For Lorrie Morgan, everything finally fits. In life and in art, the glamorous and gifted country stunner has a new record label, a renewed alliance with a mega-hit producer, a great husband and home life, confidence, contentment, and a spectacular new album.
“Everything fits,” she says, “If there could be any theme, it would just be that everything fits.”
And Show Me How, the twelfth LP in her stellar career, is sure to fit snugly at the top of country music’s charts. The album is a collection of eleven songs that examine life from the perspective of lessons learned and wisdom earned. On it Morgan tells tales of love, friendship, family, and flirting with clear authority but leaves any trace of melodramatic angst behind. It’s simply a mature yet witty take on reaching a point in life where you’ve learned enough to feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. Which is exactly where Lorrie Morgan is now.
“I wanted it to be parallel to my life,” Morgan says about the album.“I didn’t want to record anything that I couldn’t relate to, that I haven’t lived or haven’t experienced and everything we found, I think, was very mature sounding, livable, very seasoned songs.”
For Show Me How Morgan has reunited with veteran producer Richard Landis who was behind some of the biggest hits of her career including “Something in Red,” and “Watch Me”. The two were granted complete creative control by her new label Image Entertainment. Morgan says the label’s hands-off approach allowed her and Landis to make a record that is more creative and honest than anything she has ever recorded.
“When you go in and tell an artist and producer what they should and shouldn’t do, you’re not going to get anything that has magic or real feeling,” Morgan says. “And Richard and I were allowed to have all that control and it was awesome.”
With songs from some of Nashville’s most respected songwriters, and a cream-of-the-crop collection of musicians, Morgan and Landis have created a record that is not only heartfelt and soulful, but undeniably country.
“I wanted this album to be what made me fall in love with music and that was country music,” Morgan says. “I wanted to make sure that people knew that country music was and still is the love of my life. That’s what this album is about. It’s about what kind of music I love, and that’s country.”
Morgan’s authenticity as a country artist is irrefutable. She was literally a child of the Grand Ole Opry, tagging along as her father, the late George Morgan, performed every weekend from the hallowed wooden stage. Lorrie made her debut appearance at 13, knock-kneed and shaking as her dad watched her charm the audience with the developing sultry alto which has become one of the most distinctive and moving voices in the country genre. If pedigree is not proof enough, Morgan’s life itself is testament to the themes that make country music rich with the soaring highs and crushing lows of real life. She began her career as a chorus performer in stage shows at Opryland amusement park while she sang demos for Nashville songwriters. Because of her dedication to the Grand Ole Opry, Morgan was invited to become a member in 1984, long before she released her platinum-selling debut album Leave the Light On in 1989. Her next two albums Something in Red (1991) and Watch Me (1992) were also certified platinum and sent Morgan on a dizzying rise to stardom.
Lorrie quickly became one of country music’s most popular and successful female artists charting over a dozen top ten hits including “Five Minutes,” “What Part of No,” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” which all landed at number one. Recognized as a creative force in music videos, Lorrie charted eight number one videos at CMT. Praise from her peers and fans followed, and Morgan earned nine industry awards including four wins as Female Vocalist of the Year (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998). She made countless appearances on major network television shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Good Morning America, among others.
But it has been life’s events off-stage that have kept her grounded. Morgan has said that, in some ways, her life is like a country song as she’s experienced so many different roles including daughter, single mother, widow, divorcee, and above all, survivor.
All of those people speak clearly on Show Me How. “It’s everything into one. It’s everything I am,” she says. “It’s sentimental, humorous, sensitive, romantic, everything I am, this album is about. “
I created my own profile using nUCLEArcENTURy.COM
