About the Artist
Every country artist once had a "day job" that commonly used music business term for an occupation that pays the bills and fills the void between hopeful aspiration and bonafide success. However, never in the history of country music has someone taken a more celebrated path on the road to their country music dream than Julianne Hough (pronounced "Huff").
A triple threat as a singer, actress and dancer, Julianne is already known to millions of fans as the two-time professional dance champion on ABC-TV's top-rated Dancing with the Stars (DWTS).
Though Julianne has been winning world dance titles since her early teens, her ultimate goal has always been a career in country music. Her newly signed deal with Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) is providing her the vehicle to realize that dream.
Growing up one of five Utah-born siblings, Julianne says her family was sometimes referred to as the "blonde Osmonds," earning a reputation for their talent and professionalism. At age 10 her parents separated and Julianne immersed herself in dancing. An opportunity presented itself to study performing arts in London, which started a period of intense training and being far away from family and in a fast-paced city, was forced to grow up fast.
After five years in the U.K., Julianne elected to leave behind a blossoming international career and move back to the U.S.
Talent, discipline and determination are a potent combination that generally prove skeptics wrong, and that's exactly what Julianne did. She moved to Los Angeles, knowing she could earn her living as a dancer while pursuing her musical dreams.
She started making regular trips to Nashville in the rare time she had off from the TV show and the DWTS tour, which led to her meeting producer David Malloy. The two teamed to record "Will You Dance With Me" for an American Red Cross fund raising project that benefited tornado victims.
Soon after, Julianne landed a deal with UMGN and a spot on the Mercury Nashville roster, a fitting home for a newcomer who cites Reba and Shania as her chief influences, both of which fall under UMGN.
Recorded in Nashville and produced by Malloy, Julianne's debut disc reveals her appreciation for country music's roots as well as her fresh-faced contributions to the genre's future. She has a warm, textured voice that is equally suited to feisty up-tempo tunes and contemplative ballads, both of which can be found on her debut.
Julianne Hough's debut is a compelling collection of songs about the joys and challenges of everyday life delivered by an evocative young voice. It's the perfect vehicle to carry her from her successful day job to the realization of a dream come true.
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