Ashley Monroe | |
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Birth name | Ashley Lauren Monroe |
Born | September 10, 1986 |
Origin | Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | Neotraditional Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2005–present |
Labels |
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Member of | Pistol Annies |
Website | www www |
Ashley Lauren Monroe (born September 10, 1986) is an American country music singer-songwriter.
Monroe has released two solo singles, "Satisfied" and "I Don't Want To" (which featured Brooks & Dunn singer Ronnie Dunn), that reached the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at #43 and #37, respectively. Both singles were from her debut album, Satisfied, that was intended for a 2007 release but was pushed back. Monroe left Columbia Records' roster in late 2007 and Satisfied was finally released on May 19, 2009, under Sony Music. In June 2011, Monroe, Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley formed a band called Pistol Annies.
Monroe's second studio album, Like a Rose , was released on March 5, 2013, followed by her third album, The Blade , released on July 24, 2015. Her fourth studio album, Sparrow , was released on April 20, 2018.
Ashley Lauren Monroe was born on September 10, 1986, in Knoxville, Tennessee. [1] [2] to Larry and Kellye Monroe (née Dalton). She has one older brother, Chad. [3] She is not related to Bill Monroe. [4]
At age 11, she won a talent contest in Pigeon Forge where she sang "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart", and found steady work at a local theater. Her parents played songs by the Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd. After her father died from cancer when she was 13, Monroe started to write songs to help her deal with the loss, several of which appear on her fourth album, Sparrow . A few years later, she began to perform in small clubs in Nashville. [5]
After a year in Nashville, she gained a publishing deal as a songwriter, which then led to her signing to a record contract with Sony Records under John Grady, where she began to record her debut album, Satisfied . In 2006, the title track to the album was released as the first single to country radio. It failed to make the top 40 on the Hot Country Songs chart, however, a second single was released shortly after. "I Don't Want To" was released as the second single, which featured Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn. It initially did well on the charts, charting at No. 37.
Still after two singles, the album hadn't been released. The label then decided not to release the album until Monroe charted a top 20 single. But, no follow-up singles were ever released. iTunes briefly had the album available in July 2006 but it was removed from the online store by mid-August.
In late 2007, Monroe and Columbia Records parted ways, and Satisfied went without being released. In addition to her own material, she co-wrote Katrina Elam's 2007 single "Flat on the Floor" (which was also recorded by Carrie Underwood on her 2007 album Carnival Ride ), as well as Jason Aldean's 2009 single, "The Truth", and Miranda Lambert's 2011 single, "Heart Like Mine."
In April 2009, it was announced on Monroe's MySpace page that Satisfied would be released to digital retailers (iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.) on May 19, 2009. The single "I Don't Want To" was not included.
In early 2012 Amazon.com and Spotify began streaming and selling an MP3 track called "Promised Land" that was originally recorded for, but left off of, the "Satisfied" album and now is listed as a Bonus Track.
In late 2009 Monroe posted on her MySpace page that she was independently releasing a new self-titled EP. It would only be sold at the live shows. While she was touring with the Ten out of Tenn artists she realized she had nothing to sell to the fans who loved her sets and she wanted to give them something. This EP contains the tracks "Has Anybody Ever Told You", "Angeline", "Drink for Two", "And You" along with Trent Dabbs collaboration "Everything I Wanted".
Ashley Monroe received a record deal with Warner Bros. Nashville and released her second studio album, Like a Rose on March 5, 2013. The album, produced by Vince Gill, was met with widespread critical acclaim. It features nine tracks co-written by the singer, one of which is a collaboration with Blake Shelton. [6] "Like a Rose" (the title track) was released to radio as the album's first single on March 4, 2013. "Like A Rose" debuted at #86 at the European Top-100 Country Music Chart in late April 2013, as well as the duet with Blake Shelton "You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter)", which debuted at #73 and was the most played country music song in Europe according to the European CMA.
On July 24, 2015, Monroe released her third full-length studio album, The Blade , to critical acclaim. [7] The album, which included collaborations with Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss, earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Album.
On February 26, 2016, Monroe released a live album containing songs from her previous records and a cover of the Gram Parsons song "Hickory Wind". It was recorded at the Blue Room at Third Man Records live before an audience of 200 people on May 12, 2015. The recording was mixed live and recorded straight to acetate without the possibility for correcting any mistakes in post-production. [8]
After taking a break to give birth to her son, Monroe announced her new album, Sparrow which was produced by Dave Cobb and would be released on Warner Bros. Nashville on April 20, 2018. Alongside the announcement, "Hands On You", a track co-written with Jon Randall, was released. [9] Sonically, Monroe references old fashioned country pop such as Glen Campbell, Shelby Lynne, Waylon Jennings and Elvis Presley as examples of the use of strings in country music, something she has included for the first time, and also mentions Elton John and Rick Hall albums as particular influences. [10]
As a member of the Pistol Annies, Monroe appeared on Blake Shelton's number one hit Boys 'Round Here .
Monroe was featured on Shelton's hit "Lonely Tonight", the second single from his album Bringing Back the Sunshine , [11] and performed the song with him at the 2015 CMA Awards. The song reached number 1 on the US County Airplay Chart and number 2 on the Hot Country Songs Chart, and earned both artists ACM and CMA nominations as well as a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
In early 2008, Monroe began collaborating with singer-songwriter Trent Dabbs and creating several demo tracks that appeared on their individual MySpace pages, before releasing an EP under both of their names. It was simply entitled Ashley Monroe and Trent Dabbs.
Other tracks have included "I'm Coming Over", "Laying Low [or I'm Staying Low]", "Now That I Know", "When the Day Is Done", "Everything I Wanted" and "Gone".
The official EP track listing however contains only five of these songs: "I'm Coming Over", "Laying Low", "See Right Through" (the only track that never appeared on MySpace), "Now That I Know" and "Gone".
Monroe can also be heard on backing vocals (as well as having writing credits) on Dabbs's song "Your Side Now".
Monroe contributed backing vocals on Will Hoge's song "Goodnight/Goodbye" off his 2009 album The Wreckage. The song was released as a soft single in late 2009.
Monroe can also be heard on Cory Morrow's 2007 album Ten Years on the track "More Than Perfect". Andrea Glass's 2008 release Stood Under Stars features her on two tracks: "The Price" and "North Wind". Monroe is also featured on the title track of Wade Bowen's If We Ever Make It Home album. Most recently, on a track she co-wrote with Miranda Lambert ("Me and Your Cigarettes" found on Revolution, Miranda Lambert) she is backing vocalist.
She is also featured in the video for All I Have (Acoustic) starring Mat Kearney and an unreleased version of Fire & Rain (Acoustic) by Mat as well. She also does background vocals on the 2011 release of Josh Kelley's Georgia Clay album for the track "A Real Good Try". There was a 2011 video posted on YouTube of Monroe and Michelle Branch singing backing vocals for Chris Isaaks version of "Ring Of Fire" for his upcoming release Beyond The Sun. Additionally she co-wrote two tracks and provides backing vocals for Vince Gill on "Who Wouldn't Fall In Love With You" and "If I Die".
She is a featured vocalist on Hunter Hayes' newer version of his song "What You Gonna Do" on his 2013 album Encore and on Feels Like Home, a 2013 album by Sheryl Crow along with Vince Gill on the track "Give It To Me". It was also announced that Monroe would be performing a duet named "Lonely Tonight" with Blake Shelton on his 2014 album Bringing Back the Sunshine.
Ashley sang back up vocals on The Steel Woods 2021 album titled All Of Your Stones. The track is called I Need You.
In late 2008, Monroe collaborated with The Raconteurs and Ricky Skaggs on The Raconteurs single "Old Enough", which was released in bluegrass form, and as a music video.
Monroe contributes backing vocals as a member of Jack White's Third Man House Band, which performed with Wanda Jackson on her album The Party Ain't Over , which was released on January 25, 2011. She is featured on the songs "Rum & Coca-Cola", "Dust on the Bible" and "Teach Me Tonight" alongside Karen Elson, dubbing themselves "The Cherry Sisters" in the liner notes. She is also given credits on the Live At Third Man Records album by Wanda Jackson having been on tour with her as part of the "Cherry Sisters". She won honors for her performances.
Longtime friends, Monroe, Miranda Lambert and newcomer Angaleena Presley debuted their trio Pistol Annies, with their song "Hell on Heels", on April 22, 2011, on CBS' airing of ACM Girls Night Out. The trio surprised the audience in place of Lambert singing with now ex-husband Blake Shelton. The women, who all met through working in the industry, have dubbed nicknames for themselves via their band name. Lambert serves as "Lonestar Annie", Monroe as "Hippie Annie", and Presley as "Holler Annie", as she is from the hills of Kentucky. Per Lambert, whether or not the Annies would release an album would "be up to the fans". The single "Hell on Heels" was released for purchase via the Pistol Annies' website on June 12, 2011. The Pistol Annies' album Hell on Heels was released on August 23, 2011. The trio will also be featured on The Chieftain's upcoming release Voice of Ages on the track "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies".
