Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973, in

Pocahontas, Illinois Pocahontas is a village in Burgess Township, Bond County, Illinois, Burgess Township, Bond County, Illinois, Bond County, Illinois, United States. The population was 697 at the 2020 census. History Pocahontas was originally known as Hickory Grov ...

) is an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning single " Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, ''

Here for the Party ''Here for the Party'' is the debut studio album by American country music singer Gretchen Wilson. It was released on May 11, 2004, through Epic Records Nashville. After singing in a bar, she met John Rich of Big & Rich, who invited her to work ...

''. Wilson followed this album one year later with '' All Jacked Up'', the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, ''

One of the Boys ''One of the Boys'' is the second studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Capitol Records. She collaborated on the album with producers Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart, Max ...

'', was released in 2007. Overall, Wilson has charted 13 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, of which five have reached top ten: the number one "Redneck Woman", as well as "

" (#3, 2004), "When I Think About Cheatin'" (#4, 2004), "Homewrecker" (#2, 2005), and " All Jacked Up" (#8, 2005). The album ''Here for the Party'' was certified 5× multi-platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

for sales of five million copies, while ''All Jacked Up'' was certified platinum. She has sold over 8.2 million records worldwide.

Early life and career

Early life

Wilson was born in 1973 in

. Her mother was a teenager at the time. When she was 2, her father left the family, with her mother becoming a single mother. She dropped out of high school and worked as a cook.

''Here for the Party''

Wilson signed with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

in 2003 and recorded ''

'' within the year. Her first single, " Redneck Woman", was released in early 2004 and reached the top of the

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

charts and No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. This song was also the first number one country hit by a female in two years. The success of "Redneck Woman" prompted an earlier-than-planned release for ''Here for the Party'', and it debuted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' country chart. It reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and ''Billboard'' Internet album sales charts. She performed as a support artist for

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1988 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer, Tim DuBois. Before thei ...

and

Montgomery Gentry Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo/solo act founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John ...

. She released the title track to her debut album as the second single. It peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' country chart. Two other songs were released as singles, and both reached the top 10. Released in markets outside the U.S., the album hit No. 2 on the Australian country charts (behind

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country music, Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Mount Gambier to musicians Diane and Bill Chambers (musician), Bill Chambers. Her older ...

) and the top 50 of the Australian charts. ''Here for the Party'' was certified 5× multi-platinum by the RIAA.

''All Jacked Up''

On September 27, 2005, Wilson released her second album, '' All Jacked Up'', which peaked at No. 1 on both the Top 200 and Country album charts and sold 1 million copies. The title track debuted at No. 21 on the Hot Country Songs charts, setting a record for the highest debut ever made by a female artist. This record was broken in late 2007 by

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005, returning as a judge beginning with the twenty-third season. Underwood's f ...

's " So Small". Despite its high debut, however, "All Jacked Up" peaked at No. 8 on Hot Country Songs after only eight chart weeks. It was also used, at one time, by

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

as the opening theme for its baseball coverage. Three more singles were released from ''All Jacked Up'': "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today", "Politically Uncorrect" (a duet with

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...

) and "California Girls", none of which reached Top 20 on the country charts. These latter two singles were issued on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, due to the closure of Epic Records's Nashville division. Wilson's "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today" was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and Best Country Song. In 2006, Wilson contributed a well-received cover of

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...

's "Sunday Mornin' Coming Down" on the tribute CD ''The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson''.

''One of the Boys''

On May 15, 2007, Wilson released her third album, ''

''. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Top 200 and at No. 1 on the Country album chart. After 10 weeks, it exited the Billboard Top 200, having sold 178,220 copies at that point. "Come to Bed" (a duet with John Rich) and the title track, the first two singles released, both peaked in the 30s on the country charts, while the third and final single ("You Don't Have to Go Home") failed to reach the Top 40.

