Little LeAnn is all growed up
LeAnn Rimes is all grown up.
The little girl who sang “Blue” and captivated country radio in summer 1996 is now a 24-year-old young woman who has sold more than 37 million records worldwide.
And she’s not done yet.
Rimes plans to release “Family,” her 10th studio album Aug. 28, which is also her 25th birthday. And this record is different: For the first time, Rimes co-wrote every song on the CD.
“August 28 is my birthday, but it’s also a rebirth for me as a woman and as an artist,” Rimes says. “I feel like I finally captured the artistry. I’m not just a little girl with a voice anymore.”
Mike Curb, founder of Curb Records, agrees that Rimes has outgrown the persona that initially contributed to her popularity but says he’s enjoyed watching the process. After all, Curb signed Rimes to his record label, Curb Records, when she was just 12 years old.
“I’m just stunned she’s going to be 25,” he says. “She just grew up before our very eyes. She’s been with us half her life. She’s taken charge of her life, her career, and it’s hard to imagine her singing with more emotion than she did before, but that’s what she’s done on ‘Family.’ “
Curb says Rimes took ownership of the project from the beginning and describes it as “incredible.”
“We’re just thrilled with it,” he says. “She writes about her life and how she got to where she is.”
“Nothing Better to Do,” the first single off the record will be released to radio May 29, and the video is scheduled to premiere on CMT next week. Rimes wrote the song with her husband, Dean Sheremet, and Blair Daly and described the ditty as an autobiography of her alter ego.
“I grew up in a small backwoods kind of town in Mississippi,” she says. “Literally there was a shop across the street that only sold bait and bullets. And we kind of wrote the song about maybe what would have happened if I never got out. It’s a part of my personality that people don’t usually see. It’s fun to be able to come out through the music.”
The singer says she finds it exciting that 12 years into her career she can still keep her music fresh and constantly looks for ways to set each project apart.
“I think I’ve done something totally different than anything I’ve ever recorded,” she says. “I’m such a perfectionist and an over achiever. I always want to be my best, and I think it shines through on this record. Someone told me I sounded really confident when I talk about the record, and I am. I’ve been through highs and lows in my career, and I think the lows are what make me appreciate this album. I’ve never had this much fun writing, and I try and grow with every project. You have failures, but I use those to learn what not to do, and that leads to records like ‘Family.’ ”
The birthday bunch
Actress Jeanne Bates is 89. Actor David Groh (“Rhoda”) is 66. Actor Richard Hatch (“Battlestar Galactica”) is 62. Singer Leo Sayer is 59. Comedian Al Franken is 56. Actor Mr. T is 55. Actor Judge Reinhold is 50. Actress Lisa Edelstein of 39. Actress Fairuza Balk (“The Waterboy”) is 33. Rapper Havoc of Mobb Deep is 33. Actress Ashlie Brillault is 20. Actress Sarah Ramos is 16.