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Drenched in sun-kissed natural beauty both inside and out, Nashville native, Deana Carter,didn’t take a seemingly easy route to stardom, but instead chose to defy the conventional
expectations of the typical Nashville artist blueprint and make her own mark. And she did,
undeniably taking the industry and fans by storm with her wildly successful multi-platinum
international debut “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” more two decades ago. Anchored by the
dreamy super hit ” Strawberry Wine”, Carter showcased her own blend of country and retro-
rock sprinkled with the folksy singer/songwriter qualities that have garnered Deana Carter well-
deserved respect and wild acclaim.
With EIGHT albums under her belt, Carter explores many subjects commonly shared over a
quaint dinner, afternoon coffee or a sunny day hike with a good friend.
Her last release of Southern Way of Life was her first dive as Label CEO on her own Little
Nugget Records, distributed by Sony/Red. These songs weave through the sometimes rocky
terrain of adulthood, including loss of love, relationships on many different levels, trials,
tribulations and simply put – life. As always, Instinctively autobiographical, the subject matter
mimics the interesting ride of Carter’s own life – so far.
The daughter of famed studio guitarist and producer Fred Carter, Jr., Deana grew up exposed
to the wide variety of musicians her father worked with, including Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan,
Waylon Jennings, Simon & Garfunkel, Muddy Waters, Dolly Parton, and many more. Their
strong influence would eventually seep into Deana’s own country-pop style, which reflects
qualities that can also be heard in similar artists now, such as Miranda Lambert and reflective
of artists like Sheryl Crow.
Developing her songwriting skills by trial and error at writer’s nights throughout Nashville,
Carter eventually signed a writing deal with Polygram and soon after a record deal with Capitol
Records. One of her demo tapes happened to fall into the hands of none other than Willie
Nelson, who remembered Deana as a child. Impressed with how she’d grown as a songwriter,
Nelson asked Deana to perform along with John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson and Neil Young
as the only female solo artist to appear at Farm Aid VII in 1994.
Her debut album, “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” boasts six songs co-written and with the
album co-produced by Carter, was released to strong reviews in late summer 1996. By the end
of the year, the record had climbed to the top of both the country and pop charts, quickly
achieving multi-platinum status, with 3 number one singles in a row. A “first” for the genre,
Deana’s celebrated debut album held this distinction and many ground breaking achievements
for more than 5 years and has become one of Country Music’s most treasured classics of the
90’s.
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” followed in late 1998 and in 2001 Carter realized her dream of
performing with her dad on an intimate holiday album, aptly titled “Father Christmas.” Making a
strong move towards adult pop Carter released “I’m Just a Girl” on Arista Records in 2003, the
same year Capitol Records released a Greatest Hits compilation. Follow-ups “The Story of My
Life” in 2005 and “The Chain” in 2007 were both released on Vanguard Records. In an effort to
pay homage to her musical roots and preserve her legendary father’s label Nugget Records,
that famously presented some of the best in country music some 40 years ago, Carter opened
her own label, Little Nugget Records, on which her latest album “Southern Way of Life” was
released.
Carter now divides her time between Los Angeles, Florida and Nashville, writing and producing
for both the pop/rock and country markets when not on the road touring or making movies.
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2119 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38104
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