The Pistol Annies' track "Run Daddy Run" was included on the 2012 soundtrack The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. They have been featured as backing vocalists on Blake Shelton's track "Blue Christmas" and on Jewel's 2013 Greatest Hits on a new version of "You Were Meant For Me". The trio also appear in the video for Blake Shelton's "Boys Round Here" video.
The Pistol Annies' second album, Annie Up , was released on May 7, 2013, and Lambert announced that a third record would be released in 2018.
On September 27, 2018, Pistol Annies announced their third album Interstate Gospel would be released November 2, 2018. They planned to host three album-debut shows in Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles. They released three songs off the album for hungry fans: Got My Name Changed Back, Interstate Gospel, and Best Days of My Life.
Monroe is featured on "Bruises", a duet with Train's singer Pat Monahan; the song was released as a single on November 9, 2012. She and Monahan starred in the music video, and she toured with Train on the Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour in summer 2013, where she sang "Bruises" and one or two of her songs from her album. [12] She also performed with Train on The Today Show on July 26. [13]
On Butch Walker's 2016 album Stay Gold , Monroe co-wrote and provided her vocals for the track "Descending".
Monroe was featured in the award-winning 2017 documentary film The American Epic Sessions , directed by Bernard MacMahon. In the film she recorded two songs on the first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s [14] - “Jubilee”, a 19th-century Appalachian folk song accompanied by The Americans, and “Like a Rose”, solo on acoustic guitar. [15] [16] Both performances were featured on the film's soundtrack, Music from the American Epic Sessions . [16]
On September 14, 2012, following a show on the Pistol Annies tour, Monroe accepted a marriage proposal by boyfriend John Danks, a starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. She tweeted "I said yes . . . I'm engaged to my John Danks! Best night of my life!" [17] [18] Pistol Annies bandmate Miranda Lambert helped her with the wedding plans. [19] They were married on October 24, 2013, at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee; Blake Shelton officiated the ceremony, and Lambert was the matron of honor. [20]
On December 25, 2016, Monroe took to Twitter displaying an ultrasound picture to announce that she is expecting her first child. [21] On March 19, 2017, Monroe revealed that her baby would be a boy with multiple photos on Instagram. [22] She gave birth to her son, Dalton William Danks. [23]
On July 13, 2021, Monroe announced that she was diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of blood cancer. [24]
Solo albums
with Pistol Annies
Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
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2009 | Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event of the Year | "Old Enough" | Nominated |
2011 | American Country Awards | New Artist of the Year | Pistol Annies | Nominated |
2012 | CMT Awards | Breakthrough Video of the Year | "Hell on Heels" | Nominated |
Group Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
2013 | "Takin' Pills" | Nominated | ||
2015 | Collaborative Video of the Year | "Lonely Tonight" | Nominated | |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Vocal Event of the Year | Nominated | ||
Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event of the Year | Nominated | ||
2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Duo/Group Performance | Nominated | |
Best Country Album | The Blade | Nominated | ||
2020 | Interstate Gospel | Nominated |
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin" from his first album, Blake Shelton. "Austin" spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The now Platinum-certified debut album also produced two more top 20 entries.
Miranda Leigh Lambert is an American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place on the television program Nashville Star, a singing competition which aired on the USA Network. Outside her solo career, she is a member of the Pistol Annies, a group she formed in 2011 alongside Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. Lambert has been honored by the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards. Lambert has been honored with more Academy of Country Music Awards than any artist in history and was named by the Chicago Tribune as the "greatest country music artist of all time" in 2019.
Wrangled is the second solo studio album by outlaw country singer and country music trio Pistol Annies member Angaleena Presley. It was released via Thirty Tigers Records on April 21, 2017.
Revolution is the third studio album by American country music singer Miranda Lambert. It was released on September 29, 2009, via Columbia Records Nashville. The album includes the singles "Dead Flowers", "White Liar", "The House That Built Me", "Only Prettier", and "Heart Like Mine", all of which charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Pistol Annies are an American country music group composed of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. The trio gave its debut performance on April 4, 2011, on the CBS special Academy of Country Music's Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. The trio have released four studio albums for Sony Music Nashville.
