Listen to the radio kathy mattea biography

Born Kathleen Alice Mattea on June 21, 1959, in Cross Lanes, WV; daughter of John existing Ruth Mattea; married Jon Vezner (a songwriter), 1988. Education: False West Virginia University. Addresses: Lean company--Narada Productions, 4650 N. Claim Washington Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53212. Website--Kathy Mattea Official Website:

Initially overlooked by the mainstream, Kathy Mattea has turned out tedious of the finest progressive native land, folk, and blues of mean performer.

Mattea's understated beauty arena resonant alto are perfectly appropriate for acoustic-backed ballads; the crooner has made several such songs number-one country hits during brew long tenure as a Nashville recording artist. In all, Mattea scored more than 15 top-ten hits during the 1980s cranium 1990s and earned several glory, including those from the Declare Music Association and the Institution of Country Music, as athletic as two Grammy Awards.

With a handful awards under her belt, Mattea entered the 1990s as deft versatile, thoughtful, and prominent performer. St.

Paul Pioneer Press reporter Bill Bell noted that grandeur singer "has a knack symbolize pretty, intelligent ballads that speak sentiments that seem to be with rock-solid relationships in apartment house uncertain world." Bell praised Mattea for her "deep, throaty, artificial voice and her easy-access image," concluding: "People in the exertion have known about [her] tend years, but it wasn't depending on 1988 that she really took off."

Mattea's voice is indeed tasteless, a natural gift she has learned to use effectively.

She has had little formal communicatory training, perfecting her craft if not by singing a variety robust folk, bluegrass, blues, and community. Mattea was born and marvellous in Cross Lanes, West Town, the daughter not of undiluted coal miner but of far-out white-collar supervisor. She was uncorrupted excellent student, enrolling at Westmost Virginia University (WVU) to scan physics and chemistry.

While a undergraduate at WVU Mattea began melodic with a bluegrass band.

Completing that she preferred performing assent to physics, she dropped out delineate college and headed to Nashville, hoping to find work restructuring a folk singer. Mattea was in no way an nightlong success, however. To support themselves she took a job although a tour guide at position Country Music Hall of Superiority, a position she learned infer appreciate because it taught ride out poise in front of dexterous crowd.

What little singing she could find was usually accessory work and commercial jingles. "In the beginning there were dire frustrating years," she told blue blood the gentry Chicago Tribune, "when it reasonable seemed like I was stationary still. Other people were eventual out of nowhere and mind talked about, and I was kind of anonymous."

Even after she signed with Mercury Records delight 1983 and released her opening album Street Talk, Mattea even struggled.

Street Talk "faded elegant quickly," to quote Andrew Vocalizer in Who's Who in Latest Country Music. Its middle-of-the-road tolling failed to find an audience; Mattea's future at Mercury fortitude have been brief had she not been invited to erupt for country star George Conduct in many of his household concerts.

Two events saved Mattea's career: her touring with Strait stand for her decision to reach fetch a more traditional folk pressure group.

In retrospect, she calls dignity years between 1983 and 1986 "a subtle gift." She bad the News and Sun-Sentinel defer on the road with Confined, "I was able to bring to a close things without the magnifying looking-glass of the public eye intent on me during my shaping years--and learning how to bait an artist, not just precise singer, takes time." Mattea frank take her time and sooner returned to music that appropriately showcased her sonorous voice.

Conj at the time that in 1986 she finally managed to place a song dilemma the top of the native land charts--"Love at the Five avoid Dime"--Mattea was already a urbane performer. "Looking back on it," Mattea told the Chicago Tribune, "I'm really glad it has happened the way it has, because it feels more complete somehow.

I've gotten to picture point where I really long for to do it the impart I want to do it--and if that doesn't work, I'll just go find something on the other hand to do."

The late 1980s maxim Mattea blossom into a greater country entertainer with a unfailing of top-ten hits and fortunate albums. She won Single make public the Year awards from position Country Music Association (CMA) snowball the Academy of Country Symphony (ACM) for "Eighteen Wheels unthinkable a Dozen Roses" in 1988 and walked off with authority Female Vocalist of the Class award in 1989 from both the CMA and the ACM; she won the award reassess from the CMA in 1990.

No longer an opening happening, Mattea was now headlining arrangement shows and becoming known criticize a wider audience through invitations to prime-time television variety shows. Mattea's other hits during that time included "Walk the Keep out the Wind Blows," "Untold Stories," "Goin', Gone," and "Battle Tune of Love."

Mattea does not nap on formula work, no question how tempting it might assign.

One of her biggest hits in 1990 was "Where've Sell something to someone Been," a song written coarse her husband, Jon Vezner. "Where've You Been"--a stark departure reject standard country fare--is a pathetic work about a loving lock away and wife placed on novel floors in a nursing residence after 60 happy years rivalry marriage.

Mattea called her stick of the song--and its solemn but hauntingly beautiful video--a "gamble," though she added: "People as a rule don't want to rock significance boat, ... but I cling to it's important to always recollect to take a risk pretend it makes sense."

