Country superstar Lee Ann Womack is set to premiere some brand new songs during a concert in Biloxi, Mississippi this month. This will be her first new material in four years.

Womack is scheduled to perform May 26 at theIP Resort & Casino in Biloxi. She’s also performing a special soundcheck for members of her fan club that will feature the debut of new songs she’s been working on in collaboration with her husband, producer Frank Liddell.

According to a statement on her fan club site, the Lee Ann Womack Social Club and Country Music Appreciation Society, her upcoming album is tentatively titled The Way I’m Living. And Womack will debut some of these songs during a special fan-club-only soundcheck party.

“I’ve been living with this music now for months, and I’m dying to let the fans hear some,” she writes on her fan club site.

Frank “knows my voice,” she continues. “He understands the things I love. He knows where I want to go in ways I can’t even say. And when we got started – from havingRandy Scruggs [son of the late banjo master Earl Scruggs] help me work up the songs on acoustic guitar – it was just a whole different process, that just kept building. We’ve got real country songs; we’ve got some Texas songs, a bit of gospel, some surprises. I’m fired up – and I think the fans will be, too.”

» wqyk.cbslocal.com

Lee Ann Womack is putting aside work on her new album Wednesday to head to Washington, D.C.  No, she's not entering politics, but Lee Ann is rubbing shoulders with some of the nation's power players.

First up, Lee Ann is slated to sing at the Centennial First Ladies Luncheon at the Washington Hilton.  The wife of Congressman Green of Texas asked Lee Ann to sing for the crowd, which will include the collected spouses of Congress, the Supreme Court, President's Cabinet and the Vice President. The event honors first lady Michelle Obama .

According to the word on the street, she and husband Frank Liddell have already started work on her first new album in four years. When you consider the quality of her albums, any time Womack releases a new album is truly an event!

Las VegasIt’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas – and cowboys! So as Lee Ann Womack heads to Las Vegas for a three night stand to coincide with the National Finals Rodeo, she figured it would also be a good time to get in the Holiday Spirit by holding the 3^rd Annual LAWS Balls Holiday Chat for all her Lee Ann Womack Social Club & Country Music Appreciation Society members.

It starts at 6 pm Pacific standard time – right before the Grammy-winning songstress takes the stage at the storied Orleans Hotel – for one hour. Attendance is free for ALL Social Club members atwww.LAWSocialClub.com -- and if you RSVP when you get there, you’re part of a very special treat from Womack herself.

“You always wannt to make these things a little special,” says the 6-time Grammy winner. “What can you do to make the fans realize how much they mean to you? And I was taking out our decorations at home a few weeks ago, and it struck me! This year, we’re not only going to decorate a tree… but everyone who asks a question or RSVPs is going to have their name on an ornament I’ve made. Then when we take the  tree down, because we’re not going to leave your balls in Vegas, we’ll send them to each of you as a special gift to remember this past year!”

Womack’s Social Club is an especially close-knit group. This year, they sold out GAC’s  CMA Fan Festival Kick-Off Breakfast at the Country Music Hall of Fame – and were treated to special breakfast cereal mugs and limited edition Lee Ann Womack Wheaties box fronts with a coupon for a free box of cereal.

 Now, some of the LAW Social Club have traveled to Vegas to attend the NFR shows. To make the night unique for them, they will also participate in a special Meet & Greet after her Dec. 3^rd  show, where they’ll get to see the tree, get their ornament, visit with the woman who sings what could be the Vegas national anthem “I May Hate Myself In The Morning” and have one last hurrah in 2011.

If you’re not a Social Club member, it’s easy. Go to www.LAWSocialClub.com and sign up. Membership is free; the community is priceless! As Womack says, “There aren’t enough places for people to come together, have fun. Talk about music and life and what’s going on. Even if we can’t always be together physically, I’d say we’ve built a pretty great group of friends out here in cyberspace – and you guys never cease to amaze me!”

Tickets are still available for a few of Womack’s shows at the Orleans. Contact the hotel’s box office. And if you can’t get there to join in the fun, sign up, sign on and join in! There are ornaments to be had, stories to be told and memories to shared.

Nashville: Lee Ann Womack – since touring with Duke Ellington’s big band – has always been a fan of making the holidays special for music lovers, families and people who embrace the magic of the season. This year, she’s found a way to expand her natural inclinations to also honor America’s Armed Forces, by taking part in the annual Holiday Notes from Home Christmas special, which was taped Oct. 6 from the Grand Ole Opryhouse.

“I’ve always loved Christmas,” says the Grammy-winning vocalist. “To me, the holidays are the most special time of the year – a time to be shared with friends and family, and this special allows us to let our troops know they’re missed, cherished and appreciated throughout the holiday season.”

Beyond airing on Christmas day on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network, “Holiday Notes from Home” will be heard throughout the holiday season – bringing the gift of love and music to the troops around the world,

“It’s hard to imagine what the armed forces lives are like so far from home,” Womack, whose won CMA Album, Single and Female Vocalist of the Year Awards and has dueted with Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson and George Strait, says. “The littlest things mean so much to them, so I hope everyone clicks the link and comes out for a night of great music to make those serving far from their loved ones know how much we all appreciated their sacrifice.

Womack, known for the hits “I Hope You Dance,” “The Fool,” “A Little Past Little Rock,” “Last Call” and “I May Hate Myelf In the Morning,” has just wrapped a year long tour with Strait and Reba McEntire – and is concentrating on bringing her kind of country to a new level of intimacy with her listeners, focusing on songs, emotion and musicianship.

“There is so much great music out there,” explains the woman who’s also the celebrity ambassador for www.JoinMyVillage.com, which – by clicking and watching short awareness-rasising videos -- provides humanitarian aid to women and children in Africa. “Any time we can come together and celebrate great songs so many people miss, especially with the wonderful band I’m blessed to work with, I think I’m helping enrich country music. Holiday Notes from Home is certainly one of those opportunities.”

NASHVILLE, TENN (June 8, 2010) -- Lee Ann Womack joined the 4^th annual GAC Fan Kick-off Breakfast, held June 8 at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in downtown Nashville. The sold out event also included performances by Laura Bell Bundy, Ashton Shepherd and David Nail followed by autograph sessions with each star.

Join My Village, a “click to commit” social change initiative, is launching the second year of its online community with a new partner: American country music singer and songwriter Lee Ann Womack. Individuals will have the power to release up to $500,000 of General Mills’ charitable dollars for economic and educational opportunities for women and girls in Malawi. The campaign is a partnership between General Mills and leading international humanitarian organization CARE.

Join My Village puts the power of General Mills’ corporate philanthropy in the hands of individuals. To unlock the dollars, users can visit www.joinmyvillage.com to learn more about girls and women in Malawi and be a part of the change in their future. Watching a video about a girl’s new opportunity to attend secondary school, reading a story of a woman starting her own business, or listening to a sample of African music from a Malawi village enables users’ ‘clicks’ to release donations from General Mills. In addition, General Mills will match all individual donations dollar for dollar, up to the $500,000 goal. Through videos, photos and frequent blog posts from Malawi, participants can follow the real impact being made every time they take an online action to “click-to-commit” General Mills’ dollars, or make their own personal donation.

