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No Kathy Mattea nude photos here
KATHY MATTEA |
Kathy Mattea was born on 21 June 1959 in South Charleston, West Virginia, USA
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KATHY MATTEA BIOGRAPHY |
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| Kathy Mattea was one of the most respected female country stars of her era, a commercially successful hitmaker who was able to bring elements of folk, bluegrass, gospel, and singer/songwriter intimacy to her music. Mattea was born in Cross Lane, WV, in 1959, and received classical voice training starting in junior high, but also took up the guitar when she discovered folk music. In 1976, while in college, she joined the bluegrass band Pennsboro, and two years later dropped out of school to move to Nashville. She worked odd jobs and perfected her songwriting, and in 1983 she landed a deal with Mercury on the strength of her demo tape. Her self-titled debut was released in 1984, and the follow-up From My Heart appeared the following year; none of the singles from either record managed to breach the Top 20. However, Mattea's third effort, 1986's folky Walk the Way the Wind Blows, proved to be her breakthrough both critically and commercially. Her cover of Nanci Griffith's "Love at the Five and Dime" was her first Top Five hit, and the record produced three other Top Tens in the title track, "Train of Memories," and "You're the Power." 1987's follow-up album Untasted Honey confirmed Mattea's newfound stardom, featuring two number-one country hits in "Goin' Gone" and "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses"; "Untold Stories" and "Life as We Knew It" also made the Top Five. 1989's Willow in the Wind boasted an even stronger folk influence, and it became her first album to go gold on the strength of the number-one hits "Burnin' Old Memories" and "Come From the Heart," and the number two "She Came From Fort Worth." Additionally, the album's Top Ten hit "Where've You Been," which Mattea co-wrote with her new husband Jon Vezner, won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal. Seeking to keep her music fresh by returning to its roots, Mattea made several trips to Scotland in the early '90s, studying the links between country music and traditional Scottish folk. Her own music kept getting rootsier and more eclectic, as 1991's ambitious Time Passes By featured guest spots by Emmylou Harris, folkies the Roches, and Scottish singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean. |
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Full Biography |
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