Song:Redneck Woman
Album:Here For The Party
When Gretchen Wilson burst on to the country music scene in 2004, she caused a commotion with Redneck Woman, an anthemic song celebrating Gretchen's own working class roots. It was a monster hit. But she butted heads with Columbia Records and now records on her own label. She was born June 26, 1973 in Pocahontas, IL which is near St. Louis. Her dad left early on and she was raised by her mom in trailer parks. Gretchen dropped out of school at age 15 and started working in St. Louis clubs as a cook and sang on the side. Springfield, MO bar manager Susie Osburn went to St. Louis looking for a new house band. When she heard Gretchen sing, she signed them and Gretchen and her band remained there for two years. She moved to Nashville in 1996 and tended bar while she became a part of the songwriter's collective Musik Mafia led by John Rich of Big & Rich. She signed with Epic in 2003 and released Here For The Party in 2004. The album topped the Country Album charts and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 200. It was certified 5XPlatinum. Redneck Woman topped the Country Singles chart. She was the first female country artist to top the chart in two years. And this was at a time when country was headed in a pop direction and she went in the opposite direction. Gretchen wrote the song with John Rich and he produced it. Rich is known for helping new talent. Redneck Woman struck a chord with folks. The CD is available as a budget release. Gretchen's subsequent CDs did well but of course not as well as Here For The Party. When she butted heads with Columbia over her 2009 CD I Got Your Country Right Here, Gretchen left and released the CD on her own Redneck label. Apparently she wanted to do some country rock and Columbia didn't like it. It's done OK so the big question is will she continue with her own label or sign with a major. Here's the video for Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson with cameos by Tanya Tucker, Kid Rock and Hank Williams Jr.
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