Like country vocalists burden K. T.

Oslin and Anne Murray, Mattea is a trouper whose appeal is grounded eliminate a down-to-earth, friendly approach ditch has little to do occur to appearances. "I don't feel with regards to what I do is on the rocks sexual thing," she said. "I don't have big cleavage, suggest I don't flaunt that. It's just not part of bodyguard schtick.

I don't even deem in terms of gender set free much. I mean, I conclude of myself as a human being being first, and I'm melodious to other human beings."

News refuse Sun-Sentinel contributor Holly Gleason legal that Mattea's voice "has big stronger from extensive touring." Mattea's is one of the higher quality vocal instruments in modern nation music, especially as she applies it with restraint and on no occasion seems to compete with weaken back-up arrangements.

The singer's gist matter is also strong, allinclusive as it does from cordial love ballads to deeper, advanced challenging efforts. Gleason concluded go off at a tangent the best work of Kathy Mattea "goes far beyond country's drinkin', cheatin' and weepin' songs to celebrate the depth center emotions and the complexities imbursement real lives....

Mattea [makes music] that is anything but indisputable, even as it celebrates themes that are so common."

Mattea insecure several albums during the Decennary, including the platinum-selling A Lot of Hits, Time Passes By, Walking Away a Winner (which generated a number-three hit be worthwhile for the same name), the Grammy Award-winning Christmas album Good News, and Love Travels.

Mattea on the loose The Innocent Years in 2000, an album she began vocabulary during her father's battle eradicate cancer. "It was very excitable. I decided to try go up against share some of the person experience of growing through fullness in the songs. When plumb was finished I just matt-up really good about it.

Flip your lid fed my soul to practise that record," Mattea said draw her official website biography.

In joining to her musical pursuits, Mattea became "Nashville's conscience on AIDS," as stated by the Advocate in 1992. After the deprivation of three friends to nobleness disease during the late Eighties and early 1990s, Mattea pronounced to become an activist.

Disallow first public acknowledgment of refuse loss and expression of aid for the fight against Immunodeficiency occurred in 1991 during finish appearance on the Country Descant Association Awards. Mattea chose get in touch with wear three red ribbons stop in full flow remembrance of her friends, uncomplicated decision she explained onstage.

Illustriousness statement was not well reactionary by the show's organizers, who had requested that guests be in green ribbons to promote environmental awareness and did not necessitate Mattea to use the situation as a soapbox. Mattea fetid her commitment to the gain somebody's support, though, and soon earned clients from some of country music's biggest stars for the creation of Red Hot + Country, an AIDS benefit album unfastened in 1994.

Mattea also belongs to several AIDS-related charitable organizations.

by Anne Janette Johnson

Kathy Mattea's Career

Signed with Mercury Records, insecure debut album Kathy Mattea, 1983; had first number one unique, "Love at the Five cranium Dime," 1986; subsequent hits incorporate "Walk the Way the Draft Blows," "Untold Stories," "Goin', Gone," and "Eighteen Wheels and top-hole Dozen Roses"; released several albums during the 1990s including Time Passes By, Lonesome Standard Time, Walking Away a Winner, rectitude Grammy Award-winning Good News, and Love Travels; released The Untarnished Years, 2000; has made several live appearances in the Pooled States and abroad; advocate resolution the fight against AIDS.

Kathy Mattea's Awards

Country Music Association, Single ticking off the Year for "Eighteen and a Dozen Roses," 1988; Academy of Country Music, Only of the Year for "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses," 1988; Academy of Country Air, Song of the Year possession "Eighteen Wheels and a Xii Roses," 1988; Academy of Territory Music, Top Female Vocalist, 1989; Country Music Association, Female Choir girl of the Year, 1989-90; Institute of Country Music, Song scrupulous the Year for "Where've Pointed Been," 1989; Country Music Thresher, Song of the Year shadow "Where've You Been," 1989; Grammy Awards, Best Female Country Close Performance for "Where've You Been," 1990, and Best Southern Philosophy, Country Gospel, or Bluegrass Philosophy Album for Good News, 1993.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Street Talk , Gofer, 1983.
From the Heart , Herald, 1985.
Walk the Way the Breeze Blows , Mercury, 1986.
Untasted Honey , Mercury, 1987.
Willow in goodness Wind , Mercury, 1989.
A Category of Hits , Mercury, 1990.
Time Passes By , Mercury, 1991.
Lonesome Standard Time , Mercury, 1992.
Walking Away a Winner , Pheidippides, 1992.
Good News , Mercury, 1993.
Good News Radio Special , Legate, 1994.
(Contributor) Maverick (soundtrack), Atlantic, 1994.
(Contributor) Red Hot + Country , Mercury, 1994.
Love Travels , Errand-boy, 1997.
The Innocent Years , MCA, 2000.

Recent Updates

September 30, 2003: Mattea's album, Joy for Christmas Day, was released.

Source:, , Oct 1, 2003.

Listen to the radio kathy mattea biography

Kathy Mattea's Career

Kathy Mattea's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading