Carter, Deana

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DEANA CARTER

Born: Nashville, Tennessee, 4 January 1966

Genre: Country

Best-selling album since 1990: Did I Shave My Legs for This? (1996)

Hit songs since 1990: "Strawberry Wine," "How Do I Get There"

The daughter of the session guitarist Fred Carter, Jr., Deana Carter struggled for years to find a niche in the country music industry before her 1996 debut album, Did I Shave My Legs for This?, made her a star. Like singers Faith Hill and Lee Ann Womack, Carter came to represent the new pop sound of 1990s country, even though her folk-oriented style also suggested the 1990s rock star Sheryl Crow. After spending nearly five years out of the spotlight because of personal problems and conflicts with her record company, Carter returned in 2003 sporting a new sound that owed an even greater debt to pop. Carter's voice, sweet and girlish with a hint of grit, has been well served by her intelligent, uncluttered songwriting.

Although she grew up in the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, Carter was introduced to a diverse array of music through the influence of her father, who played guitar on the recordings of many country and rock stars of the 1960s and 1970s. With his help Carter first tried to secure a recording contract at age seventeen. After that attempt failed, she entered the University of Tennessee and received a degree in rehabilitation therapy. Carter spent several years working in hospitals before deciding to make another stab at a music career, cleaning bathrooms and selling china door-to-door while honing her songwriting and guitar playing. In 1994 the country-music legend Willie Nelson heard one of her demo tapes and hired her to perform in his annual Farm Aid concert. That appearance led to a recording contract with Capitol Records.

Carter's debut album, Did I Shave My Legs for This?, appeared in the summer of 1996 and, thanks to its appealing melodies and personal lyrics, became an immediate hit. On songs such as "Love Ain't Worth Making" and the tongue-in-cheek title track, Carter displayed the ability to craft compelling songs with clear through-lines, capturing key ideas while avoiding the trite details that sometimes hamper modern country songwriting. In keeping with the popularity of 1990s rock performers such as Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette, Carter's songs evince a feminist slant; her infectious humor and working-class perspective, however, secure her ties to traditional country. On the title track, for example, she mocks a husband who prefers beer to romance: "Here I stand / Over this frying pan / And you want a cold one again." But the album's most memorable hit comes with a song Carter did not write, "Strawberry Wine," a sensitive coming-of-age ballad with a lilting melody. The album provides a showcase for Carter's appealing voice and straight-from-the-hip personality. In keeping with her trademark forthrightness, Carter often performed barefoot and wore a fifty-dollar halter dress to the elegant People's Choice Awards in 1997.

Carter's follow-up album, Everything's Gonna Be Alright (1998), edged more toward a pop-rock sound. Despite strong material the album lacks a distinctive identity, Carter's sharp-edged personality sounding diffused. The album was a surprise commercial failure, with only two of its songs hitting the lower reaches of the country charts. The years that followed were marked by trouble. Although Carter released a Christmas album for a small label in 2001, she was otherwise inactive on the recording front, fighting with Capitol Records over the songs to be included on a prospective album. In 2002, recovering from a divorce, she pled guilty to a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI). Despite her problems, Carter retained her sunny personality and re-emerged in 2003 with I'm Just a Girl, her first album for Arista Records. Composed of songs Carter had been working on for three years, I'm Just a Girl largely eschews country for a California pop-rock sound heavily influenced by the 1960s group the Beach Boys. While the breezy title track is tuneful and appealing, critics complained that product-heavy lyrics such as "I'm a Chevy girl" sound fabricated and shallow. "Cover of a Magazine" has the feel of personal experience, as the narrator criticizes supermarket tabloids while stating her desire to appear on the cover of a Cosmo -style publication. Reviewers observed that the album's pop approach is not always successful. For example, the otherwise fine ballad "Wildflower" is marred by a loud guitar part that turns the song into hard rock overdrive midway through. These flaws aside, I'm Just a Girl signals a welcome return for a likable performer.

Deana Carter's personal songwriting and sweet, dusky voice brought an individualized edge to late-1990s country. Although she failed to follow her impressive debut with additional hits, Carter remains a strong talent who combines country's twang and humor with the accessibility of pop.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Did I Shave My Legs for This? (Capitol, 1996); Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Capitol, 1998); Father Christmas (Rounder, 2001); I'm Just a Girl (Arista, 2003).