b. 25 August 1970, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA. Singer-songwriter Jo Dee Messina began her career as a teenager playing in local country bands around New England. By the age of 19 she had decamped to Nashville, where she struggled on the local talent show circuit. Eventually producer James Stroud at Curb Records took a chance on her. She finally announced herself with the US country hit ‘Heads Carolina, Tails California’ in 1996, and seemed set fair for a successful career with the release of her self-titled debut album (produced by Tim McGraw and Byron Gallimore). However, while attempting to write a follow-up she underwent severe financial problems, and had to hand back the keys of the tour bus she had leased. By December 1997 her house was on the market owing to touring debts. However, 1998 proved a better year. ‘Bye Bye’ performed well on country radio before she triumphed once again with ‘I’m Alright’ in August, which spent two weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The single’s success enabled Messina to pay off some of her debts and take her home back off the market. An excellent album of the same title followed, once again produced in collaboration with McGraw and Gallimore.
Messina’s third album, Burn, was a blistering assault on the ears, featuring a full production, almost metallic guitars and rousing choruses. Messina may have strayed away from country, but the commercial appeal of her music remained undeniably great, with Burn hitting the number 1 position in the country album chart in August 2000. A seasonal collection followed in 2002 and a compilation set the year after, but in 2004 Messina was admitted to an alcohol rehabilitation unit after acknowledging her problem. She bounced back into the country charts in 2005 with the single ‘My Give A Damn’s Busted’ and a new album which entered the charts at number 1.
