Mickey Guyton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mickey Guyton
Guyton performing during the launch of the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative in 2023
Born	Candace Mycale Guyton (1983-06-17) June 17, 1983 (age 42) Arlington, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2011–present
Spouse(s)	Grant Savoy (m. 2017)
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Country
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Capitol Nashville

Candace Mycale "Mickey" Guyton (born June 17, 1983) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She grew up in Texas and loved many kinds of music from a young age. Her songs mix country, pop, and R&B styles.

In 2011, Mickey Guyton moved to Nashville, Tennessee. She signed a music deal with Capitol Records Nashville. In 2015, her first mini-album, called an extended play (EP), was released. It was titled Unbreakable.

Later in 2015, Capitol Records released her first song, "Better Than You Left Me". This song reached number 34 on the US Country Airplay chart. She also received a nomination from the Academy of Country Music Awards. That same year, her second EP, Mickey Guyton, came out.

In 2020, Mickey Guyton released the song "Black Like Me". This song shared her experiences as a Black woman in country music. It became very popular and led to her first Grammy Awards nomination. She was the first Black woman to be nominated for Best Country Solo Performance. Her third EP, Bridges, was released later that year.

She then sang with Dean Brody on the song "Boys". This made her the first Black woman to have a number one hit on the Canada Country chart. Her first full album, Remember Her Name, was released in 2021.

Early Life and Music Dreams

Mickey Guyton was born in Arlington, Texas. She was the second of four children. Her family moved around Texas because of her father's job as an engineer.

Mickey started singing when she was about five years old. She often sang in church choirs. She was inspired to become a singer after seeing LeAnn Rimes sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Texas Rangers baseball game.

After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, California. She wanted to become a professional country music singer. She also went to Santa Monica College and worked different jobs to support herself. She sang backup vocals and auditioned for American Idol. Her American Idol journey ended just before the live shows.

Music Career Journey

Starting Out: 2011 to 2015

In Los Angeles, Mickey Guyton met music producer Julian Raymond. He was impressed by her voice. He introduced her to important people in the country music world. These meetings led her to move to Nashville, Tennessee in 2011.

Soon, Mickey became part of Nashville's songwriting community. In the same year, she auditioned for Mike Dungan, who was in charge of UMG Nashville. She sang a song by Patty Loveless and was signed to Capitol Records Nashville. She became the only Black female artist signed to a major country music label at that time. One of her first big performances was at the White House. She sang with famous artists like Kris Kristofferson and Darius Rucker.

Jennifer Hanson helped write Mickey Guyton's first song, "Better Than You Left Me".

As she worked on her music, Mickey was told to make her songs sound very country. Some people worried her music might not be accepted if it sounded too much like R&B. She was also asked to write only "happy" songs. These pressures made it hard for her to release music for a few years.

In 2014, Capitol Nashville released her first EP, Unbreakable. It was an acoustic album. The EP reached number 14 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.

In 2015, Capitol released her first official song, "Better Than You Left Me". Mickey wrote this song with Jennifer Hanson, Jen Schott, and Nathan Chapman. The song was played on many radio stations quickly. The Guardian newspaper noted its early success, especially since Mickey is a Black woman in a music style mostly known for white men. By July 2015, the song reached number 34 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It also did well on Canada's country chart.

In May 2015, Mickey's second EP, Mickey Guyton, was released. It included her hit song. This EP reached number 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Critics liked the EP, praising her singing and mix of music styles. Mickey also joined Brad Paisley's tour in the summer of 2015.

New Music and "Black Like Me": 2016 to 2020

In 2016, Mickey Guyton was nominated for New Female Vocalist of the Year at the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards. She also released her next song, "Heartbreak Song". This song reached number 45 on the Country Airplay chart. She continued to release songs like "Hold On" and "Sister". She also covered Patsy Cline's song "Crazy".

Mickey later shared that she was trying to make music that radio stations wanted. She decided to change her approach and write songs that truly reflected her life.

Mickey chose to write music about her experiences as a Black woman. In early 2020, she released "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?". This was followed by the song "Black Like Me". This song described her experiences with unfair treatment because of her race. Even though country radio did not play it much, it became very popular on social media and streaming services. Spotify added "Black Like Me" to their "Hot Country Playlist".

Critics praised the song. John Blake of CNN said it made listeners think about a different point of view in country music. Jewly Hight of NPR liked how Mickey blended country, gospel, and pop singing styles. The song was later nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. This Grammy nomination made Mickey the first Black female artist to be nominated in a country music category.

In 2020, Mickey Guyton became the first Black female artist to perform at the Academy of Country Music awards. Capitol then released her third EP, Bridges (2020). This EP included her two previous songs and her third 2020 song, "Heaven Down Here". Four of its six songs were "personal stories," according to Taste of Country. Bridges reached number 23 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart in September 2020.

In November 2020, she sang a duet with Canadian country singer Dean Brody called "Boys". This song reached number one on the Canada Country singles chart. This was Mickey Guyton's first number one hit, and she became the first Black woman to top the Canada Country chart.

Recent Work: 2021 to 2024

In 2021, Mickey Guyton made history again. She became the first Black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards.

She released her first full studio album called Remember Her Name in September 2021. She said the album was about her ten years living in Nashville. The songs talked about her experiences with unfair treatment and racism. The album included "Black Like Me," a new version of "Better Than You Left Me," and a cover of Beyoncé's "If I Were a Boy".

In February 2022, Mickey Guyton sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVI. In 2023, she was a coach and judge on the TV show My Kind of Country. She also announced she was working on new music with Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard. Their first song together was "Somethin' Bout You" in 2022. In 2023, Mickey announced her next radio song, "Nothing Compares to You." This song was written by Tyler Hubbard and featured vocals from Kane Brown.

Mickey Guyton performed her song "All American" at the 2024 Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024.

Capitol Records released Mickey Guyton's second studio album, House on Fire, in September 2024. The album has twelve songs, all co-written by Mickey. It also includes a duet with Kane Brown. Before the album came out, she released the title song and "My Side of the Country" as preview songs.

Musical Style and Inspirations

Mickey Guyton's music is mainly country, but it also includes other styles. Experts have noted that her 2020 music mixes country, pop, gospel, R&B, and hip hop. Mike Collar of Allmusic described her voice as "warm" and "textured." He said her sound is a mix of classic country and modern pop. Mickey herself explained that her music has pop elements but is mostly country.

She was inspired by artists like Dolly Parton, whom she met in 2017. Mickey admired how Dolly Parton was progressive and taught people to love themselves. Mickey was also greatly influenced by LeAnn Rimes and her 1996 album Blue. Rimes' music helped Mickey discover other female country singers like Patsy Cline, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, and Martina McBride. She said she was "mesmerized by big-voiced women." Mickey also looks up to BeBe & CeCe Winans and Whitney Houston as musical influences.

Personal Life

Mickey Guyton started dating lawyer Grant Savoy in 2010. They announced their engagement in November 2016. In June 2017, they got married in [[Kauaʻi, Hawaii]].

In August 2020, Mickey announced she was expecting her first child. In February 2021, she gave birth to a son named Grayson.

Discography

• Remember Her Name (2021)
• House on Fire (2024)

Film and TV Appearances

Awards and Nominations