Lynne was born Shelby Lynne Moorer in Quantico, VA, in 1968 and grew up mostly in Jackson, AL. Her father was a local bandleader and her mother a harmony-singing teacher, and as children, she and her younger sister Allison -- later a country recording artist in her own right -- sometimes joined their parents on-stage to sing along. However, Lynne's father was a violent alcoholic who at one point had her thrown in jail; when Lynne was 17, he shot his wife dead in the family's driveway, then turned the gun on himself while his daughters looked on. Lynne took charge of raising her sister and married her high-school sweetheart (albeit briefly) prior to their move to Nashville. There, Lynne recorded some demo songs, which landed her an appearance on TNN's Nashville Now series. That in turn led to a duet with George Jones, 1988's Top 50 hit "If I Could Bottle This Up," and a record deal with Epic, where Lynne teamed with legendary producer Billy Sherrill for her 1989 debut album, Sunrise. The follow-up, 1990's Tough All Over, took more of a Reba McEntire-esque direction, and 1991's Soft Talk found Lynne moving into slick country-pop.
Lynne placed several songs on the country charts during this period, but none managed to break into the Top 20. Critics generally regarded her as a promising talent, and she even won the CMA's Horizon Award (given to the year's top emerging artist) in 1991. However, she was tiring of the lack of control she was afforded over her image and musical direction. She split from Epic and signed with the smaller Morgan Creek label, debuting with 1993's Temptation, an exercise in Bob Wills-style Western swing and big-band jazz. Unfortunately, the label folded not long after, and she moved on to Magnatone for 1995's Restless, which marked a return to contemporary-style country. Afterward, Lynne disappeared from recording for several years. During that time, she moved to Palm Springs, CA, and convinced producer Bill Bottrell - best known for his early work with Sheryl Crow - to work on her next album.
Lynne signed with Island Records and finally returned in 2000 with I Am Shelby Lynne. Effectively a roots rock album with Sheryl Crow overtones and strong hints of Lynne's eclecticism, the record was greeted enthusiastically in the U.K. and was released in the U.S. several months later. Positive word of mouth led to effusive critical praise, with many hailing I Am Shelby Lynne as a major statement of purpose as confident as its title's declaration. It won her a Grammy for Best New Artist in early 2001, and she began working on a follow-up with producer Glen Ballard, best known for his work with Alanis Morissette. Love, Shelby appeared later in 2001 but was received with confusion and disappointment by many reviewers, mainly because of its smoother, less country-infused production. Two years later, Lynne returned to form with Identity Crisis. Her debut release for Capitol, it was her most sensitive album yet. Suit Yourself appeared in spring 2005, and in 2008 an homage to Dusty Springfield, Just a Little Lovin', produced by Phil Ramone, was released on Lost Highway.
Lynne appeared as Peter Wolf's duet partner on the single "Tragedy," the leadoff single from his 2010 album Midnight Souvenirs, and made a performing appearance on Jimmy Fallon's late-night show with him. More importantly, less than a month later the Tears, Lies and Alibis album was released on her own Everso imprint, distributed by Fontana. Lynne wrote all ten songs on the recording, and cut it at home in Rancho Mirage, CA, as well as at the Rendering Plant in Nashville. She co-produced the album with Brian Harrison, and was able to coax a few former Muscle Shoals sidemen (most notably Spooner Oldham) to accompany her. After recording for over 20 years, Tears, Lies and Alibis marks the first album over which she had the freedom of complete creative control. - Allmusicguide
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