''I Got Your Country Right Here''

On July 14, 2008, Wilson released a new single, "Don't Do Me No Good". This song was intended to be the lead-off single to a fourth studio album, but it failed to reach the Top 40 and the album was delayed. It was followed in 2009 by two more singles, "The Earrings Song" and "If I Could Do It All Again," neither of which entered the charts. Wilson then issued a press release on July 28, 2009, stating that she would be parting with Sony Music Nashville. Wilson then launched Redneck Records, her own record label. " Work Hard, Play Harder" was released to radio on October 26, 2009, as the first single from the label and her fourth studio album, '' I Got Your Country Right Here'', was finally released on March 30, 2010. Her former label, Columbia Nashville, released her first ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' album on January 19, 2010, to finish off her recording contract. On July 31, 2008,

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...

filed a lawsuit against Wilson for copyright violation, alleging that her song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copied the Crowes song " Jealous Again". Also included in the suit were her label

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

, her publishing company, and the cable network

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

, which had been using the song in commercials. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and Black Crowes members

Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian autho ...

and

Rich Robinson Richard Robinson (born May 24, 1969) is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band the Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson (singer), Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 (originally called ''Mr. ...

were given songwriting credits.

''Right on Time'', ''Under the Covers'' and ''Christmas in My Heart''

Wilson released an album of original songs titled '' Right on Time'' on April 2, 2013. It was led by the single "Still Rollin'". A collection of rock covers titled ''Under the Covers'' was released on June 4, 2013. Wilson released her first Christmas album, ''Christmas in My Heart'', on October 8, 2013.

Other ventures

Rock music

While a country singer first and foremost, Gretchen Wilson has also attracted favorable attention for her rendition of classic rock songs by

Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

– a group which she sees as "one of the biggest influences on my musical career". She has appeared several times on the same stage as lead singer

Ann Wilson Ann Dustin Wilson (born June 19, 1950) is an American singer best known as the lead singer of the rock band Heart. Wilson has been a member of Heart since the early 1970s; her younger sister, Nancy Wilson, is also a member of the band. One o ...

and guitarist Nancy Wilson, once describing the experience as "beyond a dream come true". She has sung " Straight On", " Crazy on You", and – most notably – "

Barracuda A barracuda is a large, predatory, ray-finned, saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldw ...

", which she performed with

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...

and Nancy Wilson on guitar at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors. She also performed, with

Randy Bachman Randolph Charles Bachman ( ; born September 27, 1943) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. He was the writer and singer of several hit rock songs, ...

, the classic

Who The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...

track "

Who Are You ''Who Are You'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and on 21 August 1978 by MCA Records in the United States. Although the album received mixed revie ...

" on the album ''Who Are You – An All Star Tribute to the Who''. She performed on

Buckcherry Buckcherry is an American hard rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1995. The band released two albums, ''Buckcherry (album), Buckcherry'' (1999) and ''Time Bomb (Buckcherry album), Time Bomb'' (2001), before dissolving in 2002. Buckche ...

's single "The Feeling Never Dies" (from the album ''

Rock 'n' Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

''), which was released January 29, 2016. She has sung " Even It Up", "

Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

" and "

" which she performed with

Jerry Cantrell Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internatio ...

Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of Red Hot Chili ...

Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964) is an American musician. He was the bassist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses for twelve years, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the b ...

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical opera ...

and

at the Decades Rock Live!.

Television

In 2025, Wilson competed in season thirteen of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Pearl" and won the season. She then did an encore of "Redneck Woman" while

Nick Cannon Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American comedian, television presenter, actor, and rapper. In television, he began his career as a teenager on Nickelodeon's '' All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', '' ...

Robin Thicke Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 single " Blurred Lines" (featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams), which peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, received ...

Jenny McCarthy Jennifer Ann McCarthy-Wahlberg (' McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, television personality, and anti-vaccine activist. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named thei ...

Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong ( ; ; born July 13, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the NBC sitcom ''Community'' ...

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...

, and

Andy Grammer Andrew Charles Grammer (born December 3, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been signed to Mushroom Music Publishing since March 2022. His debut album, '' Andy Grammer'', was released in 2011 and spawned the s ...

(who finished in 2nd place as "Boogie Woogie") danced in the background. Wilson joined the cast of a new music competition show, ''The Road'', which will premiere on CBS in the fall of 2025. She will serve in the role of 'Tour Manager' alongside co-stars

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...

and

Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin (Blake Shelton song), Austin" from his Blake Shelton (album), self ...

as they travel America looking for the "next big musician" who will open for Urban on tour.

