Nelly Joy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Danelle Leverett |
| Origin | Amarillo, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, pop, folk |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
Nelly Joy (born Danelle Leverett) is an American singer-songwriter known for her work as a founding member of the country duo The JaneDear Girls and later as a member of the group Gone West. [1] [2] As a songwriter, she has been credited on songs recorded by artists including Kelly Clarkson and Big & Rich. [3] [4]
Joy is from Amarillo, Texas. She moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting and music performance and attended Abilene Christian University. [5]
Joy formed the duo The JaneDear Girls with Susie Brown. [6] The act received national press coverage during the early 2010s and released music on Warner Bros. Records. [7] Media coverage from the period also discussed the duo's touring and television appearances. [8]
Joy has been credited as a songwriter on songs recorded by other artists. She was a co-writer of "The Sun Will Rise," a track recorded by Kelly Clarkson for the deluxe edition of Clarkson's 2011 album, Stronger . [9] She also co-wrote "That's Why I Pray," recorded by Big & Rich. [10]
Joy later joined Gone West, a group featuring Colbie Caillat, Jason Reeves, and Justin Young. [11] MusicRow reported that the group signed with Triple Tigers Records for its early releases. [12] The group's debut album Canyons received coverage from outlets including Billboard and People. [13] [14]