Hold your applause for "easy" career paths, because Miranda Lambert, the reigning queen of country music, is here to set the record straight: her journey to the top was more of a Texas-sized two-step through a field of prickly pear cacti than a breezy stroll down a red carpet.
In a refreshingly candid interview with Texas Monthly, Lambert spills the tea (and maybe a few shot glasses of tequila) about her early struggles navigating the male-dominated world of Texas country music.
“We Don’t Hire Girls”: The Early Days of a Country Rebel
Picture this: you’re a young, fiercely talented Miranda Lambert, guitar in hand, ready to conquer the Texas music scene. Only problem? The gatekeepers of honky-tonk heaven weren't exactly lining up to hand over the stage.
"It's not a bad thing or a good thing,” Lambert reflected, her signature mix of grace and grit shining through. “It just is what it is."
That "it" involved countless dusty dive bars, smoky honky-tonks, and rowdy rodeos, where Lambert cut her teeth and proved her mettle one electrifying performance at a time.
Booking agents, stuck in their old-fashioned ways, would tell her parents, "Well, we don't hire girls. Girls don't draw."
Her response? She'd let her music do the talking, often with a little help from her dad, who Lambert revealed would slip folks "50 bucks to let me get onstage."
Kacey Musgraves, Nashville Star, and an Uphill Battle for Radio Play
Even with undeniable talent and the grit of a true Texas tornado, Lambert's path to success was anything but linear.
The article is not finished. Click on the next page to continue.
The article is not finished. Click on the next page to continue.
Next page
