The city of Garland has announced that the downtown square will reopen Oct. 14 and that Garland native LeAnn Rimes will attend the event. Rimes, a music artist, actor and author was born in Jackson, Mississippi on Aug. 28, 1982. She moved to Garland with her family at the age of 6.
She regularly performed at the Garland Opry and Mesquite Opry and often sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at Dallas Cowboys games. Rimes also competed in music contests and performed in musical theater productions. The singer got her first big break on the television show “Star Search.”
She rose to stardom in 1996 with the country mega-hit “Blue,” written by Bill Mack, a Dallas disc jockey and record promoter. Her album of the same name sold over six million copies.
In 1997, she released pop song, “How Do I Live” which became one of the best-selling songs of the 1990s. It remained on Billboard’s “Hot 100” for 69 weeks.
The cross-over music star has had over 40 singles on international charts since the release of “Blue.” She has sold over 37 million records worldwide, with 20.8 million in the U.S.
Her parents noticed her singing ability when she was a toddler and enrolled her in singing and dance lessons. Rimes recorded two studio albums during her preteen years.
Her voice and singing style have often been compared to that of Patsy Cline.
The multi-platinum selling singer has won multiple awards and received various accolades. Some of the awards she has received include:
- American Music Award
- ASCAP Songwriter Award
- Two Grammy Awards
- 12 Billboard Music Awards
- Two World Music Awards
- Three Academy of Country Music Awards
- Two Country Music Association Awards
- A Dove Award
- At 14, became the youngest recipient of a Grammy Award
- Ally of Equity Award by Human Rights Campaign
- 2019 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy
- 2009 ACM Humanitarian Award
Note: The Garland Opry hosted Saturday night shows in downtown Garland from 1971-2007. Rimes, along with two members of the Dixie Chicks, performed there.