Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert is an American country singer-songwriter from Longview, Texas. She is known for contemporary country, country pop, rockabilly and Texas country, and she records for Big Loud Texas, Sony Music Nashville and Republic Records. She is also a member of Pistol Annies.

Early life and background

Lambert is born in 1983 and grows up in Texas in a family with strong music and law-enforcement connections. Both of her parents work as private investigators, and her father, Rick, is also a country guitarist and songwriter. She becomes interested in country music after seeing Garth Brooks perform as a child, and she begins singing in talent contests with help from her father. At 16, she appears on the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas, a programme also associated with LeAnn Rimes.

Career beginnings

Lambert briefly records in Nashville, but leaves the session because she is unhappy with the pop direction of the material. After returning to Texas, she starts writing songs and taking guitar lessons from her father. While still in high school, she makes her professional singing debut and fronts the house band at the Reo Palm Isle Ballroom in Longview. She does not go to college and instead performs across Texas in 2001 and 2002.

Nashville Star and recording career

Lambert gains wider attention as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star and finishes third in the national competition after placing first in the Texas auditions. She signs with Sony in 2003. Her studio albums include Kerosene (2005), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007), Revolution (2009) and Four the Record (2011). Each of these albums debuts at number one on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Singles, awards and recognition

Lambert releases fourteen singles, including five Top 20 hits. Kerosene and Gunpowder & Lead are certified Gold by the RIAA, while Kerosene, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Revolution are certified Platinum. In 2005 she wins the Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards and is also nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award. She performs "Kerosene" at the CMA event. Kerosene is named by Nashville Scene as one of the best albums of 2005, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend wins Album of the Year at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards.