Roxie Dean

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Roxie Dean


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Background = solo_singer
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Born = birth date and age|1974|03|23
Origin = Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Instrument = Vocals
Genre = Country
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Years_active = 2001-present
Label = DreamWorks Nashville
Valhalla Music Group
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Roxie Dean is a U.S. country music songwriter and singer. In 2005 she released her debut album, "Ms. America". Her songwriting career includes a 2001 Nashville Songwriters Association International "Top 10 Songs That You Wish You’d Written" award for "Why They Call It Falling" (co-written with Don Schlitz), and a Grammy nomination for co-writing "When I Think About Angels."

Early life and career

Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where French was the primary language spoken in her home, Dean recalls her father playing the guitar until she would fall asleep. Before settling in her music career, Dean worked various jobs including retail sales, coordinating events for Toyota in Huntington Beach, California, and farming.

Dean wrote material during her two years at Iowa’s Graceland College on a softball scholarship and while back in Louisiana completing a journalism degree. After graduation she tried unsuccessfully to establish herself in Nashville as a country music artist. She then left for California, where she worked for Toyota. A screening of George Strait’s "Pure Country" motivated her return to Nashville. She began to socialize with a friend from Louisiana who was connected to music industry insiders in the city. This friend, along with Rivers Rutherford (author of Brooks & Dunn's "Ain't Nothing 'bout You", Chely Wright's "Shut Up and Drive" and Montgomery Gentry's "If You Ever Stop Loving Me", among others), helped to find her direction.

Later career

Country music producer Chips Moman offered to let Dean run his farm. While tending the farm, Dean focused on her songwriting and worked with Moman on one of her projects. She scored her first major successes when Jamie O'Neal posted a #1 hit with "When I Think About Angels", Lee Ann Womack recorded "Why They Call It Falling", and Tracy Lawrence produced "Lonely." Dean also worked with producer/label exec Harold Shedd and publisher Lionel Conway, then with Maverick Music. After the company went out of business, Ginny Johnson of Hamstein Productions called Dean.

She then began working with producer Buddy Cannon (Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, George Jones). James Stroud worked with her beginning in 2001, when she signed with DreamWorks Records, over which Stroud presided. But with the coming of a merger, Dean and Dreamworks ended association in 2003. "It hurt and was quite a blow at first when I left Dreamworks. But I knew I always had songwriting. So, that’s what I turned to," Dean was quoted as saying.

Her song "A Soldier's Wife" was "taken from a woman's perspective on the war," Dean said. She partnered with Valhalla Music Group to release "A Soldier's Wife" to the public (produced by Herb Tassin). Wives, mothers and children of soldiers in Iraq have sent thank you emails and letters of confirmation after seeing her performance. A portion of all of the proceeds were donated to the Armed Forces Relief Trust/Operation Helping Hand.

In 2005 Dean released her debut album "Ms. America", which included "A Soldier's Wife" and "Why They Call it Falling." She continued her songwriting for other artists; Reba McEntire's "Room to Breathe" (2003) featured "My Sister" and Sara Evans' "Real Fine Place" (2005) included "Coalmine", both co-written by Dean.

Discography

Albums

*"Ms. America" (2005)

ingles

External links

* [http://www.roxiedean.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.ecowboy.com/music/roxiedean.htm Profile of Roxie Dean at ecowboy.com]
* [http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsal/gr/blmsamerica.htm Review of "Ms. America"] at About.com
* [http://wc10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=ROXIE|DEAN&sql=11:fvfpxqekldse~T0 Roxie Dean] at Allmusic.com
* [http://www.tv.com/roxie-dean/person/294937/summary.html?q= Roxie Dean] at TV.com