Jo Dee Messina

Jo-Dee Marie Messina (born August 25, 1970 in Framingham, Massachusetts) is is a country music singer. She has had several number one hits and two platinum albums. She?s known for her fiery personality and strong life-affirming music including fun, kiss-off songs.

Early years

Raised in Holliston, Massachusetts, she sought to be a singer from a young age, causing her mother, Mary, to drive her to public performances.

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At age 16, Messina formed her own band, handling publicity, marketing and song selection. In her high school year book she wrote that she aspired to have a single out on country radio someday. At age 19 she packed up all she could and drove to Nashville with little money and no contacts in the music business. The feisty redhead was determined to make her dream come true.

Related Topics:
Band - Radio - Nashville

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Soon after arriving in Nashville, she met then-struggling singer Tim McGraw. The two became close friends.

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Messina?s struggled for the first couple years in Nashville. She entered and won talent contests around town and took up odd jobs to make ends meet, including a stint as a bartender. She managed to get a regular gig on the local Nashville radio show ?Live at Libby?s? where she caught the attention of producer Byron Gallimore. With his help, Messina started making inroads into the Nashville music community.

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All looked up when she was signed with RCA, but was subsequently dropped from the label after a management shakeup. Meanwhile, her friend Tim McGraw was having modest success on country radio and she watched as his stardom began to take off.

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As McGraw?s backstage guest during Fan Fair in the early 90s, Messina approached an executive from McGraw?s record label and joked they needed a redhead on their roster. Her boldness caught the attention of Curb Records and not too long after she was signed to a recording contract. She reports selecting what she wanted to be her first ten singles from over 1,000 songs.

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