Activism

Politics

Gretchen Wilson sang the National Anthem (blended with a voice-over of the

Pledge of Allegiance The U.S Pledge of Allegiance is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States. The first version was written in 1885 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army o ...

) to a national audience at the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

on September 3, 2008, later describing this as a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience at a "historic moment." Wilson and her band also performed during a rally for Republican presidential candidate

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

and vice-presidential candidate

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...

at Lunken Airport in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, Ohio, on October 22, 2008, to a crowd of approximately 12,000 supporters. Palin started the rally by exclaiming that she couldn't wait to get Wilson's autograph. Wilson played a version of the

song "Barracuda" for Palin. In September 2024 she appeared at a Wisconsin rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump, where she sang "Redneck Woman" and then addressed the crowd from the podium. She said, "the American dream that I have been fortunate enough to find will more most certainly be lost forever if we do not show up and vote for freedom in November. It is on us. Let's make sure we, the people, do all we can to save our country by voting for President Trump and

JD Vance James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...

Charities and public service

Wilson has been active in support for children's charities, adult education, and the fight against obesity. Initiatives to date include: * (1) Raising over $1.5 million through benefit performances for children's charities, such as

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research hospital headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on chi ...

and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. * (2) Serving as national spokesperson for Country Bands Together, a national obesity education and counseling/support campaign sponsored by

Allergan Allergan plc is an American, Irish-domiciled pharmaceutical company that acquires, develops, manufactures and markets brand name drugs and medical devices in the areas of medical aesthetics, eye care, central nervous system, and gastroenterology. ...

. * (3) Advocacy for adult education, including testimony before Congress on the value and importance of support for adult learners. Wilson dropped out of high school while in 9th grade but gained her GED in 2008 through an adult education college.

Sports

In , Wilson sang the national anthem before Game 4 of the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

between the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

and the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

Busch Memorial Stadium Busch Memorial Stadium (Busch Stadium II) was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri, that operated for 40 years, from 1966 St. Louis Cardinals season, 1966 through 2005 St. Louis Cardinals season, 2005. Built as Civic Center Bu ...

as a long-time fan of the Cardinals. In April 2010, Wilson released a customized version of "Work Hard, Play Harder" in honor of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...

, with reworked lyrics mentioning the team and its fans. She also sponsors a women's softball team in Pierron, Illinois.

Legal issues

On July 31, 2008, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit against Wilson for copyright violation, alleging that her song "Work Hard, Play Harder" copied the Crowes song "Jealous Again". Also included in the suit were her label Sony BMG, her publishing company, and the cable network TNT, which had been using the song in commercials. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and Black Crowes members Chris and Rich Robinson were given songwriting credits. On August 21, 2018, Wilson was arrested at

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...

Windsor Locks, Connecticut Windsor Locks is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was ...

Connecticut State Police The Connecticut State Police (CSP) is the state police and highway patrol of the U.S. state of Connecticut, responsible for statewide traffic regulation and law enforcement, especially in areas not served by (or served by smaller) municipal police ...

arrived at the airport after reports of a minor disturbance. Police arrested Wilson after she reportedly became belligerent during their on-tarmac interview. Wilson was charged with breach of peace and her bond was set at $1,000.

Awards

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

CMA Female Vocalist of the Year *

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

ACM Top Female Vocalist *2004 ACM Top New Artist *

CMA Horizon Award

Grammy Awards history

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

'' (2004) * '' All Jacked Up'' (2005) * ''

'' (2007) * '' I Got Your Country Right Here'' (2010) * '' Right on Time'' (2013) * ''Under the Covers'' (2013) * ''Ready to Get Rowdy'' (2017)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Gretchen 1973 births American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American women country singers Record producers from Illinois American women singer-songwriters Columbia Records artists Grammy Award winners Singer-songwriters from Illinois Living people People from Bond County, Illinois Epic Records artists Illinois Republicans Guitarists from Illinois 21st-century American women singers Country musicians from Illinois American women record producers 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singer-songwriters