Gretchen Peters
Background information
Born (1957-11-14) November 14, 1957
Bronxville, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • piano
  • vocals
Years active1996–present
Labels
  • Imprint
  • Purple Crayon
  • Scarlet Letter
Websitewww.gretchenpeters.com

Gretchen Peters (born November 14, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in Bronxville, New York, and she wrote her first song with her sister at the age of 5. In 1970, her parents broke up, and Peters moved with her mother to Boulder, Colorado. There, she discovered a lively music scene, and began playing at local clubs. In 1988 she moved to Nashville, where she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, Neil Diamond and co-writing songs with Bryan Adams.[1][2] Some of Peters' notable compositions include "The Secret of Life", "On a Bus to St. Cloud", "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" and "Independence Day", for which she received the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year. In addition, Peters has released fourteen studio albums of her own, beginning with 1996's The Secret of Life.

As a writer, Peters' style is defined by melancholy lyrics and dark themes, such as murder, loneliness, PTSD, sexual abuse, domestic violence. She was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 5, 2014.[3] On August 12, 2022, Peters announced her intention to retire from touring, playing her final shows in June 2023, though she will continue to write and record.[4]

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak positions
UK
[5]
The Secret of Life
Gretchen Peters
  • Release date: February 13, 2001
  • Label: Purple Crayon Records
Halcyon
  • Release date: May 31, 2004
  • Label: Purple Crayon Records
Trio: Recorded Live
  • Release date: March 28, 2006
  • Label: Purple Crayon Records
Burnt Toast & Offerings
  • Release date: August 7, 2007
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
Northern Lights
  • Release date: October 21, 2008
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
One to the Heart, One to the Head
(with Tom Russell)
  • Release date: February 1, 2009
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
Circus Girl: The Best Of
(single CD and 2-CD versions)
  • Release date: May 12, 2009
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
Hello Cruel World
  • Release date: January 31, 2012
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
70
Woman on the Wheel: Live from the Hello Cruel World Tour 2012 (Limited Edition Book/CD/DVD)
  • Release date: May 7, 2013
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
Blackbirds
  • Release date: February 10, 2015
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
39
Dancing with the Beast
  • Release date: May 18, 2018
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
87
The Night You Wrote That Song
  • Release date: May 15, 2020
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
The Show: Live from the UK
  • Release date: August 19, 2022
  • Label: Scarlet Letter Records
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
1996 "When You Are Old" 68 The Secret of Life
"I Ain't Never Satisfied"[6]
2012 "Hello Cruel World" Hello Cruel World
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Guest singles

Year Single Artist Peak positions Album
US Country
1999 "New Year's Eve 1999" Alabama 55

Music videos

Year Video Director
1996 "When You Are Old"[7] Bud Schaetzle
2012 "The Matador" Bud Schaetzle
2015 "Blackbirds" Eric Power
2018 "Arguing With Ghosts" Joshua Britt & Neilson Hubbard/Neighborhoods Apart

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated WorkResult
1995Country Music AssociationSong of the Year"Independence Day"Won
1995Grammy AwardsBest Country SongNominated
1996Grammy Awards"You Don't Even Know Who I Am"Nominated
1996Academy of Country MusicSong of the YearNominated
2002Golden GlobesBest Original Song"Here I Am"Nominated
2016UK Americana AssociationInternational Album of the YearBlackbirdsWon
2016UK Americana AssociationInternational Artist of the YearGretchen PetersNominated
2016UK Americana AssociationInternational Song of the Year (shared with Ben Glover)"Blackbirds"Won
2021Academy of Country MusicPoet's AwardGretchen PetersWon

References

  1. Biography at Allmusic.com, Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  2. Video on YouTube
  3. Archived October 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "An announcement". 12 August 2022.
  5. "Gretchen Peters | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  6. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. June 15, 1996.
  7. "CMT : Videos : Gretchen Peters : When You Are Old". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
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