Nashville Star helped launch Miranda Lambert's career as a country singer, but she was apparently pleased to not be crowned the reality series' first-season winner.
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The Lord answered Lambert's prayers, as the 23-year-old Lindale, TX-native finished third on Nashville Star's 2003 edition. However it apparently took a couple of tries before she even made as far in the competition as she did.
"I was living with my parents, playing in bars every weekend," Lambert told Blender. "I auditioned for Nashville Star in Dallas with 250 people, and I didn't make the Top 30. I wore a hideous outfit -- tight black pants and a sparkly blue shirt -- sang a Shania Twain song, and I kind of sucked. My heart wasn't into it. Two weeks later, I went to another audition in Houston, sang 'Crazy' and ended up winning."
Although it took a few years, Lambert has emerged as the biggest success story out of Nashville Star's five seasons -- receiving a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her single "Kerosene," which was a track from her March 2005 debut album of the same name. The debut album dropped at No. 1 on Billboard's country album chart, and Lambert attributes its success to its good ole' country vibe.
"To me, country music is about drinkin' and cheatin'," Lambert told Blender. "It's about depressing stuff. For a while, country radio was playing only feel-good songs: It was all about 'Everyday is beautiful,' 'I'm so blessed.' And I'm like, 'What?' I don't want to hear a song like that on a s**tty day. And people driving home from work don't want to hear that either."
Lambert's upbringing played a role in the music she pens, telling Blender she grew-up "pretty poor" and adding when she was 5-years-old her family "couldn't afford a house anymore" so they moved in with her uncle. But she said being "spoiled" by her parents despite their financial plight is more than likely what brings out the fire in her music.
"I got so much attention fro my parents. That's probably my problem now," she told Blender. "I want to be hugged; I want to be loved. You wouldn't think that, with my personality and the tattoo on my arm. But I need a lot of attention."
A lack of recognition shouldn't be a problem for Lambert, as her second album "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" was released May 1 and peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's country album chart, just like "Kerosene." It currently sits at No. 18.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
