Country Stars Central recently caught up wtih LeAnn to discuss her latest album “Lady & Gentlemen”

(CSC) 1. Congrats on the new record! Please tell us about “Lady & Gentlemen” and reasoning for the amount of time since the last release.

 

Thank you very much! No reason really on my part, this album was meant to come out last year and it kind of spiraled into really wanting to make sure it was the right time and the right moment and getting on the same page as the label. There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that I think a lot of people don’t see.

Sometimes we as an artist and managers have an idea of what we want and they have an idea of what they want, not that it is always a negative thing but sometimes it just doesn’t match. I think it’s because we just weren’t on the same page at the same time. I’m just excited that it’s finally out; it is very surreal for me. I say this every time but I think I’m proud of this record more than I was the last and I hope I can continue to say that because I’m growing as a woman and as an artist, and every time there’s a new adventure and a new creative process to fulfill.

 

With the concept being that these original songs were originally recorded by men but not from a woman’s perspective, I think a lot of people sometimes cringe when they think of an artist doing a covers record but with Vince Gill producing it and Darrell Brown being a huge part of the production, including myself, we are really kind of creating a story and a film almost I feel like on an album to listen to. These are genius songs that were huge hits and now from a woman’s perspective and a lot of them have never been performed by a woman before. It takes on a whole different connotation, I think the arrangements are genius, I think we pushed the envelope in a lot of things, I believe we paid homage to the originals on a lot of things and the people that grew up with these songs will forever love them I hope and the people that never heard these songs will bring them to a new generation of kids. 

The show, at Joe's Bar in Chicago, was a fundraiser for the Academy of Country Music's Lifting Lives charity which helps improve lives through music.  Nights like this one help fund groups and programs that are music-focused.

Nashville, TN – (July 19, 2011) – GRAMMY® Award-winning, multi-platinum artist LeAnn Rimes breathes new life into country classics originally performed by male recording artists by reinterpreting each song on her forthcoming new album Lady & Gentlemen due out September 27, 2011 on Curb Records.

LeAnn conceived of this concept album in which she covers country greats such as Waylon Jennings, George Jones and Merle Haggard, among others as an opportunity to give a woman’s perspective for each song. The entire album has been rearranged and reinterpreted by LeAnn. 20-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Vince Gill, Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, Rascall Flatts) and LeAnn Rimes executive produced the album. Other producers on the album include Justin Niebank and John Hobbs.

“This album was born out of the memories of when I first fell in love with country music and in reflecting, I realized that almost all of my favorite country songs from back then were sung by men,” says LeAnn of the album. “I am honored to take a step back in time and sing these songs from a woman’s perspective and hopefully help reintroduce them to a new audience.”

LeAnn first gave a taste of Lady & Gentlemen last year with the release of the remake of “Swingin’,” one of LeAnn’s favorite songs as a child, originally performed by John Anderson in 1983. The song earned LeAnn a 2011 GRAMMY® nomination for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance.”

There will be several bonus tracks on Lady & Gentlemen, including as a special thank you to fans, LeAnn remaking her signature song “Blue” 15 years after it was released. “I have been performing the song for years, it’s become a classic that people love just as much as I do, so it felt natural to remake the song for this album that covers country classics,” says LeAnn.  

Additionally, the album will feature two original new songs as bonus tracks, including her current radio single “Give.” The soaring, moving ballad showcases LeAnn’s signature voice wrapped around powerful and positive lyrics.  To hear the song, which is currently at radio and available digitally, visit LeAnnRimesWorld.com.  “’Give’ is a powerful song with a message that I believe needs to be shared with the world, especially in these times of today,” LeAnn says. “I'm so honored to sing this song and help spread that message.” Also included on the album is “Crazy Women,” a fun, up-tempo song about how love drives everyone crazy sometimes.  

LeAnn Rimes has sold more than 40 million albums, won two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards and 12 Billboard Music Awards.  Rimes is the youngest recipient of a Grammy Award, and was also the first country recording artist to win in the “Best New Artist” category.  Rimes has placed 42 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 13 of which are top-10 hits, and has scored numerous hit singles in her career, including “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” which went #1 in 11 countries, and “How Do I Live,” which  is the second longest charting song ever on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Leann Rimes, along with Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood appeared on November 14th’s 'Extreme Makeover Home Edition' in Nashville, when they went to Music City to help the Sweatt family rebuild Lighthouse Preschool.

On May 1, 2010, Nashville, Tennessee got hit with a terrible flood where people’s homes and neighborhoods were devastated by over 20 inches of rain in less than two days.  

Brian and Barbara Sweatt run Pre-K to 12th grade Lighthouse School in Nashville.

Here is a clip of LeAnn on the show: