Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973, in Pocahontas, Illinois) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party. Wilson followed this album one year later with All Jacked Up, the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, One of the Boys, was released in 2007.
Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Frances Wilson
June 26, 1973[1]
Pocahontas, Illinois, U.S.
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Singer-songwriter
Vocals, guitar
2003–present
Epic Nashville, Columbia Nashville, Redneck
Overall, Wilson has charted 13 singles on the Billboard country charts, of which five have reached top ten: the number one "Redneck Woman", as well as "Here for the Party" (#3, 2004), "When I Think About Cheatin'" (#4, 2004), "Homewrecker" (#2, 2005), and "All Jacked Up" (#8, 2005). The album Here for the Party was certified 5× multi-platinum by the RIAA for sales of five million copies, while All Jacked Up was certified platinum. She has sold over 8.2 million records worldwide.
Other ventures[edit]
Rock music[edit]
While a country singer first and foremost, Gretchen Wilson has also attracted favorable attention[7] for her rendition of classic rock songs by Heart – a group which she sees as "one of the biggest influences on my musical career".[8]
She has appeared several times on the same stage as lead singer Ann Wilson and guitarist Nancy Wilson, once describing the experience as "beyond a dream come true".[9]
She has sung "Straight On",[8] "Crazy on You", and – most notably – "Barracuda",[10] which she performed with Alice in Chains and Nancy Wilson on guitar at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors.[11] She also performed, with Randy Bachman, the classic Who track "Who Are You" on the album Who Are You – An All Star Tribute to the Who.[12] She performed on Buckcherry's single "The Feeling Never Dies" (from the album Rock 'n' Roll), which was released January 29, 2016.[13]
She has sung "Even It Up", "Rock and Roll" and "Barracuda" which she performed with Heart, Jerry Cantrell, Dave Navarro, Duff McKagan, Rufus Wainwright and Carrie Underwood at the Decades Rock Live!.
Activism[edit]
Politics[edit]
Gretchen Wilson sang the National Anthem (blended with a voice-over of the Pledge of Allegiance) to a national audience at the Republican National Convention on September 3, 2008, later describing this as a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience at a "historic moment."[14] Wilson and her band also performed during a rally for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 22, 2008, to a crowd of approximately 12,000 supporters. Palin started the rally by exclaiming that she couldn't wait to get Wilson's autograph. Wilson played a version of the Heart song "Barracuda" for Palin.[15]
Charities and public service[edit]
Wilson has been active in support for children's charities, adult education, and the fight against obesity. Initiatives to date include:
Legal issues[edit]
On July 31, 2008, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit against Wilson for copyright violation, alleging that her song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copied the Crowes song "Jealous Again". Also included in the suit were her label Sony BMG, her publishing company, and the cable network TNT, which had been using the song in commercials.[19] The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum[20] and Black Crowes members Chris and Rich Robinson were given songwriting credits.[21]
On August 21, 2018, Wilson was arrested at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Connecticut State Police arrived at the airport after reports of a minor disturbance. Police arrested Wilson after she reportedly became belligerent during their on-tarmac interview. Wilson was charged with breach of peace and her bond was set at $1,000.[22][23][24]