Jennifer Nettles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Nettles
Nettles in November 2021
Background information
Birth name	Jennifer Odessa Nettles
Born	(1974-09-12) September 12, 1974 (age 50) Douglas, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Country country pop Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer actress
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Mercury Nashville Big Machine Concord

Jennifer Nettles (born September 12, 1974) is a famous American singer, songwriter, actress, and music producer. She is best known as the lead singer of the popular country music duo Sugarland, which she formed with Kristian Bush.

Before Sugarland, Jennifer sang in bands like Soul Miner's Daughter. She also had a number-one country hit with the rock band Bon Jovi called "Who Says You Can't Go Home". Jennifer has won many awards, including three Grammy Awards and four Country Music Association Awards. She was also a judge on the TV show Go-Big Show.

About Jennifer's Life

Jennifer Nettles grew up in a small town called Douglas, Georgia, in the United States. She went to Coffee High School and later to Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.

Jennifer married Todd Van Sickle in 1998, but they divorced in 2007. On November 26, 2011, she married Justin Miller. They welcomed their son in December 2012.

How Jennifer Started in Music

Jennifer began singing and performing at a young age. She sang in school shows, at her church, and in local plays. From 1986 to 1993, she was part of a performing arts group called Georgia 4-H's Clovers & Company.

While studying at Agnes Scott College, Jennifer formed a group called Soul Miner's Daughter with Cory Jones. They released two albums, The Sacred and Profane (1996) and Hallelujah (1998). They even performed at the Lilith Fair music festival in 1999.

In 1999, Jennifer started the Jennifer Nettles Band. This band released three studio albums and two live albums. Her band won a big music competition called "The Big Deal $100,000 Music Search."

Jennifer and Sugarland

Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush performing together in 2009.

Sugarland performing at a county fair in 2006.

In 2003, Jennifer teamed up with Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush to create the band Sugarland. In 2006, Kristen Hall left, and Jennifer and Kristian continued as a duo. They released popular albums like Enjoy the Ride (2006) and Love on the Inside (2008).

Sugarland was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2006. Jennifer and Kristian performed at the Grammy Awards show.

Jennifer also sang a duet with the rock band Bon Jovi called "Who Says You Can't Go Home". This song became a number-one hit on the country music charts. In 2007, they won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration for this song.

In 2009, Sugarland won two Grammy Awards for their song "Stay." They won for Best Country Song and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group.

Jennifer performed at the "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration" in 2009. She sang "Shower the People" with James Taylor and John Legend.

Sugarland won the Vocal Duo of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music in 2009. This ended Brooks & Dunn's nine-year winning streak. Jennifer also received a special Milestone award.

From 2010 to 2016, Jennifer hosted the "CMA Country Christmas" TV special on ABC. She performed many Christmas songs with other artists.

After a break, Sugarland got back together in 2017. They announced new music and released the song "Still the Same" in December 2017.

Solo Music and Other Duets

In 2009, Jennifer Nettles performed at the Kennedy Center Honors for famous musicians Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond.

In 2012, Jennifer was a judge on the TV singing show Duets. Other judges included Kelly Clarkson and John Legend.

Jennifer announced in May 2013 that she would make a solo album. Her first solo song, "That Girl", came out in August. Her album, also called That Girl, was released in January 2014.

Nettles performing at the C2C festival in 2017.

In 2015, Jennifer signed with Big Machine Label Group. She went on the "Playing With Fire Tour" in 2016. She also released the song "Unlove You" from her album Playing with Fire.

In 2018, Jennifer sang with Josh Groban on his albums "Bridges" and "Bridges Live." In 2019, she released a song called "King of the City." This song tells the story of an immigrant who died during the 9/11 attack. Jennifer wanted to show the human side of immigrant stories.

Jennifer's Acting Roles

Jennifer Nettles started acting in 2015. Her first role was playing Dolly Parton's mother, Avie Lee Parton, in the TV movie Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. She played the role again in the sequel, Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, in 2016.

In February 2015, Jennifer joined the Broadway musical Chicago. She played the main character, Roxie Hart, for a short time. In 2016, she had a role in the TV series Underground.

Since 2019, Jennifer has played Aimee-Leigh Gemstone in the HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones. She also acted in the movie Harriet (2019), which was about the abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

From October to November 2021, Jennifer played the lead role of Jenna in the Broadway musical Waitress. In 2023, she appeared in the movie The Exorcist: Believer.

Jennifer's Activism

Jennifer Nettles uses her fame to help many non-profit groups. She has supported the Shalom Foundation for a long time, raising over $120,000 for them in 2007.

In 2008, she started "Common Thread." This was a series of music events where artists performed to raise money for their favorite charities. These events helped groups like the American Cancer Society and the American Liver Foundation.

After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Jennifer and Kristian Bush sang on the remake of "We Are the World" as part of Artists for Haiti.

In 2012, Jennifer walked in a fashion show called 'Heart Truth Red Dress Collection'. This show helped raise awareness about heart disease in women.

At the 2019 CMA Awards, Jennifer wore a special outfit. Her dress had a message painted on it that said, "play our records; Please and Thank You" and "equal play." This was her way of protesting that country music radio stations were not playing enough songs by female artists.

In 2020, Jennifer received the first CMT Equal Play award. This award recognized her efforts to fight for equal airtime for female artists in music.

Jennifer's Music Albums

Jennifer Nettles has released several albums throughout her career.

Studio Albums

• Soul Miner's Daughter
  • The Sacred and Profane (1996)
  • Hallelujah (1998)
• As Jennifer Nettles Band
  • Story of Your Bones (2000)
  • Gravity: Drag Me Down (2002)
  • Rewind (2002)
• As Jennifer Nettles (Solo)
  • That Girl (2014)
  • Playing with Fire (2016)
  • To Celebrate Christmas (2016)
  • Always Like New (2021)

Solo Songs (Singles)

• "That Girl" (2013)
• "Me Without You" (2014)
• "Unlove You" (2016)
• "Hey Heartbreak" (2016)
• "I Can Do Hard Things" (2019)

Awards and Recognitions

Jennifer Nettles has won many awards for her music and songwriting.

• 1999 Lilith Fair Acoustic Talent Search winner (with Soul Miner's Daughter)
• 2005 American Music Awards, Sugarland wins Favorite Breakthrough Artist
• 2006 Academy of Country Music, Sugarland wins Top New Duo or Vocal Group
• 2007 Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals ("Who Says You Can't Go Home" with Bon Jovi)
• 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Country Music Association Awards, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo Of the Year
• 2008 Academy of Country Music, Song of the Year ("Stay" - as songwriter)
• 2008 Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year ("Stay" - as songwriter)
• 2009 Grammy Award for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group ("Stay")
• 2009 Grammy Award for Best Country Song ("Stay" - as songwriter)
• 2009 Academy of Country Music, Milestone award; Sugarland wins Vocal Duo of the Year
• 2011 Academy of Country Music, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo of the Year
• 2020 CMT Equal Play Award from the CMT Music Awards

Film and TV Appearances

Jennifer Nettles has acted in several movies and TV shows.

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Nettles para niños