American musician
Lori McKenna
|
---|
McKenna in 2006
|
|
Birth name
| Lorraine Giroux
|
---|
Born
| (
1968-12-22
)
December 22, 1968
(age 55)
[1]
Stoughton, Massachusetts
, U.S.
|
---|
Genres
| |
---|
Occupation(s)
| Singer-songwriter
|
---|
Instrument(s)
| |
---|
Years active
| 1998?present
|
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Labels
| |
---|
|
Website
| lorimckenna
.com
|
---|
Musical artist
Lorraine McKenna
(
nee
Giroux
;
[2]
born December 22, 1968) is an American
folk
,
Americana
, and
country music
singer-songwriter. In
2016
, she was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
and won
Best Country Song
for co-writing the hit single "
Girl Crush
" performed by
Little Big Town
.
[3]
In 2017, she again won
Best Country Song
at the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
for writing "
Humble and Kind
" performed by
Tim McGraw
.
[4]
McKenna along with
Lady Gaga
,
Natalie Hemby
and
Hillary Lindsey
wrote the second single off the soundtrack to the 2018 film
A Star Is Born
called "
Always Remember Us This Way
.” McKenna performed backing vocals along with Lindsey and Hemby, and the song received a nomination for
Song of the Year
at the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
.
Early and personal life
[
edit
]
McKenna was born and raised in
Stoughton, Massachusetts
, where she still lives today.
[5]
Her mother died when she was seven years old, a theme often touched on in her music. She met her husband, Gene McKenna, in third grade
[2]
and married him at age 19. She has five children and has been married for more than 30 years.
[5]
McKenna first started writing lullabies to her children. Her brother, who first introduced her to the guitar, encouraged her to attend an open-mic night at the Old Vienna Kaffeehause in
Westborough, Massachusetts
in 1996.
[2]
The organizer heard her play and encouraged her to come back, becoming her informal manager and booking shows for her around Boston.
[2]
Career
[
edit
]
McKenna was managed by Gabriel Unger from 2000 to 2004. During this time, she released her first four albums under
Signature Sounds
and developed a folk music fan base in the Northeast.
[6]
She won awards at the
Boston Music Awards
,
[7]
and performed at the
Sundance Film Festival
.
[8]
In 2004, singer-songwriter
Mary Gauthier
introduced McKenna's album
Bittertown
to her Nashville friends. Upon hearing it,
Faith Hill
stalled her completed 2005 record
Fireflies
to replace tracks with covers of McKenna's songs.
[1]
[2]
Hill and husband
Tim McGraw
became McKenna's champions and asked her to tour with them in 2006.
[9]
Hill took McKenna to perform with her on the
Oprah Winfrey Show
.
[10]
McGraw helped bring McKenna to
Warner Bros. Nashville
in 2007 and produced her album
Unglamorous.
[9]
Following the lackluster sales, she parted ways with Warner Bros. She then signed with
Universal Music Group Publishing
in 2009 and independently released her next album
Lorraine
in 2011.
[9]
Since then, McKenna has become "one of the industry’s most in-demand songwriters."
[11]
She has written songs for artists including
Sara Evans
,
Reba McEntire
,
Tim McGraw
,
Carrie Underwood
, and
Keith Urban
.
[10]
She wrote 10 songs that made it to the Billboard Hot Country list, including
Hunter Hayes
' "
I Want Crazy
", Faith Hill's "
Stealing Kisses
", Tim McGraw's "
Humble and Kind
"; and
Little Big Town
's "Your Side of the Bed", "Sober", and "Girl Crush."
[12]
McKenna writes solo and co-writes with songwriters
Hillary Lindsay
and
Liz Rose
. The group wrote the song "
Girl Crush
", and it became a hit for the band
Little Big Town
.
[9]
The song received Grammy nominations for both
Song of the Year
and
Best Country Song
, winning the latter in 2016.
[3]
The song was nominated for Song of the Year Song at the
Academy of Country Music Awards
,
[13]
and won Song of the Year at the
Country Music Association Awards
.
[14]
McKenna won another Grammy the next year for Best Country Song for "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw.
[15]
McKenna wrote the song as "lullaby, guidebook, and tribute" to her five children.
[9]
The song was named Song of the Year at the 2016
CMA Awards
[9]
and won favorite country song at the
American Music Awards
the same year.
[4]
In 2017, "Humble and Kind" was nominated for Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year at the
ACM Awards
. McKenna was named Songwriter of the Year at the ACM's that same year.
[16]
McKenna has received critical acclaim for her album
The Bird and the Rifle
. The album was produced by
Dave Cobb
and nominated for
Best Americana Album
at the
59th annual Grammy Awards
, and the single "Wreck You" was nominated for
Best American Roots Song
and
Best American Roots Performance
.
[17]
McKenna was nominated for the 2017
Americana Music Awards Artist of the Year
.
[18]
Her 10th studio album,
The Tree
, was produced by
Dave Cobb
and released in summer 2018 through Thirty Tiger Records.
[19]
In 2015, McKenna was signed to a management and publishing deal with Creative Nation, a Nashville-based company owned and operated by songwriter Luke Laird and his wife Beth.
[9]
On September 25, 2018, McKenna signed a publishing deal with Creative Nation for a three-year deal.
In 2020, McKenna released her eleventh album,
The Balladeer
, through CN Records and
Thirty Tigers
. Music critic
Robert Christgau
hailed it as "the most consistently top-notch album of her late-blooming career".
[20]
In 2020, McKenna co-wrote "
A Beautiful Noise
" with 7 other female writers -
Alicia Keys
,
Brandi Carlile
,
Brandy Clark
,
Hillary Lindsey
,
Ruby Amanfu
,
Hailey Whitters
and
Linda Perry
- and the song was performed by
Alicia Keys
and
Brandi Carlile
with the purpose of inspiring American voters to vote in the
2020 Presidential Election.
[21]
In 2021, singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift
released her second re-recorded album
Red (Taylor's Version)
, including a song called "
I Bet You Think About Me
" featuring
Chris Stapleton
. The song was written by Swift and McKenna in 2011.
Discography
[
edit
]
Studio albums
[
edit
]
Songwriting
[
edit
]
Awards and nominations
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Lori McKenna biography"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
19 May
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Helman, Scott (March 11, 2012).
"Stoughton's Lori McKenna is Writing her Heart Out"
.
Boston Globe
.
- ^
a
b
Barbuto, Dana (February 16, 2016).
"Stoughton's Lori McKenna Wins Grammy Award"
.
Wicked Local - Winchester Star
.
- ^
a
b
Finan, Eileen (November 2, 2016).
"Watch 'Humble & Kind' Songwriter Lori McKenna Sing the CMA-Winning Tim McGraw Hit She Wrote"
.
People.com
.
- ^
a
b
"Lori McKenna, a Yankee at Home in Country Music's Capital"
.
CBS News
. February 12, 2017.
- ^
Gleason, Holly (August 31, 2007).
"Lori McKenna: Dreams of an Everyday Housewife"
.
No Depression: The Journal of Roots Music
. Archived from
the original
on August 20, 2018
. Retrieved
August 20,
2018
.
- ^
"Boston Music Awards 07"
.
www.bostonmusicawards07.com
. Retrieved
2018-08-20
.
- ^
"2005 Sundance Film Festival - ASCAP Music Cafe with Anna Nalick, Lori McKenna, Los Pinguos, Suzanne Vega and Ricki Lee Jones"
.
Getty Images
(in Dutch)
. Retrieved
2018-08-20
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Rodman, Sarah (September 19, 2016).
"Lori McKenna Stays Humble about Success, Nominations"
.
LA Times
.
- ^
a
b
Kruse, Carolyn (February 6, 2016).
"Get to Know: The Hometown Girl behind "Girl Crush," Lori McKenna"
.
Country 102.5
. Archived from
the original
on August 21, 2018
. Retrieved
August 20,
2018
.
- ^
"Three Women and the Truth"
.
Adelphi University Performing Arts Center
. 12 June 2023.
- ^
Trust, Gary (April 12, 2016).
"Lori McKenna Brings the Solo Songwriter Back to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
a
b
Takeda, Allison (April 3, 2016).
"ACM Awards 2016: Nominees and Winners List!"
.
Us Weekly
. Retrieved
April 4,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Stefano, Angela (November 3, 2016).
"2016 CMA Awards Winners ? Full List"
.
The Boot
. Retrieved
April 2,
2017
.
- ^
Thanki, Juli (February 12, 2017).
"Grammys: Lori McKenna Wins Best Country Song"
.
Tennessean
.
- ^
a
b
Hautman, Nicholas (April 2, 2017).