“We believe that if more people are simply aware of the issues, stories, and people of Malawi – even if it’s only through watching a video or listening to a song – more positive, sustainable change can happen,” said Ellen Goldberg Luger, Vice President of General Mills Community Action.

“As a mother of two girls, I see the opportunities that education has created for my daughters’ future,” said Lee Ann Womack. “I believe that every girl in the world has unlimited potential and by supporting Join My Village I know we can provide girls with opportunities to learn, achieve and improve their future.”

Womack will appear in a public service campaign, various events and social media activities to raise awareness. Womack has also set a goal of rallying 100,000 of her fans to join the effort during her upcoming 18-city tour with George Strait and Reba McEntire next year.

Launched in September 2009, the Join My Village initiative combines General Mills’ extensive consumer reach and cause marketing expertise with CARE’s proven approaches to fighting global poverty through the empowerment of girls and women. Join My Village is an example of the organizations’ belief that if we all click, we all become more aware and we all become a part of the solution to end global poverty.

“Giving back to our communities is inherent in our company’s culture,” said Ken Powell, Chairman and CEO of General Mills. “Extending opportunities to the developing world – especially empowering women – is part of the General Mills mission of Nourishing Lives.”

“CARE is proud of our partnership with General Mills on this innovative and high impact program,” said Helene D. Gayle, President and CEO, CARE USA. “The first year of Join My Village resulted in strong support for communities in Malawi with programs that integrated girls’ education and women’s economic empowerment. Join My Village is uniquely positioned to harness the power of consumer participation and change the way people support the fight against global poverty.”

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 40 percent of the population below the poverty line. Life expectancy is 44 years of age. Only 50 percent of Malawian women are able to read and write. However, women and girls are also the greatest hope for ending global poverty. Investing in women and girls has proven to have enormous impact on families, communities and countries. In its second year, Join My Village will focus on empowering girls through education. Donations will provide secondary school scholarships to set girls on the path to a brighter future, bring female teachers to villages as much-needed role models and educational advocates for girls, and enable women to learn new business skills to contribute to their family’s income.

Join My Village is part of General Mills’ larger commitment to invest in the people of Africa for sustainable change. General Mills takes a multi-pronged investment approach to its corporate social responsibility, involving company operations, the General Mills Foundation and engaging employees at all levels.

The original motion picture soundtrack to the Screen Gems feature film, Country Strong has been released. Lee Ann Womack, along with film stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester all contribute tracks to the collection, with one song each from Hedlund and Meester. McGraw and Paltrow perform the duet “Me And Tennessee,” and Paltrow also sings three more tracks on the album.

Other artists included on the collection are Trace Adkins, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Patty Loveless, Hank Williams, Jr., and Chris Young.

The first single, at country radio now, is Paltrow’s “Country Strong,” with background vocals by Vince Gill and Patty Griffin.

In album sequence, below is a complete list of artists and songs.

1. Country Strong – Gwyneth Paltrow

2. Love Don’t Let Me Down – Chris Young And Patty Loveless

3. A Little Bit Stronger – Sara Evans

4. Chances Are – Garrett Hedlund

5. Liars Lie – Lee Ann Womack

6. She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles) – Ronnie Dunn

7. Shake That Thing – Gwyneth Paltrow

8. Thirsty – Hank Williams, Jr.

9. Give In To Me – Faith Hill

10. Timing Is Everything – Trace Adkins

11. Words I Couldn’t Say – Leighton Meester

12. Coming Home – Gwyneth Paltrow

13. Me And Tennessee – Tim McGraw And Gwyneth Paltrow

The motion picture is now playing in theatres nationwide!

LEE ANN WOMACK TO HOST 4th ANNUAL ACM HONORS
TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM IN NASHVILLE

Evening To Recognize Special Honorees From The 45th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards

Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing that country music superstar LEE ANN WOMACK will host the 4th Annual ACM HONORS, an evening dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The event will take place on Monday, September 20, 2010 at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

This is Womack’s second time hosting the event and the first time it will be held at the Ryman Auditorium, which was recognized last year at ACM Honors as Venue of the Year.

Those being honored include Special Award recipients Rod Essig, Marty Robbins, Don Schlitz, Mel Tillis, Keith Urban, Cindy Walker and the film Crazy Heart along with winners of the MBI (musician, bandleader, instrumentalist) and Industry categories, which are not presented during the live telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

“We are excited to have Lee Ann back to host Honors this year. Her appreciation and love of country music makes her a perfect fit to help the Academy pay tribute to those who have paved the way, ” said Michelle Goble, Director of Membership and Events at the Academy of Country Music.

"It is an honor to be asked again by the Academy of Country Music to be a part of the awards honoring the people who make our business work on such a core level," says 5-time ACM Award winner Lee Ann Womack. "For the artists, the songwriters, the people who bring this music to the fans, these awards recognize the exceptional contributions of the people who create the foundation for everything we do -- and any time you can recognize that kind of contribution, it is a wonderful thing to be a part of."

For more information on the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC and the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, please visit www.acmcountry.com. For information on ACM LIFTING LIVES, please visit www.acmliftinglives.org.

Lee Ann Womack Enjoys "Intimate" Shows With George Strait, Reba McEntire

She's Working on New Music With Producer Tony Brown

March 16, 2010; Written by Craig Shelburne

Lee Ann Womack

Over the winter months, Lee Ann Womack has been warming up audiences for two of her longtime musical heroes -- George Strait and Reba McEntire. Asked what separates this particular tour from the other ones out there, Womack promptly replies, "Country music," as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"I mean, there's not a lot of smoke and mirrors. There's not a lot of flash. It's music," she adds. "I have to brag on all three of the bands. I think that these three bands are the best on the road and they are kicking ass every night. It's a joy to get to hear them."

Nominated for the ACM's female vocalist of the year award, Womack is on the charts with her latest single, "There Is a God." She's also in the mixing phase of a new album, a project which finds her working with producer Tony Brown, who has produced more than a few hits with Strait and McEntire.

Prior to a meet-and-greet at a recent concert in Memphis, she found a quiet corner to talk about landing a spot on the tour, how she discovered Strait's music and what crosses her mind before she takes the stage.

CMT: This is a dream tour for you. What was your reaction when you heard that the deal came through?

Womack: Well, I was kind of surprised! I hadn't even heard that they were going to add another artist to the show, so I was a little surprised. I was on the beach in Hawaii and got a call from my agent who said, "They want you to come out." So I was thrilled.

When you lived in Texas, did you ever see George Strait or Reba on tour?

Oh, yeah ... oh yeah. Of course, I saw George many, many times. I would skip school and drive anywhere I could to see him and his band. They played great Western swing music. I liked the stuff they did that wasn't on the album as much as I did the hits. And I remember seeing Reba in college when I was going to school out in Lubbock. I saw her at the fair out there.

I know you especially like the early albums from Reba's career.

That's my favorite Reba. She knows it, too. I tell her! (laughs) Yeah, I love those [producer] Jerry Kennedy records. That's real, real country stuff. It's nostalgic to me. I remember hearing it as a child, and my parents really loved her. But just the songs that she cut ... "Somebody Should Leave," "You're the First Time I Thought About Leaving," all those things. It was country.

I bet Strait Country was a landmark album for you.

Mmm-hmm. Oh, yeah. I remember my dad coming in and handing me an album and saying, "This guy sounds just like Tommy Duncan." [Duncan was the lead vocalist for Bob Wills' Texas Playboys band.] And I knew who Tommy Duncan was because I had listened to all of my dad's records. That's a big compliment coming from my dad. He's real picky and real hard on singers, and he just loved George's voice. That's kind of where it started for me.

When you're just about to step onstage, what are you thinking about?

You know what I've found about this? There's a certain amount of intimacy in these shows, even though there's 18,000 people. The show is in the round. You walk through the crowd to get to the show, and you're not at the far end of a room. As a singer and a songwriter, I love intimate shows. It's really surprising to me that you can have this big of a room, with this many people, and still have intimacy.

How has the crowd response been for "There Is a God"?

Amazing. They love it. That's a song for the country music audience, and they really love it. It's like it's already a hit from the first time you sing the hook.

This tour is wrapping up in April. Are you heading out on tour this summer, too?

Yeah! I was just talking to my agent before soundcheck. I was making sure. ... We only get 30 minutes on these shows, so I want to come back to a lot of these cities and play. Yeah, I'll definitely be out on my own.

http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1634049/lee-ann-womack-enjoys-intimate-shows-with-george-strait-reba-mcentire.jhtml

Opening for royalty
Lee Ann Womack kicks things off in concert that includes George Strait, Reba.
by shea stewart

Excuse Lee Ann Womack if she gets a little awestruck sometimes. It happens to the best of us, even the best of us who have won two Grammys, been named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association and scored a No. 1 country hit with the crossover smash “I Hope You Dance.”

You see, Womack is the opener for a tour that includes the King of Country, Mr. George Strait, and, all apologies to Mrs. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” Kitty Wells, the reigning Queen of Country, Reba McEntire, or, as she is known now, simply Reba.

“I have been a fan of both of theirs for years, and it’s really weird to think I get to go out there and open up for them,” said Womack by phone from Nashville during a weekday break from the mostly weekend tour. “Sometimes I’ll just sit there and watch and think, ‘You know? You done pretty well girl.’

“[The tour is] going great for all of us. We are having a great time on stage and off, and I think the fans are too. It’s a great package.”

The roots of the current tour, which kicked off in January and will visit North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena on Saturday, extend back to the late spring of 2009, when Strait and Reba co-headlined an event officially opening the new, billion-dollar Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Womack filled in for Julianne Hough, who was suffering from strep throat.

“I think it went well there, and I think that’s when George decided that he wanted to take it on the road,” Womack said.

But when asked if the tour came together after Strait’s people contacted her people, Womack laughs the gracious laugh of a Southerner, and notes, Strait’s “people are my people actually. We share a lot of the same people.”

It’s mostly true. The producer of Womack’s 2008 release Call Me Crazy and as-yet-to-be-titled summer 2010 release is none other than Tony Brown, a legendary Nashville producer who has worked with Strait on every one of the singer’s albums since 1992’s soundtrack to the Pure Country movie. Womack covered the Jim Lauderdale penned “The King of Broken Hearts” on Call Me Crazy, a tune that originally appeared on the soundtrack to Pure Country. The two have traded guest appearances on each other’s albums — Womack on “Good News, Bad News” from Strait’s Somewhere Down in Texas, and Strait on “Everything But Quits” from Call Me Crazy. And both Texans are signed to MCA Nashville Records.

But while Strait is known for his tastefully done, workingman’s country, Womack, minus a brief detour into pop country with 2000’s “I Hope You Dance,” is better known for her still smoldering torch songs and “coming-into-this-bar-to-hear-a-sad-song” anthems on her seven albums, starting with her self-titled debut in 1997. She’s an artist well-versed enough on the history of country music to realize, and, even better, appreciate the fact that it is more about cheating hearts, honky tonk angels and whiskey rivers, and less about the sugary pop overload of today’s country music with its microwaved classic rock guitar hooks.

Discussing her musical roots, it’s soon easy to spot the source of Womack’s treasuring of sad country songs: She cites George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s achingly sad ’70s tunes as an influence, songs she’d hear when cleaning the house with her mother on a Saturday or helping her father out at his disc jockey job at a Jacksonville, Texas, radio station.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what draws a young child to those kinds of lyrics,” Womack said. “I loved Tammy Wynette and George Jones, and when I heard them sing, it just made me feel something. I think I was intrigued by the fact that I didn’t just hear them sing, but I felt them sing. And I knew early on that there was another dimension to an artist like that.”

Since 1997, Womack has made an extremely successful career out of making listeners actually feel her words and music. Take 2004’s “I May Hate Myself in the Morning,” from There’s More Where That Came From, a weeping pedal steel and acoustic guitar sad waltz about a woman realizing the consequences of spending the night with a man from a snuffed-out relationship.

But when pressed, Womack can’t quite finger the root of her love of the sad ones.

“Maybe it’s sort of therapy,” she said. “When you sit down to write that is what comes out. So I’m not really sure why I’m drawn to that particular kind of thing. It’s not all that I do, but it is most of what I do.”

And it’s the classic women of country music, artists such as Wynette, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, Womack is often compared to when discussing her neo-traditional country music. Still, it’s less about those particular artists, and more about the emotions they spill out while singing that drew Womack to their music and why she sings straight from the heart, either beautifully vulnerable or heartbreakingly sad.

“It needs to make you feel something,” Said Womack of a good country song (or any song for that matter). “It doesn’t just need to be something that doesn’t turn people on or off. I think the best songs people either love or hate. They have some passion about them.” It’s tunes about drunken, late-night phone calls and extinguished love affairs that has helped the 43-year-old Jacksonville, Texas, native sell more than 6 million records and score two Grammys, including a Best Vocal Collaboration (Country) for her duet with Willie Nelson on “Mendocino County Line.”

Allotted 30 minutes on a star-studded bill Saturday night, Womack will power her way through a collection of her hits, both sad and joyful, including her current single “There Is a God.”

“I’m only up there for 30 minutes so I try to get as many in there as I can,” Womack said.

And although Womack won’t get a chance to join Strait for one of their duets (“George has so many No. 1 hits that his fans want to hear those so it’s hard to get to those things that weren’t even singles,” she said.), Womack will join Reba for the singer’s “Does He Love You.”

“As I’m walking up on stage, and I hear the intro to that song I just always think I cannot believe [it],” Womack said. “In fact, a couple of nights I’ve been kind of late getting onto stage because I’m standing there with my mouth open.”

Awed? A little. But then she’ll settle into a tune about a man whose face she won’t see in the early morning light, and she’ll be right at home.

Why go see George Strait?

Because George Strait is not called the King of Country for nothing. Strait started crank-ing out country hits back when the Commodore 64 was at the top of the computing-world food chain, starting with his first No. 1 country hit “Fool Hearted Memory” in 1982. His most recent No. 1 country hit? 2008’s “River of Love.” Backed by the Ace in the Hole Band (his backing band named after another No. 1 hit), Strait will run through the hits, and nothing but the hits during a nearly two-hour set of more than 20 tunes. Also of note, Strait has been playing “Arkansas Dave,” a tune written by his son Bubba Strait from his latest release, 2009’s Twang.

P.S. Strait also holds the all-time attendance record at Verizon Arena, playing to 18,004 fans when the arena was named Alltel Arena.

Why go see Reba? George Strait has 57 No. 1 country hits; Reba has 33 No. 1 country hits, from “Can’t Even Get the Blues” to “Consider Me Gone.” Expect an hour and a half of those hits from country music’s all-time biggest female hitmaker. And for the encore? There’s a little ditty written by Bobbie Gentry that Reba is known for about an 18-year-old girl living in a rundown shack on the outskirts of New Orleans who’s not going to let her mama down. And “Fancy” was her name.

Why go see Lee Ann Womack?

Read Story.

See The Show:

As of March 1, upper-level tickets were still available for the George Strait, Reba and Lee Ann Womack country extravaganza at Verizon Arena on Saturday. Tickets are on sale at the Verizon Arena Box Office for $81.25 and $91.25, or through all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com for $93.45 and $104.75. Doors open at 6 p.m. with Womack kicking the music off at 7 p.m. followed by Reba and then Strait.

Lee Ann Womack Dishes 'Girlie' Details of Upcoming Album

Posted Feb 25th 2010 1:30PM by Beville Darden

Lee Ann Womack is busy working on the followup to her critically-acclaimed album, 'Call Me Crazy,' (which was The Boot's pick for Best Album of 2008!). And while fans wait on pins and needles to hear the new project, we asked her to give us a sneak preview of a few tracks.

"I have a good girlie song called 'Talking Behind Your Back,'" Lee Ann reveals to The Boot. "I have another one called 'You Do Until You Don't,' which is just about real life."

And the one we have heard is, of course, the album's first single, 'There Is a God.' "It basically says, 'I dare you -- just look outside and try to tell me there's not a God,'" Lee Ann explains of her new song. "There IS a God -- I see Him everywhere. That's what the song is about."

Lee Ann is currently on the road with George Strait and Reba McEntire. Click here for tour dates.

http://www.theboot.com/2010/02/25/lee-ann-womack-new-album/

Lee Ann Womack stays true to her roots
Jim Abbott SOUNDBOARD
10:25 a.m. EST, February 25, 2010

Country-pop crossovers don't come any more successful than Lee Ann Womack's signature "I Hope You Dance," a big, sentimental ballad tailor-made for spotlight dances at wedding receptions and other milestones.

Dig deeper into her music and it's apparent that there's an appreciation for the country roots exposed on her current tour with headliners Reba McEntire and George Strait, a trek that stops tonight at Amway Arena.

"When people ask me where the traditional country music is, I tell them, ‘That's the $1 million question,'" Womack says by phone during a studio break from recording tracks for her next album. "On Feb. 26, it will be in Orlando, I can tell you that."

I'd have to agree. In a universe of acts channeling the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bon Jovi, Strait is about as good as it gets. He's not much for talking — doesn't do interviews, isn't chatty on stage — but that band still makes a statement. Fiddles, steel guitars and an air-tight rhythm section make the most of the numerous classics ("Ocean Front Property," "Amarillo by Morning") as well as new songs off 2009's Twang.

Like Strait, Reba (worthy of that first-name recognition, along with Dolly Parton and only a few others) has managed to transcend fads with a combination of talent and material. For opening-act Womack, who joins McEntire on stage to assist with "Does He Love You," the opening slot turns her into a wide-eyed fan again.

"It's real country," she says. "George and Reba are professionals who have been doing this for a while. I can't believe that I'm getting to watch them every night. It's a great night of music."

With country's crossover inclinations as strong as ever, it's worth wondering whether traditional sound will be able to hold its own against the Lady Antebellums of the world.

For her part, the Texas-bred Womack has blended the necessity of mainstream appeal with an allegiance to the bluegrass styles that influenced her early career.

A demo singer and songwriter in the early 1990s in Nashville, Tenn., she had material recorded by Bill Anderson and Ricky Skaggs. In her solo career, she has put a spotlight on the considerable songwriting talents of husband-and-wife duo Buddy and Julie Miller through songs such as "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger?" and "Orphan Train."

"I just went over to Buddy's house last weekend and sang on a few things for him," Womack says. "I'm a huge fan. He has so much talent and he can pull off any style of music. I think he's one of the greatest artists that we've had in this town."

While the Millers' alt-country approach would never be confused with radio-friendly country, Womack has always aimed for the masses. Walking the line between her roots and her career is challenging, she says.

"There's a lot of good stuff that doesn't seem to quite fit into radio formats," she says. "The most difficult part of what I do is trying to have that balance between the commercial side and something I think will last forever."

Her latest single, "There is a God," is slated for her next studio album, tentatively due for summer release. The inspirational lyrics recall the uplifting message of "I Hope You Dance." If the sound is poppy, the sentiments put her in country territory, she says.

"These songs are really about the kind of things that people like me think about, so when I'm doing it, I'm doing it for the fans. There's a connection there in the way we think."

Womack is confident that the important things in her music aren't open to compromise.

"You give up a lot of things and gain some things," she says. "But in the end, you have to make music that you're proud of."

See for yourself
George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack
When:
7 tonight
Where:
Amway Arena, 600 W. Amelia St., Orlando
Cost:
$69.50-$89.50
Call:
407-839-3900
Online:
Ticketmaster.com

Lee Ann Womack stays true to her roots

Jim Abbott SOUNDBOARD

10:25 a.m. EST, February 25, 2010

Country-pop crossovers don't come any more successful than Lee Ann Womack's signature "I Hope You Dance," a big, sentimental ballad tailor-made for spotlight dances at wedding receptions and other milestones.

Dig deeper into her music and it's apparent that there's an appreciation for the country roots exposed on her current tour with headliners Reba McEntire and George Strait, a trek that stops tonight at Amway Arena.

"When people ask me where the traditional country music is, I tell them, ‘That's the $1 million question,'" Womack says by phone during a studio break from recording tracks for her next album. "On Feb. 26, it will be in Orlando, I can tell you that."

I'd have to agree. In a universe of acts channeling the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bon Jovi, Strait is about as good as it gets. He's not much for talking — doesn't do interviews, isn't chatty on stage — but that band still makes a statement. Fiddles, steel guitars and an air-tight rhythm section make the most of the numerous classics ("Ocean Front Property," "Amarillo by Morning") as well as new songs off 2009's Twang.

Like Strait, Reba (worthy of that first-name recognition, along with Dolly Parton and only a few others) has managed to transcend fads with a combination of talent and material. For opening-act Womack, who joins McEntire on stage to assist with "Does He Love You," the opening slot turns her into a wide-eyed fan again.

"It's real country," she says. "George and Reba are professionals who have been doing this for a while. I can't believe that I'm getting to watch them every night. It's a great night of music."

With country's crossover inclinations as strong as ever, it's worth wondering whether traditional sound will be able to hold its own against the Lady Antebellums of the world.

For her part, the Texas-bred Womack has blended the necessity of mainstream appeal with an allegiance to the bluegrass styles that influenced her early career.

A demo singer and songwriter in the early 1990s in Nashville, Tenn., she had material recorded by Bill Anderson and Ricky Skaggs. In her solo career, she has put a spotlight on the considerable songwriting talents of husband-and-wife duo Buddy and Julie Miller through songs such as "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger?" and "Orphan Train."

"I just went over to Buddy's house last weekend and sang on a few things for him," Womack says. "I'm a huge fan. He has so much talent and he can pull off any style of music. I think he's one of the greatest artists that we've had in this town."

While the Millers' alt-country approach would never be confused with radio-friendly country, Womack has always aimed for the masses. Walking the line between her roots and her career is challenging, she says.

"There's a lot of good stuff that doesn't seem to quite fit into radio formats," she says. "The most difficult part of what I do is trying to have that balance between the commercial side and something I think will last forever."

Her latest single, "There is a God," is slated for her next studio album, tentatively due for summer release. The inspirational lyrics recall the uplifting message of "I Hope You Dance." If the sound is poppy, the sentiments put her in country territory, she says.

"These songs are really about the kind of things that people like me think about, so when I'm doing it, I'm doing it for the fans. There's a connection there in the way we think."

Womack is confident that the important things in her music aren't open to compromise.

"You give up a lot of things and gain some things," she says. "But in the end, you have to make music that you're proud of."

See for yourself
George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack
When:
7 tonight
Where:
Amway Arena, 600 W. Amelia St., Orlando
Cost:
$69.50-$89.50
Call:
407-839-3900
Online:
Ticketmaster.com

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/os-abbott-lee-ann-womack-022610-20100225,0,7753672,full.column

Dream comes true for Lee Ann Womack
COUNTRY MUSIC: She’s touring with King George — and Reba, too

BY BRANDY McDONNELL

Published: February 19, 2010

When country singer Lee Ann Womack was asked at the last minute to open the first concert in the new Cowboys Stadium, she was thrilled not only to be part of her home state’s sports history but also to share a bill with superstars George Strait and Reba McEntire.

More Info

George Strait and Reba McEntire with guest Lee Ann Womack

?When: 7 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 6 p.m.

?Where: BOK Center, 200 S Denver, Tulsa.

?Tickets: Sold out.

?Information: (866) 726-5287 or www.bokcenter.com.

"It’s really like Texas football fans’ answer to the Vatican,” said Womack, who filled in at the June 6, 2009, show for an ill Julianne Hough. "It’s just a gorgeous building. To be there with George Strait was really a big deal. It’s a little bit of Texas history now: I got be the first act to play in that stadium.”

The Jacksonville, Texas, native never imagined that the one-off gig in the Dallas Cowboys’ new home would lead to her current job as opening act for a traveling double-bill featuring the reigning king and queen of country.

"When I was a little girl, I had dreamed of touring with George and everything. I don’t even think I dreamed big enough to think of touring with George and Reba,” she said with a laugh in a phone interview this week from her snow-blanketed home in Nashville, Tenn.

"It’s a really big deal for me just to go out there and watch Reba sing, and then the times I’ve gotten to do a duet with her, just walking up on that stage, I cannot believe I’m standing onstage with Reba McEntire.”

The tour is making a stop Saturday at Tulsa’s BOK Center, where it sold out in less than an hour. The concert set a record for the venue, marking the first time more than 18,000 tickets have been sold for one event.

The Texas "Troubadour” and the redheaded Oklahoma native got the idea to launch their super tour from the Cowboys Stadium show, said Tommy Foote, Strait’s longtime manager.

"I reminded Reba, I think it had been 15 years, maybe even longer, (since) we’d opened the Palace of Auburn Hills (in Michigan). ... Everybody was talking and joking, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to tour together,’ and then the next thing I know, we’re touring together,” he said. "It’s a great, great show. I just think Reba is just such a tremendous entertainer and singer and person. And man, I’m partial to Lee Ann; I think she’s got the best voice in music.”

When she heard two of her musical heroes would be touring together, Womack, 43, said she reacted with the same excitement country fans showed.

"I was fired up when I heard about it, just about the tour in general. And then when they called me and asked me to come be a part of it, I just couldn’t even believe it,” she said.

Womack, whose hits include "A Little Past Little Rock,” "I’ll Think of a Reason Later” and the crossover smash "I Hope You Dance,” has toured with Strait in the past. But this marks her first opportunity to tour with Reba.

"I love working with George, of course, and Reba has been awesome. I’ve really, really enjoyed getting to know her, and it’s fun. I mean, her dressing room’s like right across the hall, so we just go back and forth chitchatting,” she said.

Growing up an aspiring singer, Womack said she was inspired by both stars, particularly Strait, with whom she shares a zeal for traditional country music. She and King George have recorded a pair of duets; their latest collaboration, "Everything But Quits,” was nominated this year for a Grammy.

"When I was in high school, he was coming up really strong in the ’80s,” she said. "I just went to his shows quite a bit, listened to his records, and he was a big influence on me. And I think, too, we like a lot of the same kind of stuff. So, I think ‘like minds’ is a good term to describe us as far as music goes.”

The tour offers Womack a chance to share her signature songs and new music with huge crowds. In between dates, she is finishing a new album, due out in summer. The first single, the fervent anthem "There Is a God,” already has been released.

"Once again, there I am throwing out there what I think,” Womack, who has built a reputation not only as a country traditionalist but also a risk-taker, said with a laugh. "That’s another great thing about being on this tour ... this’ll lead right up to the record coming out.”

From now through April, Womack intends to relish every moment of traveling with the George and Reba hit parade.

"My manager says, ‘Nothing but hits, baby,’” Womack said. "From the time I start in through Reba’s show all the way through George’s show, people get to hear a lot of hits.”

http://www.newsok.com/dream-comes-true-for-lee-ann-womack/article/3440477?custom_click=lead_story_title

Womack takes us backstage with George and Reba

Cathalena E. Burch | Posted: Thursday, February 4, 2010 12:00 am | Comments

We chatted with traditional country singer Lee Ann Womack last week about being on tour with George Strait and Reba McEntire. The tour kicked off Jan. 22 in Maryland and continues weekends through April 10, including a stop Feb. 5 in Phoenix.

Womack gave us the inside scoop on what it’s like to share a stage and private moments with two stars she’s adored since long before she was one of them.

Do you get to hang out with them, spend some quality time off stage?

“We all three hung out this weekend. We’ve all known each other for a long time and we all have very similar tastes. You get the three of us in a room together … we’re going to have quite a bit of camaraderie . Also our bands all know each other. One of the guys that used to play guitar for me now plays for George. A couple of the guys in Reba’s band I’ve worked with many times.”

You’ve recorded a couple songs with Strait, including your recent single “Everything But Quits” that was up for a Grammy last Saturday. Are you going to be able to sing it with him during this tour?

“I hope so. I did come out in Reba’s show and did a song with her. And I will have a special guest during my show, but we didn’t get to do it last weekend.”

So you are really active on Twitter and you recently started the Lee Ann Womack Appreciation Society and Social Club through your Web site. Social networking seems to fit you.

“We have a blast with this thing. It is online and we do video updates from backstage. Members — it’s free to join — can log on and see the dressing room and catering and backstage. And if they’re a member and they’re at the show, they can come backstage and do a meet-and-greet with us. We have a great time with it and I think more than anything being on this George Strait tour is really going to help me promote this. And it’s very important for me. ... I think it’s going to help me boost that more than anything.”

So one last thing: You were the co-headliner of the 2009 KIIM Country Music Festival last September with fellow Texan Neal McCoy. Apparently they were tossing the headliner slot between the two of you up until the day of the show, when they put him in the hotseat. Did you know about any of this?

“I didn’t even know that. I think it was a wise choice going with the way they did.”

Artists are always nervous to follow McCoy. Are you?

“His show is, how do I describe it. You know him, he’s almost a comedian. He has a schtick that he does and I just felt that we are really focused on our little band and our own music, so I just thought it was a better way to do it. I know he puts on an amazing show and people love him.

“We grew up in the same town. In fact my dad taught Neal history in high school. So I know him pretty well and I know what I’m dealing with. It was a fun night, though.”

Click HERE to visit the full story!

Country Music Critics' Poll - The Results

Singles
8. Lee Ann Womack, "Solitary Thinkin"

Female Vocalists
5. Lee Ann Womack

The Decade In Music

Top Country Artists – Female #8

Lee Ann Womack Remembers Her First Time

Lee Ann Womack has been a country hit-making machine since the release of her self-titled debut album in March 1997. We asked the songbird where she was all those years ago, when she heard the album's first single on the radio for the first time.

"I had dreamed for years of working alongside my country music heroes. My first single was so country and featured prominent harmony vocals that I had Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White come in and sing. The first notes I heard myself sing on the radio were accompanied by their voices, and it meant the world to me.

"The song was called 'Never Again, Again' and was written by a friend of mine from back home. I was coming around a bend of I-65 in Nashville and heard the guy from the radio station talking about "this new artist that was traditional country," and I just knew he was about to play my record. So I turned it up and waited for the acapella intro. It was fitting that I was in the car by myself, as I've always enjoyed the very personal moments of accomplishment most. I think it's important to occasionally reflect on what I've done and think, 'You've done pretty well, girl!'"

Fans can catch Lee Ann in concert as she joins George Strait and Reba McEntire on tour in 2010.

Lee Ann Womack's "God" Song Makes Me Believe

By Alison Bonaguro
November 18th, 2009

I'm not an uber-traditional Catholic. I don't carry a rosary everywhere I go. I still eat meat on Fridays. And when my friend brings home a new Cadillac Escalade, I will definitely covet my neighbor's goods. But then I hear a song like Lee Ann Womack's "There Is a God," and I am so moved, I think maybe I'm more of a believer than I realized.

There have been songs before that shed light on believing, like Brooks & Dunn's "Believe," George Strait's "I Saw God Today," Dierks Bentley's "Better Believer" and "Prodigal Son's Prayer," Josh Turner's "Me and God" and Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going." But until this song came on the radio last week, I never had the feeling of faith that I have right now.

When Trent Willmon did this "There Is a God" song, it was good. But for me, there was something missing in his vocal. Womack's sweet lilting voice seems so much better suited to this story of finding proof of God everywhere around us. It literally sounds like she is in awe of Him. From the long list of reasons why we know He exists -- from 100-year-old trees to a baby's heartbeat on an ultrasound to cancer that miraculously disappears -- the message in Womack's delivery will strike a nerve with anyone who has ever had doubts about a higher power.

She even uses the bridge to denounce Darwin and his theories on evolution with "Science says it's all just circumstance/Like this whole world's just an accident/But if you want to shoot that theory down/Look around." Then she asks the simple questions of the chorus, "There is a God. How much proof do you need?"

Top Country Albums of the Decade

#2.There’s More Where That Came From (2005) – Lee Ann Womack

It was such a screwy decade for country music that going traditional was a risky career move. That Lee Ann Womack’s 2005 album got airplay at all seems a minor miracle, proof either that good songs are undeniable or, more likely, singing a graduation theme song like “I Hope You Dance” gives you license to wander a bit. Thankfully, Womack rose to the occasion, crafting an exquisite set of tough-love songs that dealt with country’s perennial themes of impossible loves and cold romantic comforts, in a style that sounded timeless in an industry that typically emphasizes timely. — Stephen M. Deusner

After the unholy success of “I Hope You Dance,” Lee Ann Womack suffered from a bit of a career slump, releasing the lukewarm Something Worth Leaving Behind in 2002. But three years later, she was back with a vengeance. There’s More Where That Came From is a record meant to recall the halcyon days of ’60s and early ’70s country music, right down to the compact disc and liner notes designed to resemble a vinyl album (it was also released as an LP for vinylthusiasts). This CMA Album of the Year (it edged out releases from Keith, Tim, and George) is chock full of excellent drinking and cheating songs, bolstered by pedal steel and fiddle and Womack’s rich, expressive voice. Lead single, “I May Hate Myself in the Morning” was her highest charting song since “Ashes By Now,” five years earlier. Womack, joined by Dean Dillon and Dale Dobson, stretches her writing muscles on the best-titled song of the decade, “Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago,” about a woman longing for the days when she “had it all, just too young to know.” Ending with a hidden solo cover of the Porter and Dolly classic “Just Someone I Used to Know,” There’s More Where That Came From is both a throwback to one of country music’s finest eras, and the beginning of Womack’s return to her traditionalist roots. — Juli Thanki

#14.Call Me Crazy – Lee Ann Womack (2008)

As one of two artists with two albums in the Top 15, it goes without saying Lee Ann Womack is one hell of a singer. She can twist and tangle words and phrases to wring out every last drop of heartache unlike any other female country singer of the decade, and that quality is on full display here. Like the many drinks consumed on the album, Call Me Crazy is a carefully measured mixture of one part stark traditionalism (of There’s More Where That Came From ilk) and one part feel-good pop, as found on I Hope You Dance. Like the title implies, that can makes for a sometimes schizophrenic collection, but Womack proves her reputation as a master stylist and interpreter of modern country music. — Karlie Justus

#66.I Hope You Dance (2000) – Lee Ann Womack

Heartland dreamers and Hallmark execs clung to the poetic title cut, but this triple-platinum wonder is truly sparked by a pair of searing songs (the Rodney Crowell-penned “Ashes By Now” and a furious cover of Buddy & Julie Miller’s “Does My Ring Burn Your Finger”) that revealed Womack as a torch-bearing goddess for tradition-laced modern country. With her lively Dolly-like soprano, she sang her ever-hurtin’ heart out about the domestic dramas of faithful, strong-willed women. — Blake Boldt

NASHVILLE SKYLINE: The Music Moments of the Decade
Songs That Have Mattered the Most -- for Good or for Bad

It seems odd to reflect, on this Thanksgiving 2009, that we are about to embark on the second decade of a new century. But it's also a good time to look back on the music of the past decade and think about the songs that have meant the most during those years.

Not necessarily the most popular songs, but the songs that captured an era, the ones that arrived in a lightning flash and a thunderbolt, the songs that signaled a shift in the audience or in the music or in both. These are songs that -- for better or for worse -- had a profound impact on the country music world. In a word, they mattered. And they still do matter. Here are 10 significant songs:

>"I Hope You Dance," Lee Ann Womack (2000) -- A bit of a greeting card song, a trifle mawkish and sappy? So what, if it makes millions of people feel good and uplifted, if only for a little while. And if it leaves a warm afterglow, so much the better. In the end, it's genuine.

>"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," Alan Jackson (2001) -- When Alan debuted this at the 2001 CMA Awards show at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House, people all around me were standing and openly weeping. The next day, I had friends around the country calling and asking me if I could get them a copy. "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" is without a doubt the most healing song in country music's -- and maybe all of popular music's -- history.

>"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," Toby Keith (2002) -- One of the music's most polarizing moments. Are we loud braggarts who think we can defeat insurgent, guerilla enemies with massive shock-and-awe shows of bombing-'em-back-to-the-stone-age? And verbal bombast? Or are we realists who intuit that it's not that simple? Me, I'm all for speaking softly and carrying a big stick and not being afraid to use it, in the right way. That goes for music as well as warfare.

>"Travelin' Soldier," Dixie Chicks (2002) -- For me, this Bruce Robison-penned song is the Chicks' best single ever. It was also their last No. 1 song, as the radio firestorm over their George Bush comments effectively began to torpedo their career. And a certain era in country music ended -- one of an adventuresome spirit in new, but tradition-based, music. Who knows what they could have accomplished if Natalie Maines had only had a little common sense. But the song remains a gem.

>"Three Wooden Crosses," Randy Travis (2003) -- This is a great song on its own, and it also proved that there is always room in country music for a traditional song that also expresses overt spirituality and faith. And it showed that such a song can still become a No. 1 hit. Thankfully, there's plenty of room in country for beer and babes and bongs, and there's also room for matters of greater import.

>"Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson (2004) -- Gretchen Wilson tapped into a vein of country music that no one else sensed was there. That vein was a growing sense of identity by an ignored and overlooked group of women country listeners. Redneck pride soared as a result, for women and then for men, as well. And gradually the term "redneck" itself began to shed the stigma that many people liked to attach to country fans -- and to Southerners, in particular.

>"Kerosene," Miranda Lambert (2005) -- Women kept rising up, now with a much stronger and more militant stance. After this flamethrower of a song, Miranda threatened to use gunpowder and lead and maybe even worse. The little sissies at online music sites were in awe of Miranda as "the most dangerous woman in country music." May she make subversive music forever.

>"Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," Trace Adkins (2005) -- I know Jamey Johnson was a co-writer, but I don't hold it against him. I respect Trace as an artist, and I don't hold it against him, either. It's a tough business climate in country music these days. But "Badonkadonk" and especially its accompanying video represent the absolute bottom for country music. And this opened the floodgates for even more vulgar songs and trashy videos and even gave skin a bad name. Everyone involved is capable of much better.

>"Tim McGraw," Taylor Swift (2006) -- The true beginning of an era. "Tim McGraw" was both Swift's calling card and her first chart entry (rising to No. 6 on the <I>Billboard</I> country chart). It also served as a call to arms for all her fellow teen sisters who had never before been noticed or taken seriously by country music. The notion of a teenager writing for other teenagers was then an alien idea. No more. This was the first salvo of a coming revolution, coming from a willowy 16-year-old guerilla fighter.

>"In Color," Jamey Johnson (2008) -- For me, and I think for a lot of other people, "In Color" marked the return and validation of serious, thoughtful, mature and lasting country music. I could sense the spirits of Jimmie Rodgers and Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings listening and nodding in affirmation. Jamey carries a lot of country with him.

Lee Ann Womack Takes Spot on That Nashville Sound's Top 50 Songs of the Decade

Okay, here’s the rules. It had to be released off an album that was released in 2009 or is off a to-be-released album. If the album came out in 2008 or before, it couldn’t be included.

#32. Lee Ann Womack--I Hope You Dance

CLICK HERE for a full list of artists and songs.

Lee Ann Womack Has One Of the Most Spun Songs Of the Decade

By Leah Greenblatt

Who wins the record-sale wars of the ’00s? The battle comes down to the Real Slim Shady, the Fab Four, and a perhaps less fab boy-band fivesome.

According to Nielsen SoundScan (via USA Today), Eminem garners the top overall prize for album sales over the last ten years with 32.2 million copies sold, despite having a five-year gap in studio albums between 2004’s Encore and this year’s Relapse.

The Beatles, however, come in a close second with 30 million, and earn the single-album ticket to ride; their greatest-hits compilation 1, released in 2000, sold 11.5 million, edging out ‘N Sync’s No Strings Attached from that same year by a mere 400,000. (The latter sold 2.4 million in its first seven days, still a SoundScan record.) Norah Jones’ 2002 debut Come Away With Me wins the bronze, taking third place with 10.5 million.

As for digital music? Shakira “Hips Don’t Lie” is the decade’s most-streamed track by nearly double numbers, with 85.3 million online plays, followed by Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You,” at 43.5 million, and Chris Brown’s “Run It!”

Cross-format rock and country rule the Aughties’ radio-play records, however; Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me” was the most spun, followed by Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” Lifehouse’s “Hanging by a Moment,” two Faith Hill songs (“Breathe,” “The Way You Love Me”), 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite,” and Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.”

Readers, who were your artists of the decade? And who did you forget even belonged to this decade? Don’t Lie.

Lee Ann Womack gets Grammy nominations

By now you know the score: Houston native Beyoncé snagged 10 Grammy nominations, including the big categories record (for "Halo"), song (for "Single Ladies [Put a Ring on It]") and album of the year for I Am ... Sasha Fierce.

With 10 Grammy nominations, Beyoncé Knowles may want to clear off some more room on her mantel. She already has 10 Grammy Awards.

Her current Grammy hopes extend into pop, R&B and rap. She and controversial rapper Kanye West vie for the best rap-singing collaboration Grammy with "Ego," a track from I Am ... Sasha Fierce. The ubiquitous Beyoncé already has 10 Grammy Awards on her mantel. She should probably make room for more.

But there are other Texans contending for Grammy Awards, which will be presented Jan. 31 at Los Angeles' Staples Center and televised live on CBS (KTVT-Channel 11). So let's take a quick look at some Lone Star Grammy competitors.

Willie Nelson: The ever-prolific Nelson, a Texas legend who has won seven Grammy Awards, enjoys three new Grammy nominations. In a duet with Dallas-raised Norah Jones, he's up for the best pop collaboration with vocals prize for "Baby, It's Cold Outside," a cut from his recent standards album, American Classic. Classic is among the contenders for best traditional pop vocal album. Finally, Willie and the Wheel, his swinging project with Austin's Asleep at the Wheel, could take home best Americana album.

