At 16, Jo Dee Messina put together a band, handling publicity, marketing, booking and set lists. When she moved to Nashville, she also found a home on a radio show where producer Byron Gallimore heard her. Soon, she had a record deal with RCA but was dropped due to a change in management. Frustrated, she found comfort in watching her friend Tim McGraw become a superstar. As McGraw’s guest backstage, Messina approached a label executive and jokingly said, “I was thinking … y’all need a redhead on this label.” Her boldness caught his attention, and the label did eventually sign her. Her first album quickly charted two Top 10 hits. She released the enthusiastic album I’m Alright in 1998. With four huge radio hits, the album was certified double platinum, and she won the CMA’s Horizon Award in 1999. The follow-up, Burn, was certified platinum. She also scored a hit with “Bring on the Rain,” with McGraw on harmonies. She released Greatest Hits in 2003. After a few years away, Messina rebounded with the sassy No. 1 hit single, “My Give a Damn’s Busted,” on her 2005 album, Delicious Surprise. The three Unmistakable EPs appeared in 2010, and Me arrived in 2014. Jo Dee Messina continues to tour the country.
