Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973) is an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winning single "

Redneck Woman "Redneck Woman" is the debut single of American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on March 15, 2004, from her debut studio album, ''Here for the Party'' (2004). Wilson co-wrote the song with John Rich. It is Wilson's only number-one ...

", a number-one hit on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, ''

Here for the Party ''Here for the Party'' is the debut studio album by American country music singer Gretchen Wilson. It was released on May 11, 2004, by Epic Records Nashville. The album reached the top of the US country charts in May 2004 and number 2 on the ''B ...

''. Wilson followed this album one year later with ''

All Jacked Up ''All Jacked Up'' is the second studio album by American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on September 27, 2005, by Epic Nashville. It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 264,000 copies sold in its initial week. Th ...

'', the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, ''

One of the Boys ''One of the Boys'' is the second studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Capitol Records. She collaborated with producers Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Dave Stewart (musician and producer), Dave Stewart, Max Marti ...

'', was released in 2007. Overall, Wilson has charted 13 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, of which five have reached top ten: the number one "Redneck Woman", as well as "

" (#3, 2004), "When I Think About Cheatin'" (#4, 2004), "Homewrecker" (#2, 2005), and "

" (#8, 2005). The album ''Here for the Party'' was certified 5× multi-platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

for sales of five million copies, while ''All Jacked Up'' was certified platinum. She has sold over 8.2 million records worldwide.

Country music career

''Here for the Party''

Wilson signed with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

in 2003 and recorded ''Here for the Party'' within the year. Her first single, "Redneck Woman", was released in early 2004 and reached the top of the

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

charts and No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. This song was also the first number one country hit by a female in two years. The success of "Redneck Woman" prompted an earlier-than-planned release for ''Here for the Party'', and it debuted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' country chart. It reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and ''Billboard'' Internet album sales charts. She performed as a support artist for

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were solo ...

and

Montgomery Gentry Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John Michael Mo ...

. She released the title track to her debut album as the second single. It peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' country chart. Two other songs were released as singles, and both reached the top 10. Released in markets outside the U.S., the album hit No. 2 on the Australian country charts (behind

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier. She is the daughter of fellow musicians, Diane and Bill Chambers, and the younger sister of musician and producer, Nash Chambers. ...

) and the top 50 of the Australian charts. ''Here for the Party'' was certified 5× multi-platinum by the RIAA.

''All Jacked Up''

On September 27, 2005, Wilson released her second album, ''

'', which peaked at No. 1 on both the Top 200 and Country album charts and sold 1 million copies. The title track debuted at No. 21 on the Hot Country Songs charts, setting a record for the highest debut ever made by a female artist. This record was broken in late 2007 by

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...

's "

So Small "So Small" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Carrie Underwood. It was released in August 2007 as the first single from her 2007 album ''Carnival Ride''. Underwood co-wrote this song with Hillary Lindsey and Luke L ...

". Despite its high debut, however, "All Jacked Up" peaked at No. 8 on Hot Country Songs after only eight chart weeks. It was also used, at one time, by

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

as the opening theme for its baseball coverage. Three more singles were released from ''All Jacked Up'': "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today", "Politically Uncorrect" (a duet with

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

) and "California Girls", none of which reached Top 20 on the country charts. These latter two singles were issued on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

, due to the closure of Epic Records's Nashville division. Wilson's "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today" was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and Best Country Song. In 2006, Wilson contributed a well-received cover of

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

's "Sunday Mornin' Coming Down" on the tribute CD ''The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson''.

''One of the Boys''

On May 15, 2007, Wilson released her third album, ''One of the Boys''. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Top 200 and at No. 1 on the Country album chart. After 10 weeks, it exited the Billboard Top 200, having sold 178,220 copies at that point. "Come to Bed" (a duet with John Rich) and the title track, the first two singles released, both peaked in the 30s on the country charts, while the third and final single ("You Don't Have to Go Home") failed to reach the Top 40.

''I Got Your Country Right Here''

On July 14, 2008, Wilson released a new single, "Don't Do Me No Good". This song was intended to be the lead-off single to a fourth studio album, but it failed to reach the Top 40 and the album was delayed. It was followed in 2009 by two more singles, "The Earrings Song" and "If I Could Do It All Again," neither of which entered the charts. Wilson then issued a press release on July 28, 2009, stating that she would be parting with Sony Music Nashville. Wilson then launched Redneck Records, her own record label. "

Work Hard, Play Harder "Work Hard, Play Harder" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Gretchen Wilson. It was released in October 2009 as the lead-off single from her album, ''I Got Your Country Right Here'', which was released on March 30, ...

" was released to radio on October 26, 2009 as the first single from the label and her fourth studio album, ''

I Got Your Country Right Here ''I Got Your Country Right Here'' is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on March 30, 2010 via Redneck Records, her own label. The album's first single, " Work Hard, Play Harder", was released in Oct ...

'', was finally released on March 30, 2010. Her former label, Columbia Nashville, released her first ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' album on January 19, 2010, to finish off her recording contract. On July 31, 2008,

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...

filed a lawsuit against Wilson for copyright violation, alleging that her song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copied the Crowes song "

Jealous Again ''Jealous Again'' is a 12" EP that was the second release by American hardcore punk band Black Flag and the third-ever release on SST Records. History Although eventually released as a 12" 45 RPM extended-play, ''Jealous Again'' was initially ...

