Jennifer Nettles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Nettles
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Nettles in November 2021
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| Birth name | Jennifer Odessa Nettles |
| Born | September 12, 1974 Douglas, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Jennifer Odessa Nettles, born on September 12, 1974, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the popular country music duo Sugarland. Before Sugarland, she was part of other bands in Atlanta.
Throughout her career, Jennifer has won many awards. These include three Grammy Awards and several Country Music Association Awards. She also won an American Music Award. She has achieved success both as a solo artist and with Sugarland.
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About Jennifer
Jennifer Nettles grew up in Douglas, Georgia, in the United States. She went to Coffee High School. Later, she studied at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.
She married Todd Van Sickle in 1998. They later divorced in 2007. On November 26, 2011, Jennifer married Justin Miller. They welcomed their son in December 2012.
Early Music Journey
Jennifer started performing at a young age. She sang at school events and in her church. She also took part in community theater plays. From 1986 to 1993, she was a member 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. She teamed up with Cory Jones. They released two albums together. In 1999, they even performed at a music festival called Lilith Fair.
After that, in 1999, Jennifer started the Jennifer Nettles Band. This band released three studio albums. They won a big music competition called "The Big Deal $100,000 Music Search."
Becoming Sugarland
In 2003, Jennifer Nettles joined with Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush. Together, they formed the country music group Sugarland. In 2006, Kristen Hall left the group. Jennifer and Kristian continued as a duo.
They released their album Enjoy the Ride in 2006. Their third album, Love on the Inside, came out in 2008. Jennifer said they wanted to create something bigger with their music. Their songs often talked about human experiences.
Sugarland was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2006. They performed at the awards show. Jennifer also presented an award to Merle Haggard.
Jennifer also sang a duet with the rock band Bon Jovi. The song was called "Who Says You Can't Go Home". It became a number-one hit on the Billboard country chart. The music video for the song won a CMT Music Award in 2006. In 2007, Jennifer and Bon Jovi won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
In December 2008, Sugarland received three more Grammy nominations. They performed at the Grammy Awards show in February 2009. They won awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group.
In January 2009, Jennifer performed at a special event for the U.S. President's inauguration. 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 long winning streak. Jennifer also received a special Milestone award.
From 2010 to 2016, Jennifer Nettles hosted the "CMA Country Christmas" show on ABC. She performed songs with her Sugarland partner Kristian Bush and other artists.
After a break where Jennifer and Kristian worked on their own music, Sugarland reunited in 2017. They announced they were making new music together. Their new song, "Still the Same", was released in December 2017.
Solo Music and Collaborations
Jennifer Nettles has also had a successful solo career. In 2009, she performed at the Kennedy Center Honors for famous musicians Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond.
In 2012, Jennifer was a judge on a TV singing competition called Duets. She judged alongside artists like Kelly Clarkson and John Legend.
In 2013, Jennifer announced she was working on her first solo album. Her first solo song, "That Girl", came out in August. Her album, also called That Girl, was released in January 2014.
She released another album called Playing with Fire in 2016. She also released a Christmas album, To Celebrate Christmas, in October 2016.
In 2018, Jennifer sang a duet with Josh Groban on his albums "Bridges" and "Bridges Live." The song was called "99 Years." In 2019, she released an EP (Extended Play) called I Can Do Hard Things.
In 2021, she released her album Always Like New. This album featured her singing classic songs from Broadway musicals.
Acting Roles
Jennifer Nettles has also become an actress. She made her acting debut in a TV movie called Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors in 2015. She played Dolly Parton's mother. She played the role again in the sequel, Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, in 2016.
In 2015, Jennifer joined the Broadway musical Chicago. She played the character Roxie Hart for a short time. In 2016, she had a role in the TV series Underground.
Since 2019, Jennifer has been in the HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones. She plays Aimee-Leigh Gemstone in flashback scenes. She also appeared in the movie Harriet in 2019, which was about the abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
In 2021, she played the lead role of Jenna in the Broadway musical Waitress. In 2023, she appeared in the film The Exorcist: Believer. She played Miranda, the mother of a young girl.
Jennifer is also set to appear in the Amazon Prime series The Bondsman in 2025.
Helping Others
Jennifer Nettles uses her fame to support many good causes. She has helped the Shalom Foundation for a long time. In 2007, she raised over $120,000 for the foundation.
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 organizations like the American Cancer Society.
After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Jennifer and Kristian Bush sang on a new version of the song "We Are the World". This was part of a project called Artists for Haiti.
In 2019, Jennifer made a statement at the Country Music Association Awards. She wore a dress with a message asking for "equal play" for female artists on country radio. In 2020, she received the first CMT Equal Play award for her work in fighting for fairness in music.
Music Releases
Jennifer Nettles has released several albums throughout her career.
Studio Albums
- The Sacred and Profane (1996) - with Soul Miner's Daughter
- Hallelujah (1998) - with Soul Miner's Daughter
- Story of Your Bones (2000) - with Jennifer Nettles Band
- Gravity: Drag Me Down (2002) - with Jennifer Nettles Band
- Rewind (2002) - with Jennifer Nettles Band
- That Girl (2014) - solo album
- Playing with Fire (2016) - solo album
- To Celebrate Christmas (2016) - solo album
- Always Like New (2021) - solo album
Extended Plays (EPs)
- I Can Do Hard Things (2019)
Live Albums
- An Acoustic Evening with Jennifer Nettles (2003)
- An Acoustic Evening with Jennifer Nettles II (2004)
Awards and Recognitions
Jennifer Nettles has received 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
- 2006: CMT Collaborative Video of the Year for "Who Says You Can't Go Home"
- 2007: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "Who Says You Can't Go Home"
- 2007: Country Music Association Awards, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo Of the Year
- 2008: Country Music Association Awards, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo Of the Year
- 2008: Academy of Country Music, Song of the Year for "Stay" (as songwriter)
- 2008: Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year for "Stay" (as songwriter)
- 2009: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group for "Stay"
- 2009: Grammy Award for Best Country Song for "Stay" (as songwriter)
- 2009: Academy of Country Music, Milestone award; Sugarland wins Vocal Duo of the Year
- 2009: Country Music Association Awards, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo Of the Year
- 2010: Country Music Association Awards, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo Of the Year
- 2011: Academy of Country Music, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo of the Year
- 2011: Country Music Association Awards, Sugarland wins Vocal Duo Of the Year
- 2020: CMT Equal Play Award from the CMT Music Awards
Film and Television Roles
Film
- 2015: Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors as Avie Lee Parton (TV movie)
- 2016: Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love as Avie Lee Parton (TV movie)
- 2019: Harriet as Eliza Brodess
- 2023: The Exorcist: Believer as Miranda
Television
- 2005: CMT Crossroads (Episode: "Bon Jovi and Sugarland")
- 2010–16: CMA Country Christmas (Host for 7 specials)
- 2012: Duets (Judge for 9 episodes)
- 2016: Underground as Charlotte (Episode: "Cradle")
- 2019–25: The Righteous Gemstones as Aimee-Leigh Gemstone (13 episodes)
- 2021–22: Go-Big Show (Panelist)
- 2023: The Masked Singer (Guest Panelist)
- 2023–24: Farmer Wants A Wife (Host)
- 2025: The Bondsman as Maryanne (8 episodes)
See also
In Spanish: Jennifer Nettles para niños
