Greatest Hits (2004)

Lee Ann Womack graduated from high school and entered college when she was only 17. Her parents let her go all the way across the state to attend South Plains Junior College's renowned music program, where she became part of the school's Country Caravan band. But Nashville was really the place Lee Ann had always dreamed of being. After only a year of school in West Texas, she enrolled in the music business program at Belmont University in Nashville. "I lived in the dorm, so my parents felt I was safe and could get a hot meal three times a day in the cafeteria," she laughs. Still, her parents supported her dream. While attending classes Lee Ann took on a job as an intern at MCA Nashville. "I was your typical gopher," she says, with a smile that makes it clear she is grateful for the experience. Before long, Lee Ann was married to her first husband, singer/songwriter Jason Sellers, and had her first child, Aubrie Lee. While Sellers toured the world, Lee Ann found herself sitting at home, feeling sorry for herself. It didn't take long for her drive to kick back into gear. "One day I just got up and I said ÔI'm doing something about my career.' So I did." Since she couldn't afford a babysitter, Lee Ann took the baby along with her as she knocked on the doors of Music Row, handing out demos. "I was even more determined to succeed after I had Aubrie," she says. "Everyone kept telling me that once I had a baby, I'd never become a singer. And I wanted to prove them wrong." Lee Ann had been in Nashville 10 years before her determination really paid off. In 1995 she secured a songwriting job at Sony/Tree, where she learned the ropes. In 1997 her refusal to give up paid off when executives from Decca Records caught a showcase she was doing and immediately signed her to their label. Lee Ann released her debut album from Decca, and it quickly struck a chord with country music lovers. The self-titled album produced her first #1 single, "The Fool," and went platinum. A y