Leann Rimes

Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 before crossing over into pop, contemporary Christian, and other musical genres. Born on August 28, 1982, in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Garland, Texas, she demonstrated a unique singing ability from an early age. She began performing in musical theater, appeared on the television competition show Star Search, and won local talent contests. Working with her father Wilbur as producer and manager, she released independent albums before signing a recording contract with Curb Records in 1996.

Rimes achieved her national breakthrough in 1996 with her Curb single Blue, which became a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Her major-label debut album, also titled Blue, topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and was certified six times Platinum. For her work on the song, she won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance, becoming the youngest recipient of these honors. In 1997, she crossed over into pop music with How Do I Live, which spent 69 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became one of the best-selling singles of the decade. The track was included on her quadruple-Platinum album You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs.

She built on her early momentum with the Platinum-certified releases Sittin' on Top of the World in 1998 and LeAnn Rimes in 1999. Around this time, she contributed songs to film soundtracks, including I Need You and Can't Fight the Moonlight from the film Coyote Ugly. The latter single achieved global chart success, topping the music charts in the United Kingdom and Australia. These soundtrack appearances were compiled on the Platinum-certified album I Need You in 2001. After separating from her father's management, Rimes released the Gold-certified pop album Twisted Angel in 2002 and the holiday project What a Wonderful World in 2004.

Rimes returned to her country origins with the 2005 album This Woman, which produced three country hits and earned a Gold certification. Her subsequent studio releases included Whatever We Wanna, Family, Lady & Gentlemen, and Spitfire. After completing her long-standing recording agreement with Curb Records, she issued Today Is Christmas in 2015 and the pop album Remnants in 2016, which produced two number-one Billboard dance club hits. She later released Chant: The Human & the Holy in 2020 and God's Work in 2022. Over her career, she has placed more than 40 singles on international charts and sold over 48 million records globally.

Beyond her recording career, Rimes has acted in television films, making her debut in Holiday in Your Heart in 1997, which was based on her book. Her other screen credits include Northern Lights, Good Intentions, Reel Love, and It's Christmas, Eve. In 2024, she appeared as a coach on The Voice Australia and The Voice UK, and in 2025 she was cast as Dixie Bennings on the series 9-1-1: Nashville.