While in Nashville, I interviewed a number of aspiring country singers that expected instant success when they first arrived in Music City. When that didn’t happen, many of them gave up their country music dreams. Lee Ann Womack wasn’t among them. The native Texan spent seven years in Nashville before she was got her first recording contract.

“About five of those years I didn’t have anything going. For a while I was staying at home and raising a daughter. My responsibilities at home made it twice as hard to break into the music business. My husband at the time was working a lot with his own career and having many successes. That was a hard time for me.”

So, why didn’t Lee Ann Womack become discouraged and go back home to Texas?

“To be honest, I didn’t know how to do anything else. Everyone asks me in interviews if I had something to fall back on. I didn’t finish college. But, I came real close. I didn’t have any other career choices. At the same time, I just couldn’t see giving up. I reached a point where I questioned myself about this dream of mine---‘I may not get anything going. So what else do I want to do.’ And I thought for several days---what else would I enjoy doing?’ I finally realized that I would enjoy trying to get something going in the music business more than I would enjoy being successful in some other business.”

While trying to get a break in Nashville, Lee Ann never thought about giving up!

“I always thought if one person could it, there is no reason why I can’t be successful. I approach life that way. I also refuse to believe in the ‘I can’t” syndrome. I cannot stand to go sit down in a meeting and have someone say ‘Lee Ann, you just can’t do that.’ I found in my life there is very little I just can’t do. Now, it might cost more than I have to spend right now or it might take more time then I have right now. But there is very little that just can’t get done.”

It wasn’t easy keeping that dream alive especially when she was a working single parent at a day care center.

“It was so very hard! But, the desire to be sing is so strong. I was thankful that I had a job where I could take my daughter with me. I didn’t want to leave her. But if you want to do something from the time you’re a little bitty kid, you just don’t give up that easily.”

Lee Ann’s determination to make it in Music City paid off! She signed with Decca Records as a recording artist in 1996. And then---Lee Ann Womack’s album, I Hope You Dance---sold more than three million copies driven by the hit title single---turning her dream into reality!

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