"ACM Awards 2017: Complete List of Nominees and Winners"
.
Us Weekly
. Retrieved
April 2,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Grammy Awards 2017: See the Full Winners List"
.
Billboard
. 12 February 2017
. Retrieved
February 12,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Stefano, Angela (May 9, 2017).
"2017 Americana Music Awards Nominees ? Full List"
.
The Boot
. Retrieved
May 9,
2017
.
- ^
McKenna, Britney (July 12, 2018).
"Lori McKenna's 'The Tree' Documents What Happens Between Life"
.
NPR
.
- ^
Christgau, Robert
(August 12, 2020).
"Consumer Guide: August, 2020"
.
And It Don't Stop
.
Substack
. Retrieved
August 12,
2020
.
- ^
"Watch Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile premiere new song 'A Beautiful Noise' | NME"
.
NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News
. 2020-10-30
. Retrieved
2020-12-27
.
- ^
"Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
February 3,
2011
.
- ^
"Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
February 3,
2011
.
- ^
"Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
February 3,
2011
.
- ^
"Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Folk Albums"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
February 3,
2011
.
- ^
"Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
February 3,
2011
.
- ^
"
Paper Wings and Halo
"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
9 December
2018
.
- ^
"
The Kitchen Tapes
"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
9 December
2018
.
- ^
Bjorke, Matt (August 29, 2016).
"Top 10 Country Album Sales Chart: August 29, 2016"
.
Roughstock
.
- ^
Bjorke, Matt (August 15, 2018).
"The Top 10 Country Albums: August 14, 2018"
.
Roughstock
. Retrieved
August 16,
2018
.
- ^
"Hit Songwriter Lori McKenna Celebrates Life in New Album '1988'
"
. 12 May 2023.
- ^
"Lori McKenna credits"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
9 December
2018
.
- ^
Betts, Stephen L. (2016-09-13).
"Hear LeAnn Rimes' Vulnerable New Song 'How to Kiss a Boy'
"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
2019-03-26
.
- ^
Stefano, Angela (November 5, 2015).
"2015 CMA Awards Winners ? Complete List"
.
The Boot
. Retrieved
April 2,
2017
.
- ^
Cadden, Mary (February 16, 2016).
"List: Who won what at the 58th annual Grammys"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
February 16,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Studio albums
| |
---|
Notable Songs
| |
---|
|
---|
1967?1970
| |
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1971-1980
| |
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1981-1990
| |
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1991-2000
| |
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2001-2010
|
- "
Murder on Music Row
" -
Larry Cordle
, Larry Shell (2001)
- "
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)
" -
Alan Jackson
(2002)
- "
Three Wooden Crosses
" -
Doug Johnson
,
Kim Williams
(2003)
- "
Live Like You Were Dying
" -
Tim Nichols
,
Craig Wiseman
(2004)
- "
Whiskey Lullaby
" -
Bill Anderson
,
Jon Randall
(2005)
- "
Believe
" -
Ronnie Dunn
,
Craig Wiseman
(2006)
- "
Give It Away
" -
Bill Anderson
,
Buddy Cannon
,
Jamey Johnson
(2007)
- "
Stay
" -
Jennifer Nettles
(2008)
- "
In Color
" -
Jamey Johnson
,
Lee Thomas Miller
,
James Otto
(2009)
- "
The House That Built Me
" -
Tom Douglas
,
Allen Shamblin
(2010)
|
---|
2011-2020
|
- "
If I Die Young
" -
Kimberly Perry
(2011)
- "
Over You
" -
Miranda Lambert
,
Blake Shelton
(2012)
- "
I Drive Your Truck
" -
Jessi Alexander
, Connie Harrington,
Jimmy Yeary
(2013)
- "
Follow Your Arrow
" -
Brandy Clark
,
Shane McAnally
,
Kacey Musgraves
(2014)
- "
Girl Crush
" -
Hillary Lindsey
,
Lori McKenna
,
Liz Rose
(2015)
- "
Humble and Kind
" -
Lori McKenna
(2016)
- "
Better Man
" -
Taylor Swift
(2017)
- "
Broken Halos
" -
Mike Henderson
,
Chris Stapleton
(2018)
- "
Beautiful Crazy
" -
Luke Combs
,
Wyatt Durrette
, Robert Williford (2019)
|
---|
2021-2030
| |
---|
|
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International
| |
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National
| |
---|
Artists
| |
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