Four the Record is the fourth studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Miranda Lambert. It was released on November 1, 2011, by RCA Records Nashville. This was her first studio album to be released from that label after a corporate reconstructing at Sony Music Nashville.
Hell on Heels is the first studio album by American country girl group Pistol Annies. The group consists of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. They released their single, "Hell on Heels," in May 2011 and released their debut album on August 23, 2011. Pistol Annies debuted at Number 1 on Billboard’s Country Album Chart with their introductory album, Hell On Heels. With more than 44,000 albums sold in the first week, with little to no promotion, the group landed at Number 5 on the Billboard 200 Chart. As of June 5, 2013, the album has sold 488,000 copies in the United States.
Angaleena Loletta McCoy Presley is an American country music singer-songwriter. She is a member of the country trio Pistol Annies, which was formed in 2011 with Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe, and has released two solo albums, American Middle Class (2014) and Wrangled (2017).
"Bruises" is a song by American pop rock band Train from their sixth studio album, California 37. The song features American country singer Ashley Monroe. It was released as the album's third single on October 5, 2012. "Bruises" was re-recorded with French-Canadian singer Marilou in both English and French for its Canadian single release.
Cheers, It's Christmas is the first Christmas album and seventh studio album by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released on October 2, 2012, through Warner Bros. Nashville. Shelton co-wrote three tracks for the album.
Racheal Lynn Woodward, better known as RaeLynn, is an American singer and songwriter who was a contestant on The Voice in season two (2012). She was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Like a Rose is the second studio album from American country music artist Ashley Monroe. The album was released on March 5, 2013, via Warner Bros. Nashville. The title track served as the album's first single and was released to radio a day before the album. "You Got Me" and "Weed Instead of Roses" were also released as singles.
"Boys 'Round Here" is a song written by Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Craig Wiseman and recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton. The song is credited to "Blake Shelton with Pistol Annies and Friends", as it features myriad vocal collaborators including the Pistol Annies, along with country singer RaeLynn, all three co-writers, and Scott Hendricks, who also produced the track.
Annie Up is the second studio album by American country girl group Pistol Annies, but this is the first album with RCA Nashville. The group consists of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. Annie Up started with 83,000 albums sold in the first week.
"Doin' What She Likes" is a song recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released in January 2014 as the fourth single from his seventh studio album, Based on a True Story.... The song was written by Wade Kirby and Phil O'Donnell.
Bringing Back the Sunshine is the ninth studio album by American country music singer Blake Shelton. The album was released on September 30, 2014, by Warner Bros. Nashville. The album was produced by Shelton's longtime producer Scott Hendricks. "Neon Light," the album's lead-off single, was released on August 18, 2014. The album's second single, "Lonely Tonight", received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
"Lonely Tonight" is a song written by Brent Anderson and Ryan Hurd and recorded by American country music singer Blake Shelton, featuring country singer and Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe. It was recorded for Shelton's eighth studio album, Bringing Back the Sunshine (2014) and was released to country radio in fall 2014 as the album's second single. The song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
The discography of American country artist Ashley Monroe consists of five full-length studio albums, two extended plays, nine singles, seven other appearances, and seven music videos. Following the death of her father in 2000, Monroe moved to Nashville, Tennessee as a teenager to pursue a music career. In 2006 and at age nineteen, she signed a contract with Columbia Records. She collaborated with producer Mark Wright on her debut studio album and released an advanced single in 2006 called "Satisfied". The song became a minor hit, only reaching the forty-third position on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. A second single "I Don't Want To" reached the top forty. Columbia failed to release her album until a top-twenty hit was created from the project. Meanwhile, advanced CD copies were briefly distributed. Monroe was eventually dropped from the label in 2007. However, it was eventually released as a digital download in 2009.
Satisfied is the debut studio album by American country artist Ashley Monroe. It was officially released on May 19, 2009, by Sony Music Entertainment and was produced by Mark Wright.
Interstate Gospel is the third studio album by American country supergroup Pistol Annies, and their second with RCA Nashville. It was released on November 2, 2018. It is their first album since 2013's Annie Up. It was nominated for Best Country Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards. It is their very first Grammy nomination. In 2019, Rolling Stone named Interstate Gospel as one of their top ten albums of the decade, ranking it at 9.