In a field historically dominated by men, these female country singers from Texas have consistently held their own and gone on to become some of the genre’s biggest icons.
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Keep on scrolling below to find out fifteen iconic female country artists who hail from The Lone Star State that you might not know about.
1. Barbara Mandrell
Born in Houston, Texas, Barbara Mandrell is one of the most successful female vocalists in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to being honored with The Pioneer Award – which is the Academy of Country Music’s highest award – Mandrell was also inducted into the Music Hall of Fame.
2. Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack was known for her adult contemporary crossover hits. The Texas native got her footing in Music City as a songwriter during the 90s, including writing Ricky Skaggs’ “I Don’t Remember Forgetting.”
She had her first hit as a solo artist when she released her self-titled debut album in 1997 but had even more success with “I Hope You Dance” three years later.
3. Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is definitely one of the most famous female country singers from Texas – the most significant artist to emerge in the early years of the 21st century.
Lambert was born and raised in a house dedicated to country music in Longview, Texas. She started her career joining country talent contests, including an appearance at the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas. Eventually, she landed a recording contract with Sony, and the rest was history.
4. Kacey Musgraves
Born in Golden, Texas, Kacey Musgraves started her career in music recording demos and performing at small music festivals. She came to prominence when she first appeared on the American reality television singing competition, Nashville Star, in 2007. Since then, she has released several albums and won numerous awards.
5. Tanya Tucker
The Grammy-winning Americana singer-songwriter was barely a teenager when she made her first splash on the music scene, but she has proven that she’s no one-hit-wonder. Hailing from Seminole, Texas, Tucker’s career yielded dozens of crossover hits, as well as award nominations and wins.
6. LeAnn Rimes
Though LeAnn Rimes was born in Jackson, Mississippi, she was raised in Garland, Texas. She was only eleven years old when she released her first album on an independent record label – and with her rich vocals, she made her breakthrough into country music and attained widespread national acclaim.
7. Maren Morris
While growing up in Arlington, Texas, Maren Morris always had her eyes on the prize: life as a country singer-songwriter. She began singing at country fairs, playing at honky-tonks until she broke into Nashville’s tough songwriting market and eventually became a commercial success as well as a critical favorite.
In total, Morris earned thirteen major award nominations – winning two of them, including the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance.
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8. Maddie Marlow
One half of the country duo Maddie and Tae, Maddie Marlow is from Sugar Land, Texas. Marlow, together with Taylor “Tae” Dye, took the country music industry by storm with their debut single, “Girl in a Country Song,” and quickly became superstars.
9. Danielle Bradbery
The Texas native shot to fame after competing and winning season four of NBC’s The Voice in 2013. She immediately landed a record deal with Big Machine Records and released her self-titled debut album.
10. Sunny Sweeney
Sunny Sweeney only pursued music after finishing her public relations degree at Texas State University. And the moment she did, she managed to grab the attention of various music critics, landed a record deal with Big Machine, and released her debut album in 2007.
11. Holly Dunn
Holly Dunn grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She is one of the pioneers in this mostly male-dominated recording industry. She had several hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including 1986’s “Daddy’s Hands,” which she wrote as a tribute to her father.
12. Lisa Hartman Black
Lisa Hartman Black breakthrough as an actress in 1982, but she also has her fair share of country hits. She recorded four solo albums from 1976 to 1987 and achieved notable success with a duet with her husband, Clint Black, entitled “When I Said I Do.” The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and earned a Grammy Award nomination.
13. Linda Davis
After fifteen years playing backup to famous stars such as George Strait, Kenny Rogers, and Reba McEntire, Linda Davis finally made a name in country music. Davis grew up in the small town of Carthage, Texas, and started her career in music as a performer on the weekly radio show called the Louisiana Hayride.
14. Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin may be the Queen of Rock, but she showcased her country blues roots at small venues in Texas with tunes such as Hoyt Axton’s “I Ain’t Gotta Worry.”
15. Cindy Walker
Among the female country singers from Texas-born under the cancer sign is Cindy Walker, who may not be as recognized as Loretta Lynn or Patsy Cline – but her influence is just as strong. She has written more than a hundred songs that were covered by artists such as Bob Wills, Ray Charles, Michael Bublé, and many more. And she didn’t just write songs; she also recorded and released her own – earning her a lot of fans.
Indeed, these famous singers from Texas have made significant contributions to the genre throughout history.
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