Gretchen Peters is an American singer and songwriter.
Early life
Peters was born in
Bronxville, New York on November 14, 1957. She wrote her first song with her sister at the age of 5. In 1970, her parents broke up, and Peters moved with her mother to
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...
.
Music career
In Boulder, she discovered a lively music scene, and began playing at local clubs. In 1988 she moved to
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, where she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for
Martina McBride,
Etta James
Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...
,
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs ...
,
Patty Loveless,
George Strait
George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer.
Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...
,
Anne Murray,
Shania Twain,
Neil Diamond and co-writing songs with
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
. Some of Peters' notable compositions include "
The Secret of Life", "
On a Bus to St. Cloud", "
You Don't Even Know Who I Am" and "
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
", for which she received the
Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year. In addition, Peters has released fourteen studio albums of her own, beginning with 1996's ''
The Secret of Life''.
As a writer, Peters' style is defined by melancholy lyrics and dark themes, such as murder, loneliness, PTSD, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. She was inducted to the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 5, 2014.
On August 12, 2022, Peters announced her intention to retire from touring, playing her final shows in June 2023, though she will continue to write and record.
Personal life
Peters is married to keyboardist and producer
Barry Walsh, her long-time performing partner, who has also performed with the reunified
Box Tops.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Guest singles
Music videos
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Official Web Site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Gretchen
American women country singers
American country singer-songwriters
American people of Dutch descent
Living people
1957 births
People from Bronxville, New York
Imprint Records artists
Country musicians from New York (state)
21st-century American women
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)