Shelby Lynne
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Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynne Moorer, October 22, 1968, Quantico, Virginia) is an American Grammy Award-winning country music singer, songwriter and actress.
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[edit] Biography
She grew up in Jackson, Alabama. Her father was a local bandleader and her mother a harmony-singing teacher, and as children, she and her younger sister Allison --later a country recording artist in her own right-- sometimes joined their parents on-stage to sing along. But Lynne's personal history is steeped in family tragedy. While the family was living in the small town of St. Stephens, Alabama, Lynne's father, an abusive alcoholic, shot and killed her mother and then himself when Lynne was 17. Lynne and her younger sister Allison Moorer did not actually witness the shooting, as has widely been reported. Shelby and her sister briefly lived with an aunt until Lynne turned 18, whereupon she married a friend from home. The marriage lasted only a year. Lynne began supporting herself and her sister by playing music in local clubs and eventually the two moved to Nashville where she landed a recording contract with Epic Records, after appearing in TNN's Nashville Now in 1987.
After that she sang a duet with George Jones, in a 1988's top 50 hit "If I Could Bottle This Up," and a record deal with Epic, where Lynne teamed with legendary producer Billy Sherrill for her 1989 debut album Sunrise. The follow-up 1990's Tough All Over, took more of a Reba McEntire-esque direction, and 1991's Soft Talk found Lynne moving into slick country-pop.
Lynne placed several songs on the country charts during this period, but none managed to break into the top 20. Critics generally regarded her as a promising talent, and she even won the CMA's Horizon Award (given to the year's top emerging artist) in 1991.
However, she was tiring of the lack of control she was afforded over her image and musical direction. She split from Epic and signed with the smaller Morgan Creek label, debuting with 1993's Temptation, an exercise in Bob Wills-style Western swing and big band jazz. Unfortunately, the label folded not long after, and she moved on to Magnatone for 1995's Restless, which marked a return to contemporary-style country. Afterward, Lynne disappeared from recording for several years.
Lynne moved to Palm Springs in 1998 and released the confessional, eclectic I Am Shelby Lynne in 1999 (released in US in 2000) to wide critical acclaim; on the strength of the album Lynne won a Grammy award for "Best New Artist," despite the fact that she had been recording and releasing records for more than ten years.
Her 2001 follow up album, Love, Shelby featured a slicker, more pop-influenced sound. This album was a moderate commercial success but received mixed reviews. In 2003, Lynne released the critically-acclaimed Identity Crisis. Though, not a commercial success, many magazines rated the album among the best of 2003. 2005's Suit Yourself has also been well received by critics.
Also in 2004, Lynne was featured in a duet version of alternate rock band Live's song "Run Away." This rendition can be found on the band's greatest hits compilation Awake: The Best of Live.
She portrays Carrie Cash in the 2005 Johnny Cash biographical film, Walk the Line.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Sunrise, Epic Records 1990
- Tough All Over, Epic Records 1990
- Soft Talk, Columbia Records 1991
- Temptation, Morgan Creek 1993
- Restless, Curb Records 1995
- I Am Shelby Lynne, Mercury Records 1999, Island Records 2000
- This Is Shelby Lynne: The Best of the Epic Years, Sony Music Entertainment, 2000
- Love, Shelby, Island Records 2001
- Identity Crisis, Capitol Records 2003
- Suit Yourself, Capitol Records 2005
[edit] Singles
- Killin' Kind
[edit] External links
[edit] Official and fan web sites
[edit] Interviews
- Midwest Beat 2005 Interview
- Lumino Maganize 2005 Interview
- Interview 2003, by Mary-Louise Parker
- Oregon Music Guide 2003 Interview
- NOW Toronto 2000 Interview
- CNN 2001 Interview with Shelby and her sister Allison
[edit] Album Reviews
- BBC review of Identity Crisis
- collection of reviews of Suit Yourself
- collection of reviews of I am Shelby Lynne
- reviews by Rolling Stone Magazine