Jo Dee Messina was born on August 25, 1970 in Framingham, Massachusetts. She grew up, however, in nearby Hollistan. The half Irish, half Italian singer was raised with her three siblings by their single mother who worked as a telephone operator. By the age of eight, Messina was performing in musicals. At twelve, she was listening to country music. Messina loved The Judds, Reba McEntire, and Dolly Parton. At 16 years old Messina was playing in a band consisting of herself, brother, and sister at local clubs. At 19 years old she moved to Nashville, hoping to become a star. She would participate in talent competitions, hoping to win money. At one competition, Messina caught the attention of producer Byron Gallimore. Gallimore helped the singer compile a demo tape. He also introduced the singer to country music super star, Tim McGraw. The two became great friends. One day, while backstage at a McGraw concert, Messina met McGraw’s record label, Curb, executive who then signed her.
Messina’s self-titled, debut album was released in 1996. It was co=produced by Gallimore and McGraw. The album contained two top ten hits, “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and “You’re Not In Kansas Anymore.”
Messina’s sophomore album was entitled I’m Alright. The album, which was released in 1998, did incredibly well. In fact, she became the first female country artist to have three multiple week number ones from the same album. These three singles were: “Bye Bye,” “I’m Alright,” and “Stand Beside Her.” The album’s fourth single, “Lesson In Leavin,” reached number two. In 1999, she received both ACM and CMA awards.
In 2000, Messina released Burn. This was her first album to reach number one. The single, “That’s The Way,” was the singer’s fourth number one single. Other songs that did well were “Burn,” “Downtime,” and “Bring on the Rain.” The latter was a duet with McGraw. In late 2002, she released a Christmas album entitled A Joyful Noise. The next year, with having only released three albums prior, Messina released a greatest hits album. Her next album will be released in early 2004.
Bio written by: bandhunt |
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