1990s country: Where are Joe Diffie, LeAnn Rimes, Deana Carter and more now?
The 1990s were a beloved era in country music that lifted Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn to superstardom.
There were other country artists, though, who made a name for themselves in the '90s. Today, many are still staying busy in the studio, on stage and on screen.
Here's a look at where some are now.
Deana Carter
Deana Carter influenced a generation of female country singers with her nostalgic “Strawberry Wine” in 1996. Today, Carter uses California as her home base. She spends much of her time songwriting, playing shows and acting. Carter was recently in the movie “Running from My Roots,” for which she also produced the soundtrack.
Billy Dean
Country music fans met Billy Dean in 1990 when he broke through with hit songs including “Only Here for a Little While” and “Somewhere in My Broken Heart.” His career continued through the decade with hits including “Billy the Kid,” “If There Hadn’t Been You” and “Tryin’ to Hide a Fire in the Dark.” These days, Dean lives in his native Florida and recently completed his first gospel album, “Billy Dean & Friends: Gospel Favorites.” The track list includes “In the Garden,” “Blessed Assurance” and “I Saw the Light.”
John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery won the adoration of country music fans with his up-tempo tongue twister “Sold (the Grundy County Auction Incident)” in 1995 and charted other hits, including “Life’s a Dance” and “Be My Baby Tonight,” before he hit listeners in the heart in 2000 with “The Little Girl.” Almost 20 years later, Montgomery still spends much of the year on tour, is contemplating a new album and is pleased as punch for his son Walker Montgomery, who is following in his footsteps in country music.
Pam Tillis
Pam Tillis, daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis, stepped out of her father’s shadow in the early ‘90s with hit songs including “Maybe it was Memphis,” “Shake the Sugar Tree” and “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.” Pam Tillis is still bringing those hits to life each night on stage. And while she hasn’t released a solo project since 2007’s “RhineStoned,” she’s currently in the recording studio working on an album projected to be released later this year.
Aaron Tippin
Aaron Tippin has always been a man of many interests — singing, songwriting, flying and fitness. Tippin landed his first hit in 1991 with “You’ve Got to Stand for Something” then continued to charm country music listeners with “That’s as Close as I’ll Get to Loving You,” “My Blue Angel” and “Kiss This.” He celebrated 25 years in country music in 2015 with his double album “25 Years” and currently has a year of concert dates on the books. At 60 years old, Tippin is still an avid bodybuilder and pilot and has added winemaking to his repertoire. He teamed with Stonehaus Winery to create blackberry and cherry wines, and his Kiss This sweet cherry wine is still available.
Joe Diffie
Joe Diffie dominated the ‘90s with songs including “Ships That Don’t Come In,” “John Deere Green,” “Pickup Man” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” In November, the Grammy winner released “Quit You,” the second single from his new album “I Got This,” which is due this year.
LeAnn Rimes
In 1996 LeAnn Rimes was a teenage country newcomer who wowed critics and fans with the depth of her voice on her breakthrough single, “Blue.” The song led to her Grammy win for Best New Artist as well as Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Now Rimes calls California home and has tightened her focus on her acting career. She recently starred in and recorded music for the Hallmark Channel’s “It’s Christmas, Eve” as well as completed a holiday tour. But she isn’t taking much time off to recuperate. Rimes' tour schedule starts back up Jan. 18 in Oklahoma.
Diamond Rio
Known for songs including “Meet in the Middle,” “In a Week or Two” and “Love a Little Stronger,” Diamond Rio is one of the defining groups of the ‘90s. The band continued to have hits in the 2000s with “One More Day” and “Beautiful Mess” and released its most recent album, “I Made It,” in 2015.
David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy was the voice and pen behind ‘90s No. 1 “Dust on the Bottle.” Since then, he has accumulated multiple hits as a songwriter. Last year his duet with Kenny Chesney, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” topped the charts and won the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year. Murphy also released “No Zip Code,” his first album in more than a decade, in 2018.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 1990s country: Where are Joe Diffie, LeAnn Rimes, Deana Carter and more now?