". Also included in the suit were her label

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

, her publishing company, and the cable network

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

, which had been using the song in commercials. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and Black Crowes members

Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...

and

Rich Robinson Richard Spencer Robinson (born May 24, 1969) is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band the Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 (originally called ''Mr. Crowes Garden'' ...

were given songwriting credits.

''Right on Time'', ''Under the Covers'' and ''Christmas in My Heart''

Wilson released an album of original songs titled '' Right on Time'' on April 2, 2013. It was led by the single "Still Rollin'". A collection of rock covers titled ''Under the Covers'' was released on June 4, 2013. Wilson released her first Christmas album, ''Christmas in My Heart'', on October 8, 2013.

Other ventures

Rock music

While a country singer first and foremost, Gretchen Wilson has also attracted favorable attention for her rendition of classic rock songs by

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

– a group which she sees as "one of the biggest influences on my musical career". She has appeared several times on the same stage as lead singer

Ann Wilson Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

and guitarist Nancy Wilson, once describing the experience as "beyond a dream come true". She has sung " Straight On", "

Crazy on You "Crazy on You" is a song by American rock band Heart from their debut studio album, ''Dreamboat Annie'' (1975). It was released in March 1976 as the album's third single in Canada and the album's debut single in the United States. It reached the ...

", and – most notably – "

Barracuda A barracuda, or cuda for short, is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was ...

", which she performed with

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

and Nancy Wilson on guitar at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors. She also performed, with Randy Bachman, the classic Who track "Who Are You" on the album ''Who Are You – An All Star Tribute to the Who''. She performed on

Buckcherry Buckcherry is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1995. The band released two albums, ''Buckcherry'' (1999) and ''Time Bomb'' (2001), before dissolving in 2002. Buckcherry's first album ''Buckcherry'' was DreamWorks first a ...

's single "The Feeling Never Dies" (from the album ''

Rock 'n' Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

''), which was released January 29, 2016.

Activism

Politics

Gretchen Wilson sang the National Anthem (blended with a voice-over of the Pledge of Allegiance) to a national audience at the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

on September 3, 2008, later describing this as a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience at a "historic moment." Wilson and her band also performed during a rally for

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

presidential candidate

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

and vice-presidential candidate

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

Lunken Airport Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field (Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport) is a public airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, three miles (5 km) east of Downtown Cincinnati. It is owned by the city of Cincinnati and serves private aircr ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, Ohio, on October 22, 2008, to a crowd of approximately 12,000 supporters. Palin started the rally by exclaiming that she couldn't wait to get Wilson's autograph. Wilson played a version of the

song "Barracuda" for Palin.

Charities and public service

Wilson has been active in support for children's charities, adult education, and the fight against obesity. Initiatives to date include: * (1) Raising over $1.5 million through benefit performances for children's charities, such as

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, pa ...

and the

Make-a-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqua ...

. * (2) Serving as national spokesperson for Country Bands Together, a national obesity education and counseling/support campaign sponsored by

Allergan Allergan plc is an American, Irish-domiciled pharmaceutical company that acquires, develops, manufactures and markets brand name drugs and medical devices in the areas of medical aesthetics, eye care, central nervous system, and gastroenterology. ...

. * (3) Advocacy for adult education, including testimony before Congress on the value and importance of support for adult learners. Wilson dropped out of high school while in 9th grade but gained her GED in 2008 through an adult education college.

Sports

In April 2010, Wilson released a customized version of "Work Hard, Play Harder" in honor of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

, with reworked lyrics mentioning the team and its fans. She also sponsors a women's softball team in

Pierron, Illinois Pierron is a village in Bond and Madison counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 459 at the 2020 census, down from 600 at the 2010 census. History The first post office was established at Pierron in 1870.Allan H. Keith ''Historical ...

Legal issues

On July 31, 2008, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit against Wilson for copyright violation, alleging that her song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copied the Crowes song "Jealous Again". Also included in the suit were her label Sony BMG, her publishing company, and the cable network TNT, which had been using the song in commercials. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and Black Crowes members Chris and Rich Robinson were given songwriting credits. On August 21, 2018, Wilson was arrested at

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about halfw ...

Windsor Locks, Connecticut Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxim ...

Connecticut State Police The Connecticut State Police (CSP) is a division of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Connecticut, especially in areas not served by ...

arrived at the airport after reports of a minor disturbance. Police arrested Wilson after she reportedly became belligerent during their on-tarmac interview. Wilson was charged with breach of peace and her bond was set at $1,000.

Awards

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

CMA Female Vocalist of the Year *

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

ACM Top Female Vocalist *2004 ACM Top New Artist *

CMA Horizon Award

Grammy Awards history

Discography

;Studio albums *''

'' (2004) *''

'' (2005) *''

'' (2007) *''

'' (2010) *'' Right on Time'' (2013) *''Under the Covers'' (2013) *''Ready to Get Rowdy'' (2017)

References

External links

Gretchen Wilson profile
cmt.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Gretchen 1973 births American acoustic guitarists American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American women country singers Record producers from Illinois American women singer-songwriters Columbia Records artists Grammy Award winners Singer-songwriters from Illinois Living people People from Bond County, Illinois Epic Records artists Illinois Republicans Guitarists from Illinois 21st-century American women singers Country musicians from Illinois American women record producers 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singers