Kelly Clarkson: Burleson's favorite American Idol winner delivered a lovely rendition of "Already Gone" on the recent American Music Awards. And she already has two previous Grammy Awards. But, alas, she's only nominated for one this time – best pop vocal album for All I Ever Wanted.

Lee Ann Womack: One of the last female purveyors of traditional country music – call her our modern-day Tammy Wynette – the Jacksonville, Texas, native proudly competes for best female country vocal performance for "Solitary Thinkin';" best country collaboration with vocals for "Everything But Quits," which she sings with Texan George Strait; and best country album for the stunning Call Me Crazy .

Best Albums of the 2000's

Narrowing down a decade's worth of albums into a list of just 10 is brutal business. Taking all factors into consideration: critical reception, public reaction, radio response and overall impact for the artist as well as the industry, these are the records that stood out. In a ten-year period which saw tremendous change in the musical landscape (goodbye cassette and CD, hello digital download), the artists who not only survived, but thrived, did so mostly on their own terms, distinguishing themselves even further. Ten years from now, we're betting you'll still be listening to, and talking about the discs we've chosen. The Boot presents our top ten albums of the decade.

4. Lee Ann Womack - 'There's More Where That Came From' (2005)
The blockbuster success of 'I Hope You Dance' brought Lee Ann to the attention of a whole new crop of pop fans. This lushly produced, passionately delivered gem took her back to the hardcore traditional country that brought her to the dance in the first place.

NASHVILLE SKYLINE: The Music Moments of the Decade

Songs That Have Mattered the Most -- for Good or for Bad

NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a column by CMT.com Editorial Director Chet Flippo

It seems odd to reflect, on this Thanksgiving 2009, that we are about to embark on the second decade of a new century. But it's also a good time to look back on the music of the past decade and think about the songs that have meant the most during those years.

Not necessarily the most popular songs, but the songs that captured an era, the ones that arrived in a lightning flash and a thunderbolt, the songs that signaled a shift in the audience or in the music or in both. These are songs that -- for better or for worse -- had a profound impact on the country music world. In a word, they mattered. And they still do matter. Here are 10 significant songs:

>"In Color," Jamey Johnson (2008) -- For me, and I think for a lot of other people, "In Color" marked the return and validation of serious, thoughtful, mature and lasting country music. I could sense the spirits of Jimmie Rodgers and Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings listening and nodding in affirmation. Jamey carries a lot of country with him.

>"I Hope You Dance," Lee Ann Womack (2000) -- A bit of a greeting card song, a trifle mawkish and sappy? So what, if it makes millions of people feel good and uplifted, if only for a little while. And if it leaves a warm afterglow, so much the better. In the end, it's genuine.

>"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," Alan Jackson (2001) -- When Alan debuted this at the 2001 CMA Awards show at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House, people all around me were standing and openly weeping. The next day, I had friends around the country calling and asking me if I could get them a copy. "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" is without a doubt the most healing song in country music's -- and maybe all of popular music's -- history.

>"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," Toby Keith (2002) -- One of the music's most polarizing moments. Are we loud braggarts who think we can defeat insurgent, guerilla enemies with massive shock-and-awe shows of bombing-'em-back-to-the-stone-age? And verbal bombast? Or are we realists who intuit that it's not that simple? Me, I'm all for speaking softly and carrying a big stick and not being afraid to use it, in the right way. That goes for music as well as warfare.

>"Travelin' Soldier," Dixie Chicks (2002) -- For me, this Bruce Robison-penned song is the Chicks' best single ever. It was also their last No. 1 song, as the radio firestorm over their George Bush comments effectively began to torpedo their career. And a certain era in country music ended -- one of an adventuresome spirit in new, but tradition-based, music. Who knows what they could have accomplished if Natalie Maines had only had a little common sense. But the song remains a gem.

>"Three Wooden Crosses," Randy Travis (2003) -- This is a great song on its own, and it also proved that there is always room in country music for a traditional song that also expresses overt spirituality and faith. And it showed that such a song can still become a No. 1 hit. Thankfully, there's plenty of room in country for beer and babes and bongs, and there's also room for matters of greater import.

>"Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson (2004) -- Gretchen Wilson tapped into a vein of country music that no one else sensed was there. That vein was a growing sense of identity by an ignored and overlooked group of women country listeners. Redneck pride soared as a result, for women and then for men, as well. And gradually the term "redneck" itself began to shed the stigma that many people liked to attach to country fans -- and to Southerners, in particular.

>"Kerosene," Miranda Lambert (2005) -- Women kept rising up, now with a much stronger and more militant stance. After this flamethrower of a song, Miranda threatened to use gunpowder and lead and maybe even worse. The little sissies at online music sites were in awe of Miranda as "the most dangerous woman in country music." May she make subversive music forever.

>"Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," Trace Adkins (2005) -- I know Jamey Johnson was a co-writer, but I don't hold it against him. I respect Trace as an artist, and I don't hold it against him, either. It's a tough business climate in country music these days. But "Badonkadonk" and especially its accompanying video represent the absolute bottom for country music. And this opened the floodgates for even more vulgar songs and trashy videos and even gave skin a bad name. Everyone involved is capable of much better.

>"Tim McGraw," Taylor Swift (2006) -- The true beginning of an era. "Tim McGraw" was both Swift's calling card and her first chart entry (rising to No. 6 on the <I>Billboard</I> country chart). It also served as a call to arms for all her fellow teen sisters who had never before been noticed or taken seriously by country music. The notion of a teenager writing for other teenagers was then an alien idea. No more. This was the first salvo of a coming revolution, coming from a willowy 16-year-old guerilla fighter.

Lee Ann Womack's 'God' Makes Me Believe:

I'm not an uber-traditional Catholic. I don't carry a rosary everywhere I go. I still eat meat on Fridays. And when my friend brings home a new Cadillac Escalade, I will definitely covet my neighbor's goods. But then I hear a song like Lee Ann Womack's "There Is a God," and I am so moved, I think maybe I'm more of a believer than I realized.

There have been songs before that shed light on believing, like Brooks & Dunn's "Believe," George Strait's "I Saw God Today," Dierks Bentley's "Better Believer" and "Prodigal Son's Prayer," Josh Turner's "Me and God" and Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going." But until this song came on the radio last week, I never had the feeling of faith that I have right now.

When Trent Willmon did this "There Is a God" song, it was good. But for me, there was something missing in his vocal. Womack's sweet lilting voice seems so much better suited to this story of finding proof of God everywhere around us. It literally sounds like she is in awe of Him. From the long list of reasons why we know He exists -- from 100-year-old trees to a baby's heartbeat on an ultrasound to cancer that miraculously disappears -- the message in Womack's delivery will strike a nerve with anyone who has ever had doubts about a higher power.

She even uses the bridge to denounce Darwin and his theories on evolution with "Science says it's all just circumstance/Like this whole world's just an accident/But if you want to shoot that theory down/Look around." Then she asks the simple questions of the chorus, "There is a God. How much proof do you need?"