MIRANDA LAMBERT FACTS:
Genre: Country
Hometown: Lindale, Texas
Albums: Miranda Lambert (2001); Kerosene (2005); Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007); Revolution (2009)
Awards: 4 Academy of Country Music Awards; 4 Country Music Association Awards
Hits: "Gunpowder & Lead," "White Liar," "The House That Built Me"
Other: 3rd place finisher on 2003's Nashville Star.
With a fiery personality and a touch of southern twang, Miranda Lambert burst on the scene in 2003 as a contestant on the popular reality show Nashville Star. Since then, she has become one of the most popular female country singers and has joined the ranks of superstars like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Martina McBride.
Though Lambert failed to win her season of Nashville Star in 2003 (she finished third), the Texas native still attracted the attention of record executives. Soon after the TV show ended, she signed her first record deal. Her first album, Kerosene, was released in 2004 and was an immediate success. It debuted at number one on the country charts, and the title track was a major hit that broke into the top 20. The record also contained several other popular tunes including "New Strings" and "Me and Charlie Talking."
Throughout the next couple years, Lambert toured with some of the biggest names in country music including Keith Urban and Toby Keith. With a growing fan base, Lambert released her sophomore album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, in 2007. Much like her first release, the record debuted at number and established her well-known persona as a hard nosed performer.
The album spawned a number of successful tracks, but perhaps the most popular was "Gunpowder and Lead," which tells the story of a woman who gets revenge on an abusive husband. The tune became her first top-10 hit and peaked at number 7. Powered by this track, "Famous in a Small Town" and "More Like Her," Crazy Ex-Girlfriend won album of the year at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards, and is considered to be one of the best of the decade.
Lambert's most recent album, Revolution, was released in September 2009 and earned widespread praise from critics and fans alike. Similar to her two previous albums, the recorded debuted at the top spot, making her just the third female country artist to have three albums debut at number one. Revolution included "The House That Built Me," which became her first number one single in June 2010.
Throughout 2010, Lambert performed in numerous capacities, which included appearing at Bonnaroo and headlining her own tour. She is engaged to fellow up-and-coming country singer Blake Shelton, and the two will likely be staples in the industry for years to come.