Anita Cochran

Location:
Nashville, Tennessee, US
Type:
Artist / Band / Musician
Genre:
Country / Bluegrass / Folk Rock
Site(s):
Label:
Straybranch
Type:
Indie
Maybe Anita Cochran’s parents were intuitive or just loved Country music so much that they named their daughter after the great Anita Carter, from the legendary and history making, Carter Family. Anita, a critically acclaimed artist, writer, producer and instrumentalist, made history when she became the first woman in Country music to write, sing, produce and play multi-instruments, including lead guitar on her debut album, “Back To You.”



The debut that spawned the No.1 Country single, “What If I Said,” a duet with Steve Wariner, was released in 1997 on Warner Bros. The album, “Back To You,” was co-produced by Cochran and Jim Ed Norman, who was president of Warner’s at the time. Norman signed Anita almost immediately after meeting the artist and learning that she played all of the instruments on the tracks that he was so impressed by on her demo tape.



“What If I Said,” brought Cochran a No.1 song but also acclaim, winning the TNN/Music City News Award for Vocal Collaboration of the Year. The song also picked up nominations for CMA and ACM awards.



Cochran, who has had her own mini recording studio since age-10, became an overnight favorite on the Grand Ole Opry. When Anita Carter passed in 1999, Cochran was invited onto the Opry stage to perform a tribute to the artist- "I was already booked to play and Opry manager, Pete Fisher came up to me that night and said, 'I know you were named after Anita Carter. Would you do a tribute song?' I said, 'I would be honored.' A few minutes later, he came up to me and said, 'Your mom and dad are with you, aren't they? I know they always come to the Opry when you play. Would they want to come up and sing with you?”



Cochran’s parents, Matthew and Sarah are from Kentucky and later moved to Michigan, where Anita grew up. Dedicated musicians in their own right, it was obviously their dream as well to play the storied Opry stage- ‘We did “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,”

And after we were finished, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash called to thank us. It was probably the highlight of my life.”



Anita’s 2nd CD, “Anita,” caught the eye of the people producing the “Dukes of Hazard,” made for TV movie, “The Dukes Of Hazard in Hollywood.” She co-starred in the production along with Toby Keith, playing the character of Anita Blackwell. Four Cochran songs were prominently featured in the movie.



Recently Cochran has been producing other artists while still writing songs of her own. Cochran and longtime friend Mark Thompson co-produced the latest Tammy Cochran (no relation) CD and this past summer she has been on the road in Terri Clark’s band as a guest guitarist.



Her and Thompson have formed Straybranch Records. “It’s really more of a production company than a label,’ says Anita. The company that will be dedicated to producing music for artists like Tammy Cochran, who have had commercial success but are no longer on a major record label.



First and foremost, Cochran is an artist and she’s been in the studio in between all of her other ventures, getting her own album ready, hoping to see it released before the calendar turns to 2008-



Since she writes all her music, plays virtually all the instruments and produces it herself- it takes a little longer- it will be worth the wait.



You can purchase her music at www.iTunes.com.
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