Tammy Wynette Graham (born February 7, 1968
) 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, ...
artist. Active as a singer and self-taught pianist since childhood, she first gained attention in her hometown before moving to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and subsequently to
Nashville, where she was signed to a recording contract with a division of
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks ...
in 1997, releasing a studio album and charting three singles on the ''
Billboard'' country music charts that year, including the No. 37-peaking "A Dozen Red Roses".
Biography
Graham was born in
Little Rock, Arkansas
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
.
She taught herself how to play the piano at an early age.
In addition to winning several local talent competitions (some while she was nine years old), she demonstrated piano playing at a music store located in a Little Rock shopping mall.
By age fourteen, Graham began billing herself as "Little Miss Jerry Lee Lewis". She had also formed a backing band, with whom she toured in both
Nashville and Las Vegas; although she recorded several demos while in Nashville, she did not attract the attention of any record labels at the time.
While still in her late teenage years, Graham found work at
Caesars Palace, where she soon became a regular;
eventually, she was discovered by Danny Morrison, who served as a manager for country singer
Joe Diffie
Joe Logan Diffie (December 28, 1958 – March 29, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. After working as a demo (music), demo singer in the mid 1980s, he signed with Epic Records' Nashville division in 1990. Between then and ...
at the time. Morrison then recommended Graham to the head of Career Records, a now-defunct division of the
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks ...
record label.
Graham was signed to a recording contract with Career in 1996, with her debut single "Tell Me Again" being released that year; it peaked at No. 63 on the ''
Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now
Hot Country Songs) charts. Her second single, "A Dozen Red Roses", became her only Top 40 hit, with a number 37 country peak and number 8
Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
peak. By April 1997, she had released her self-titled album. "Cool Water", the third and final single, reached its high point at number 59 on the country charts. Graham was later dropped from Career when the label was merged into Arista Nashville's main division, and has not recorded since.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Music videos
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Tammy
1968 births
American child singers
American country pianists
American country singer-songwriters
American women country singers
Arista Nashville artists
Singer-songwriters from Arkansas
Living people
20th-century American pianists
20th-century American women pianists
Country musicians from Arkansas
21st-century American pianists
21st-century American women pianists