rimes’s life from birth to 1997. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 28 in 1982, Margaret LeAnn moved with her parents to Dallas, Texas, to pursue her dream of becoming a country superstar. Her career shot to the top when her album Blue went to Billboard’s Top 10, making LeAnn Rimes the youngest country singer ever to debut that high. At the time, she was the only country singer ever to win a Grammy for Best New Artist and have a hit on Billboard’s Top 10. Many girls dream of becoming Cinderella, but LeAnn’s dream was to be a country superstar.”(LeAnn Rimes quoted in Holiday in your Heart)

In the book a teenaged singing sensation named Anna Lee realizes her dream of performing a holiday concert on the stage. Yet her happiness is somewhat lessened by thoughts of her grandmother at this special time of year, who is stricken with an illness and unable to see her beloved granddaughter. It takes lessons from an older country singer, a musical legend now past her prime, who tells the young singer that she can carry a holiday in her heart all year round if she knows which things matter the most. LeAnn Rimes’s many fans will find Holiday in Your Heart a heart breaker by this fine young country female singer.

Related Websites

LeAnn Rimes website

LeAnn Rimes’ Twitter Account

People Magazine’s page on LeAnn Rimes

Bibliography

“LeAnn’s Facts.” Artist Fact Sheet n. pag. Online. 2 Apr. 1998. Available

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/6178/facts.html.

“LeAnn’s Profile.” Country Artist Profiles n. pag. Online. 12 Apr. 1998. Available

http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/2985/le00002.html.

“The Artist.” Country Music Artists n. pag. Online. 4 Apr. 1998. Available

http://www.country.com/gen/music/artist/leann-rimes.html.

“You Light Up My Life” Country Artists Online n. pag. Online. . 1 Apr. 1998. Available http://www.curb/Artists/larbio.html.

Rimes, LeAnn and Tom Carter. Holiday in Your Heart. New York, NY: Doubleday. 1997.