Did I Shave My Legs For This?

Background:

“I guess I wasn’t sure how people would respond to it (her album). Then I thought to myself, ‘If you have to be something you’re not, then why do it at all?’” Deana Carter

A popular country music singer-song writer known for her honesty and sincerity which is reflected in the music she writes, Deana Carter became famous with her four times platinum Did I Shave My Legs For This? (1996), thanks to the three Billboard Hot Country No. 1 singles the winner of CMA’s Single of the Year “Strawberry Wine,” “We Danced Anyway” and “How Do I Get There.” Her amazing accomplishments included two Grammy nominations and six Country Music Award nominations.

After the massive victory, Carter has released such records as Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (1998, Capitol Nashville Records), I’m Just A Girl (2003, Arista Nashville) and The Story Of My Life (2005, Vanguard Records). Additionally, she has contributed to the soundtracks for the animated film Anastasia (1997) and the Sandra Bullock vehicle Hope Floats (1998).

5’ 6” tall Carter was named one of the “100 Americans for the Next Century” and one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 1997. She has been a national spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation. On a more personal note, the Nashville beauty was married to Christopher Di Croce from 1995 to 2001. She is now romantically involved with filmmaker Christopher Hicky, with whom she has a two-year-old son, Gray Hayes.

“Everything in my life turned upside down. Everything changed‚ and, obviously, with a baby on the way, I knew my life was going to change even more. I think what it did was make me feel like it was time to go for it‚ to reach for the stars, to make the best possible album I could make right now. Chapters were ending, and a new chapter had started. And I didn’t know if I’d ever be the same again.” Deana Carter


Nashville’s Daughter

Childhood and Family:

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Deana Melinda Carter was born on January 4, 1966, to renowned guitarist Fred Carter Jr., who reached the peak of his fame during the late 50’s to the late 70’s. She grew up by watching her father worked with such musical talents as Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel and Roy Orbison. Despite her great love for music, Deana opted to go to college instead of professionally pursued a musical career. She attended the University of Tennessee, majoring in Rehabilitation Therapy, and went on to work with recovering stroke and head injury patients after she graduated. She finally recognized that her true calling was music and decided to return to it when she was 23 years old.

On November 1, 1995, Deana married Christopher Di Croce, but they separated in September 2001. She and filmmaker-boyfriend Christopher Hicky welcomed their first child, 7 pounds baby son Gray Hayes Hicky, on September 2004.


Strawberry Wine

Career:

After failing to get a record contract, Deana Carter went to a college where she found herself singing at various campus locations that she did simply for the enjoyment of singing rather than with the purpose of chasing a musical career. She even started working with stroke and head-injury patients upon graduating. However, the 23-year-old girl decided to launch the music career she left earlier as soon as she recognized that music was her first love.

While waiting for a break, Carter performed at local Nashville clubs and took such odd jobs as teaching preschool and cleaning urinals to support herself. It all changed for Carter when one of her demo tapes caught the attention of Willie Nelson, who invited her to participate in the Farm Aid VII concert in 1994, where Carter become the only female solo performer. This same demo tape also led to a deal with Capital Records that same year.

In 1996, Carter released her debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This?. The album was a smash, spending two years in the top 40 of Billboard Top Country Albums chart and finally received four times platinum certification from RIAA. The first single released from the album,” Strawberry Wine,” hit # 1 at the Billboard Hot Country and brought Carter a CMA for Single of the Year in 1997. This was followed by two more Billboard Hot Country # 1 singles: “We Danced Anyway” and “How Do I Get There.” Carter further confirmed her huge success by collecting several nominations, including two Grammy and six CMA for her first record.

Lured by the album’s victory, Carter was asked to lent her voice to the soundtrack for the Disney animated film Anastasia (1997) and the drama/romance feature Hope Floats (1998), starring Sandra Bullock. Her work on the first was garnered with a Grammy nod and a Golden Globe nod for the song “Once Upon a December.” In the meantime, she also appeared on television in a Christmas special in which she performed in front of the President and his family, as well as in Circle of Friends, an honor to Christopher Reeves with fellow musicians.

Carter’s follow-up album, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, was released in 1998 and fared considerably less well than the debut. The three singles released from the album, “Absence of The Heart,” “You Still Shake Me” and “Angels Working Overtime,” missed the top ten in the US country chart. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright eventually earned a gold certification. A few years later, she ended her relationship with Capitol, citing differences over artistic direction. In 2001, she launched a Christmas album, Father Christmas, with Rounder Records.

The following year saw Carter release The Deana Carter Collection, which was only released in Europe. Following a divorce from husband Chris DiCroce and a move to Los Angeles, she launched the album I’m Just A Girl on Arista Nashville in 2003. The lead single “There’s No Limit” was a top fourteen at the Billboard Hot Country. This was followed by the even more disappointing chart performance of the title track, which peaked at No. 35 on the chart. Carter’s next album, The Story Of My Life, was released in 2005 on Vanguard Records.

In addition to music, Carter has showed an interest in acting. She has appeared in guest roles in such series as “Sin City Spectacular” (unknown), “Raising Dad” (2002) and “Strong Medicine” (also 2002). She made her film debut as Sherry in the crime/thriller The Badge (2002), starring Billy Bob Thornton and Patricia Arquette.


Awards:

• CMA: Single of the Year, “Strawberry Wine, 1997
• CMT: Female Video Artist, 1997