Vicki Vann

Victoria "Vicki" Araceli Denise Vann Bradford Turnbough (born July 14, 1963) is an American country music artist, entrepreneur, and businesswoman. Referred to as the "Cinderella of country music," she gained notable recognition as a featured artist in the Country Music Television (CMT) documentary "Waiting in the Wings: African-Americans in Country Music," which examined the contributions and ongoing experiences of Black artists within the country music industry.

Vann was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, a Baptist minister, was one of the founding members of the Grammy Award-winning gospel group Mighty Clouds of Joy, while her mother worked as a print and television model and later as a bookkeeper. Exposed as a child to gospel, jazz, and country music, Vann developed a strong preference for country. In high school, she was named Homecoming Princess. She subsequently attended Occidental College, where she earned a degree in psychology and discovered an interest in acting, and later obtained a master's degree in education from Azusa Pacific University.

Following her education, Vann worked as a kindergarten teacher while pursuing music on nights and weekends. She performed with her band across Southern California at street fairs, festivals, and speedways, and attended auditions. During this period, she made her first performance trip to Nashville, Tennessee, setting up a booth at Fan Fair, and traveled to Zürich, Switzerland, to play at the 38 Days of Country Music Festival alongside artists Pam Tillis and Neal McCoy. After balancing teaching and performing for approximately four years, Vann left her teaching role to focus entirely on her music career.

Vann released her debut solo album, Miracle, in 1999, followed by the self-titled Vicki Vann in 2002. She performed again in Switzerland at the country festival at Schützenhaus Albisgütli in Zurich. Her album Dream Catcher, distributed exclusively in Europe, achieved widespread acclaim as one of 2005's top country releases, while its single "This Is Where I Get Off" entered charts in 30 countries. Her feature in CMT's 90-minute documentary Waiting in the Wings showcased her alongside her recording "You Must Think My Heart Has Swinging Doors." In 2011, Vann released Reckless Heart, a 13-track studio album recorded in Nashville inspired by 1960s and 1970s country and soul sounds.

In addition to her music, Vann developed a career in media and business. She joined Beverage Industry News Magazine (BIN) as an editor in 2000, working as a journalist, editorial coordinator, and video host, while assisting the Beverage Media Group in New York City. She was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of BIN Magazine in 2005. In 2015, she founded her own beverage enterprise, the spirits brand Araceli Spirits.