Lori McKenna
American musician
Lori McKenna
McKenna in 2006
Birth name Lorraine Giroux Born (1968-12-22 ) December 22, 1968 (age 55) [ 1] Stoughton, Massachusetts , U.S.Genres Occupation Singer-songwriter Instruments Years active 1998–present Labels Website lorimckenna .com
Musical artist
Lorraine McKenna (née Giroux ;[ 2] born December 22, 1968) is an American folk , Americana , and country music singer-songwriter. In 2016 , she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won Best Country Song for co-writing the hit single "Girl Crush " performed by Little Big Town .[ 3] In 2017, she again won Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for writing "Humble and Kind " performed by Tim McGraw .[ 4]
McKenna along with Lady Gaga , Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey wrote the second single off the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Star Is Born called "Always Remember Us This Way .” McKenna performed backing vocals along with Lindsey and Hemby, and the song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards .
Early and personal life
McKenna was born and raised in Stoughton, Massachusetts , where she still lives today.[ 5] Her mother died when she was seven years old, a theme often touched on in her music. She met her husband, Gene McKenna, in third grade[ 2] and married him at age 19. She has five children and has been married for more than 30 years.[ 5]
McKenna first started writing lullabies to her children. Her brother, who first introduced her to the guitar, encouraged her to attend an open-mic night at the Old Vienna Kaffeehause in Westborough, Massachusetts in 1996.[ 2] The organizer heard her play and encouraged her to come back, becoming her informal manager and booking shows for her around Boston.[ 2]
Career
McKenna was managed by Gabriel Unger from 2000 to 2004. During this time, she released her first four albums under Signature Sounds and developed a folk music fan base in the Northeast.[ 6] She won awards at the Boston Music Awards ,[ 7] and performed at the Sundance Film Festival .[ 8]
In 2004, singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier introduced McKenna's album Bittertown to her Nashville friends. Upon hearing it, Faith Hill stalled her completed 2005 record Fireflies to replace tracks with covers of McKenna's songs.[ 1] [ 2] Hill and husband Tim McGraw became McKenna's champions and asked her to tour with them in 2006.[ 9] Hill took McKenna to perform with her on the Oprah Winfrey Show .[ 10] McGraw helped bring McKenna to Warner Bros. Nashville in 2007 and produced her album Unglamorous. [ 9] Following the lackluster sales, she parted ways with Warner Bros. She then signed with Universal Music Group Publishing in 2009 and independently released her next album Lorraine in 2011.[ 9]
Since then, McKenna has become "one of the industry’s most in-demand songwriters."[ 11] She has written songs for artists including Sara Evans , Reba McEntire , Tim McGraw , Carrie Underwood , and Keith Urban .[ 10] She wrote 10 songs that made it to the Billboard Hot Country list, including Hunter Hayes ' "I Want Crazy ", Faith Hill's "Stealing Kisses ", Tim McGraw's "Humble and Kind "; and Little Big Town 's "Your Side of the Bed", "Sober", and "Girl Crush."[ 12]
McKenna writes solo and co-writes with songwriters Hillary Lindsay and Liz Rose . The group wrote the song "Girl Crush ", and it became a hit for the band Little Big Town .[ 9] The song received Grammy nominations for both Song of the Year and Best Country Song , winning the latter in 2016.[ 3] The song was nominated for Song of the Year Song at the Academy of Country Music Awards ,[ 13] and won Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards .[ 14]
McKenna won another Grammy the next year for Best Country Song for "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw.[ 15] McKenna wrote the song as "lullaby, guidebook, and tribute" to her five children.[ 9] The song was named Song of the Year at the 2016 CMA Awards [ 9] and won favorite country song at the American Music Awards the same year.[ 4] In 2017, "Humble and Kind" was nominated for Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year at the ACM Awards . McKenna was named Songwriter of the Year at the ACM's that same year.[ 16]
McKenna has received critical acclaim for her album The Bird and the Rifle . The album was produced by Dave Cobb and nominated for Best Americana Album at the 59th annual Grammy Awards , and the single "Wreck You" was nominated for Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance .[ 17] McKenna was nominated for the 2017 Americana Music Awards Artist of the Year .[ 18] Her 10th studio album, The Tree , was produced by Dave Cobb and released in summer 2018 through Thirty Tiger Records.[ 19]
In 2015, McKenna was signed to a management and publishing deal with Creative Nation, a Nashville-based company owned and operated by songwriter Luke Laird and his wife Beth.[ 9] On September 25, 2018, McKenna signed a publishing deal with Creative Nation for a three-year deal.
In 2020, McKenna released her eleventh album, The Balladeer , through CN Records and Thirty Tigers . Music critic Robert Christgau hailed it as "the most consistently top-notch album of her late-blooming career".[ 20]
In 2020, McKenna co-wrote "A Beautiful Noise " with 7 other female writers - Alicia Keys , Brandi Carlile , Brandy Clark , Hillary Lindsey , Ruby Amanfu , Hailey Whitters and Linda Perry - and the song was performed by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile with the purpose of inspiring American voters to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election. [ 21]
In 2021, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her second re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version) , including a song called "I Bet You Think About Me " featuring Chris Stapleton . The song was written by Swift and McKenna in 2011.
Discography
Studio albums
Songwriting
Awards and nominations
References
^ a b "Lori McKenna biography" . Allmusic . Retrieved 19 May 2018 .
^ a b c d e Helman, Scott (March 11, 2012). "Stoughton's Lori McKenna is Writing her Heart Out" . Boston Globe .
^ a b Barbuto, Dana (February 16, 2016). "Stoughton's Lori McKenna Wins Grammy Award" . Wicked Local - Winchester Star .
^ a b Finan, Eileen (November 2, 2016). "Watch 'Humble & Kind' Songwriter Lori McKenna Sing the CMA-Winning Tim McGraw Hit She Wrote" . People.com .
^ a b "Lori McKenna, a Yankee at Home in Country Music's Capital" . CBS News . February 12, 2017.
^ Gleason, Holly (August 31, 2007). "Lori McKenna: Dreams of an Everyday Housewife" . No Depression: The Journal of Roots Music . Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018 .
^ "Boston Music Awards 07" . www.bostonmusicawards07.com . Retrieved 2018-08-20 .
^ "2005 Sundance Film Festival - ASCAP Music Cafe with Anna Nalick, Lori McKenna, Los Pinguos, Suzanne Vega and Ricki Lee Jones" . Getty Images (in Dutch). Retrieved 2018-08-20 .
^ a b c d e f g Rodman, Sarah (September 19, 2016). "Lori McKenna Stays Humble about Success, Nominations" . LA Times .
^ a b Kruse, Carolyn (February 6, 2016). "Get to Know: The Hometown Girl behind "Girl Crush," Lori McKenna" . Country 102.5 . Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018 .
^ "Three Women and the Truth" . Adelphi University Performing Arts Center . 12 June 2023.
^ Trust, Gary (April 12, 2016). "Lori McKenna Brings the Solo Songwriter Back to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs" . Billboard .
^ a b Takeda, Allison (April 3, 2016). "ACM Awards 2016: Nominees and Winners List!" . Us Weekly . Retrieved April 4, 2016 .
^ a b Stefano, Angela (November 3, 2016). "2016 CMA Awards Winners — Full List" . The Boot . Retrieved April 2, 2017 .
^ Thanki, Juli (February 12, 2017). "Grammys: Lori McKenna Wins Best Country Song" . Tennessean .
^ a b Hautman, Nicholas (April 2, 2017). "ACM Awards 2017: Complete List of Nominees and Winners" . Us Weekly . Retrieved April 2, 2017 .
^ a b "Grammy Awards 2017: See the Full Winners List" . Billboard . 12 February 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017 .
^ a b Stefano, Angela (May 9, 2017). "2017 Americana Music Awards Nominees — Full List" . The Boot . Retrieved May 9, 2017 .
^ McKenna, Britney (July 12, 2018). "Lori McKenna's 'The Tree' Documents What Happens Between Life" . NPR .
^ Christgau, Robert (August 12, 2020). "Consumer Guide: August, 2020" . And It Don't Stop . Substack . Retrieved August 12, 2020 .
^ "Watch Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile premiere new song 'A Beautiful Noise' | NME" . NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News . 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2020-12-27 .
^ "Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums" . Billboard . Retrieved February 3, 2011 .
^ "Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200" . Billboard . Retrieved February 3, 2011 .
^ "Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums" . Billboard . Retrieved February 3, 2011 .
^ "Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Folk Albums" . Billboard . Retrieved February 3, 2011 .
^ "Lori McKenna Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums" . Billboard . Retrieved February 3, 2011 .
^ "Paper Wings and Halo " . Allmusic . Retrieved 9 December 2018 .
^ "The Kitchen Tapes " . Allmusic . Retrieved 9 December 2018 .
^ Bjorke, Matt (August 29, 2016). "Top 10 Country Album Sales Chart: August 29, 2016" . Roughstock .
^ Bjorke, Matt (August 15, 2018). "The Top 10 Country Albums: August 14, 2018" . Roughstock . Retrieved August 16, 2018 .
^ "Hit Songwriter Lori McKenna Celebrates Life in New Album '1988' " . 12 May 2023.
^ "Lori McKenna credits" . Allmusic . Retrieved 9 December 2018 .
^ Betts, Stephen L. (2016-09-13). "Hear LeAnn Rimes' Vulnerable New Song 'How to Kiss a Boy' " . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2019-03-26 .
^ Stefano, Angela (November 5, 2015). "2015 CMA Awards Winners — Complete List" . The Boot . Retrieved April 2, 2017 .
^ Cadden, Mary (February 16, 2016). "List: Who won what at the 58th annual Grammys" . USA Today . Retrieved February 16, 2016 .
External links
Studio albums Notable Songs
1967−1970 1971-1980 1981-1990 1991-2000 2001-2010
"Murder on Music Row " - Larry Cordle , Larry Shell (2001)
"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) " - Alan Jackson (2002)
"Three Wooden Crosses " - Doug Johnson , Kim Williams (2003)
"Live Like You Were Dying " - Tim Nichols , Craig Wiseman (2004)
"Whiskey Lullaby " - Bill Anderson , Jon Randall (2005)
"Believe " - Ronnie Dunn , Craig Wiseman (2006)
"Give It Away " - Bill Anderson , Buddy Cannon , Jamey Johnson (2007)
"Stay " - Jennifer Nettles (2008)
"In Color " - Jamey Johnson , Lee Thomas Miller , James Otto (2009)
"The House That Built Me " - Tom Douglas , Allen Shamblin (2010)
2011-2020
"If I Die Young " - Kimberly Perry (2011)
"Over You " - Miranda Lambert , Blake Shelton (2012)
"I Drive Your Truck " - Jessi Alexander , Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary (2013)
"Follow Your Arrow " - Brandy Clark , Shane McAnally , Kacey Musgraves (2014)
"Girl Crush " - Hillary Lindsey , Lori McKenna , Liz Rose (2015)
"Humble and Kind " - Lori McKenna (2016)
"Better Man " - Taylor Swift (2017)
"Broken Halos " - Mike Henderson , Chris Stapleton (2018)
"Beautiful Crazy " - Luke Combs , Wyatt Durrette , Robert Williford (2019)
2021-2030
International National Artists