Deana Carter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deana Carter
Carter in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Deana Kay Carter
Born	(1966-01-04) January 4, 1966 (age 59) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, author
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Capitol Nashville Rounder Arista Nashville Vanguard Warner Bros. Nashville/Chappel Music

Deana Kay Carter (born January 4, 1966) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She became very famous in 1996 with her first album, Did I Shave My Legs for This?. This album sold over 5 million copies in the United States.

After her first album, she released others like Everything's Gonna Be Alright (1998), I'm Just a Girl (2003), The Story of My Life (2005), and The Chain (2007). Deana Carter has released 14 singles from her albums. Three of these songs reached number one on the Billboard country music charts: "Strawberry Wine", "We Danced Anyway", and "How Do I Get There".

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Deana Carter was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father, Fred Carter, Jr., was also a singer. Even with a famous father, it was not easy for her to get a record deal.

When she was 17, she did not have much success in music. So, she went to the University of Tennessee. She studied rehabilitation therapy there. She also joined the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. During college, she sang for fun at different places on campus. She was not planning to become a professional musician then. She also worked as a bartender.

After college, she worked with patients recovering from strokes and head injuries. She found this work very rewarding. But she soon realized that music was her true passion. She decided to follow her dream of a music career.

Deana Carter has a son named Gray Hayes Hicky, born in September 2004. She married Brandon Malone in 2009, but they later separated. On July 6, 2018, she married Jim McPhail.

Deana Carter has also been a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation. Her father received a kidney transplant. She also wrote a book called Songs From the Heart.

First Big Success: Did I Shave My Legs for This?

Deana Carter's first big chance came when Willie Nelson heard one of her demo tapes. He invited her to perform at the 1994 Farm Aid VII concert. She was the only female solo artist at that show. The same tape helped her get a contract with Capitol Records that year.

In 1995, she released her first album, Did I Shave My Legs for This?, in the UK. But the record label closed soon after. In 1996, she released her first country single, "Strawberry Wine". This song became number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Did I Shave My Legs for This? was then released in North America. It was a huge success. The album reached number 2 on the U.S. Top Country Albums chart. It sold more than 5 million copies. The album also had two more number one hits: "We Danced Anyway" and "How Do I Get There".

Deana Carter also sang "Once Upon a December" for the 1997 animated movie Anastasia. A music video was made for this song. It was played on CMT.

In 1997, she was nominated for Top New Female Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Second Album and New Directions

In September 1998, Deana Carter released "Absence of the Heart". This was the first song from her second album, Everything's Gonna Be Alright. The album came out on October 20, 1998. It reached number 6 on the charts and sold enough to be certified Gold. This was less than her first album. The album had one Top 20 hit and two smaller Top 40 hits.

After her second album, she tried for several years to release new music. But she had problems with her record label. She decided to leave Capitol Records because they disagreed on her music style.

New Labels and More Music

After leaving Capitol, Deana Carter released her third album, Father Christmas, in November 2001. She then moved to Los Angeles.

In 2002, she signed with Arista Nashville. She released her first single in three years, "There's No Limit". This song became her sixth Top 20 hit, reaching number 14 in early 2003. It was the first song from her fourth album, I'm Just a Girl, released on March 18, 2003. The song "I'm Just a Girl" was also released as a single. It was a smaller Top 40 hit. After this, she left Arista Nashville.

In 2004, Deana Carter signed with Vanguard Records, an independent label. She released "One Day at a Time" in 2005. This song was from her fifth album, The Story of My Life. The album reached number 26 on the U.S. Country Albums chart. Deana Carter had more artistic freedom with this album. She wrote or co-wrote and produced all 11 songs.

Her first live album, Live in Concert, was released in 2007. It included one new song, "Angels of the Heart". All the live performances on the album were recorded in 1998.

Deana Carter's sixth album, The Chain, came out on October 9, 2007. This album featured cover songs. She recorded it as a tribute to her father. He played guitar on many of the original songs. Many tracks also featured the original artists singing with her. For example, Dolly Parton sang on "Love Is Like a Butterfly". Willie Nelson sang on "On the Road Again". The album was not very successful. It reached number 60 on the charts.

In 2008, Country Universe ranked Deana Carter at number 81 on their list of 100 Greatest Women in Country Music.

Recent Career and New Music

After releasing The Chain, Deana Carter took some time off. She wanted to spend more time with her son.

In 2010, she signed a new record deal with Warner Bros. Nashville/Chappel Music. That same year, Kenny Chesney covered "You and Tequila". Deana Carter co-wrote this song. Chesney's version became a hit, reaching number 3 in September 2011. It was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2011 CMA Awards.

Deana Carter's holiday album, Father Christmas, was re-released on December 13, 2011. This was ten years after it first came out.

In 2013, Deana Carter started her own record label, Little Nugget Records. Her seventh album, Southern Way of Life, was released on December 2, 2013. She also re-released Father Christmas through her new label in 2013.

Discography

• 1996: Did I Shave My Legs for This?
• 1998: Everything's Gonna Be Alright
• 2001: Father Christmas
• 2003: I'm Just a Girl
• 2005: The Story of My Life
• 2007: The Chain
• 2013: Southern Way of Life

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

TNN/Music City News Country Awards

Academy of Country Music Awards

Country Music Association Awards